Midwest Living November/December 2014 Recipes

A "window" on the top of these cookies shows off the jam inside, but if you're feeling lazy, just sandwich the preserves between two solid cookies. They'll taste just as good.Lingonberry Hearts

These ultrarich, nutty bars are a great addition to your brownie repertoire.Scandinavian Brownies

Allow us to introduce you to fennel pollen. This favorite of pros has hints of licorice and citrus. Find it in specialty stores or online, then use it to flavor pork belly.PorchettaServe Salsa Verde over potatoes or with porchetta.

A garnish of pomegranate seeds and mint gives spark to this refreshing dip; it'’s a healthy choice you'’ll be glad to have in your recipe box year-round. Serve with pita chips, crisp breadsticks or vegetables.Cucumber-Feta Dip

Any plain corn bread will work in this cozy recipe from chef Edward Lee.Cornbread and Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Coconut Sauce

In Denmark, the golden kringle (pretzel) is an old guild symbol that often hangs outside bakeries. Our sweet version uses browned butter for deeper, nutty flavor.Brown-Butter Kringler

A marinade made of rosemary, orange juice and sorghum (a syrup that is stronger tasting than honey but less bitter than molasses) infuses the dish with sweetness and color. Chef Edward Lee swears by sorghum'’s flavor, but if you can'’t find it, molasses works.Cornish Game Hens with Root Vegetable Hash

These cookies are best eaten the same day, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and then crisp them up again in a 350° oven for 3 minutes.Waffle Cookies

Saffron threads are the stamens of crocus flowers, and without a doubt, they'’re a splurge. (A tiny jar costs about $10.) There isn'’t a good substitute, so we reserve saffron for recipes like these soft, citrusy cookies, where its flavor and color shine.Orange-Saffron Stamp Cookies

If you like, garnish cups of chef Gerard Craft'’s Italian mulled wine with thin orange slices or pretty curls of orange peel. This recipe multiplies easily and can be made ahead and reheated before serving.Vin Brulé

With its short cook time, this Mediterranean-inspired roast leaves plenty of time (and space in the oven) for preparing side dishes. The recipe comes from chef Anne Kearney.Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

These cookies are extremely rich, so cut them into small bars. We love the indulgent flourish of the caramel sauce, but the cookies are delicious without it.Tosca Diamonds

Our healthy south-of-the-border hummus has sweet potato for silky smoothness, chipotle peppers for smoky heat and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for crunch. If you like, kick up the heat by swirling some of the adobo sauce from the can of chipotles on top of the dip.Sweet Potato Hummus

The recipe makes more than enough of chef Anne Kearney's Spiced Pecans for this dish. Not to worry. They're fantastic for snacking or sprinkling on salad. Tuscan kale, sometimes called dinosaur or lacinato kale, has darker, smoother leaves than curly kale. It also has a more tender texture.Tuscan Kale with Brown Butter, Pecans and Golden Raisins

This festively spiced recipe (with a hint of orange zest) makes thin, crunchy cookies that work well for gingerbread houses, edible place cards and ornaments. Crispy Gingerbread

The chips are easy and definitely add to the dip's appeal, but rice crackers, sugar snap peas, celery sticks and baby bok choy leaves all make good Asian-inspired dippers.Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip with Wonton Chips

The carrots from chef Edward Lee’'s cookbook Smoke and Pickles are sweet, buttery-and, yes, boozy.Bourbon-Ginger Glazed Carrots

Wild blueberries thrive in Sweden, where fika refers to a midday break for coffee-often accompanied by a treat like these biscotti-style cookies. Like biscotti, these coffee-spice flavor cookies bake twice to crisp thoroughly-perfect for dipping in hot drinks.Blueberry-Almond Fika Toasts

Roasting beets isn't hard, but you can save time by substituting refrigerated roasted beets. Just start the recipe on Step 3. Serve the dip with sliced apples, celery sticks or toasted baguette slices.Triple B Dip

Almond butter and extract, plus slivered nuts, flavor a sweet- and-salty, no-bake cookie that looks like woven straw ornaments. Make a big wreath to slice at parties or small ones for gifts. Or just drop haystack-style mounds.Triple-Almond Haystack Wreath

We used this rich, nutty-tasting whole-grain dough for iced picture-frame cookies, but the cookies taste great uniced, too.Cardamom-Rye CookiesSee a short video on how to paint these cookies.

It's time to retire your cocktail sauce. Chef Anne Kearney'’s slurp-worthy twist on a classic French condiment is outstanding with cold boiled shrimp. It does have a lot of ingredients-typical of ravigote-but the method is easy. You’'ll be rewarded with an empty dish at the end of the party.Creole Ravigote Dressing

We love these simple, subtle drop cookies plain, but if you want to dress them up, dip the bottoms of the cooled cookies in melted bittersweet chocolate.Hazelnut Macaroons