Midwest Living Holiday Cookbook 2002

Lemon extract and orange peel add a citrus touch to these cutout cookies. Top with a meringue icing or your favorite frosting, or add sprinkles before baking.Sparkling Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Ravenwood Castle in New Plymouth, Ohio, has served thousands of these rolls over the years. Now you can bake the popular Yuletide specialty at home.Ravenwood's Cinnamon Rolls

The breakfast spread at Turkey Run Inn at Turkey Run State Park in east-central Indiana often includes this warm-from-the-oven casserole. Cream cheese is the secret ingredient in this recipe, which gets a generous topping of blueberry or maple syrup.Blueberry Surprise French Toast Casserole

Serve this soup in a bread bowl for a delicious presentation.Creamy and Comforting Corn Chowder

This stuffing, which includes sausage, dried Michigan fruit and wild rice, forms a spiral when rolled up into a top loin roast. The recipe comes from the New York Restaurant in Harbor Springs, Michigan.Pork with Cherry Wild Rice Stuffing

A simple combination of four ingredients yields a relish with a surprising orange twist.Amazing Cranberry Relish

This special-occasion dish takes extra time to prepare, but it's worth it. We simplified the original recipe from the Raphael Hotel on Country Club Plaza in Kansas City so it's easier for you to make at home. Serve with White Bean Ragout, a cooked-bean mix with rich flavors of mushroom, brother and prosciutto.Porcini-Herb Crusted Lamb

This cheesecake earns its showstopper name with a cashew crust, rich eggnog filling and optional topping of cashew brittle.Showstopper Eggnog Cheesecake

We combined two favorite pie fillings -- apple and cherry -- into one treat. Almonds add a nutty boost.Something Special Apple-Cherry Pie

Midwest cooking school guru Liz Clark added cranberries to this recipe from a friend in Chicago who develops recipes for restaurants. The dense, chocolaty layer cake is featured in Liz's cookbook, The Cranberry Companion.Luscious Cranberry-Chocolate CakeSo-Chocolate Buttercream

Mint flavor infuses this creamy, easy holiday fudge. If you like, use two cups mint-flavor semi-sweet chocolate pieces instead of the chocolate pieces and extract.Fanciful Peppermint Fudge

Create a stunning centerpiece for a party dessert buffet with this recipe from a Keokuk, Iowa, cooking school instructor. A buche de Noel or Yule log cake is a traditional French holiday dessert.Iowa Buche de Noel

This crimson, two-ingredient beverage is equally at home at a brunch or evening get-together. Use a less expensive run for this no-fuss cocktail.Spirited Cranberry-Rum Punch

This sparkling drink is perfect to serve before or after dinner. For a nonalcoholic version, use the gingered syrup (without the vodka) in sparkling water or sparking cider.Twinkling Ginger Champagne Punch

Orange flower water gives a bright citrus flavor to these two traditional sweet breads from Provence, France. Look for the flower water at specialty supermarkets or order online from specialty food websites.Pompe de Noel and Provence Christmas BreadProvence Christmas Bread

The popular smoothie ingredient, mango, adds a colorful and fruity taste to a salad of broiled chicken. The sweetness of the mango contrasts with the salty crumbled bacon.Yuletide Mango Chicken Salad

Roasting intensifies the flavor of roma tomatoes for this herb-splashed salad from Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa. Mushrooms, grapes and walnuts add texture.Herbed Winter Salad

Roasted Root VegetablesFeast-Worthy Pecan-Sausage StuffingMichigan Smoked Whitefish CakesThree-Cheese Beer SoupPraline Sweet PotatoesBeef with Morel-Bourbon Cream SauceRoyal Breakfast HashAnytime Orange-Date MuffinsSt. Paul SconesMerry-Making Breakfast Granola