Midwest Living November/December 2021 Recipes

Christmas pudding is a dense, fruity, boozy steamed cake that's traditionally lit on fire before serving, and this version comes from chef Kieron Hales of Cornman Farms in Michigan. Top each slice with a melting dollup of sweet brandied butter and serve.

Gougères, or hollow, cheesy puffs, are a traditional French snack taste eaten warm from the oven. They're best when fresh, though they can be made ahead and reheated for entertaining ease. Serve them as an appetizer with predinner cocktails.

Thyme and garlic flavor Hales' puree of carrot and swede, the British word for rutabaga. He makes this humble root vegetable the star of the holiday table by blending it with lots of butter (which earns raves even from his picky younger son). 

Chef Kieron Hales makes a perfectly pink beef tenderloin that hearkens to his mum's Sunday roasts. He roasts this tenderloin on a rack over a bed of leek, carrot and onion so drippings flavor the vegetables. 

Crispy outside and floury inside, English roast potatoes are typically cooked very simply—water, salt, hot oil. The fat-crisped nuggets have a light, floury interior. But Chef Kieron Hales dresses his up with herbs, garlic and Worcestershire sauce.

Butter-braised leeks become meltingly tender when slow-simmered in chicken stock with herbs. Chef Kieron Hales recommends setting aside the cooking liquid to use in a soup.

These 6-inch chocolate cakes are topped with a swoop of silky frosting. The recipe (which makes three cakes) comes from Minneapolis blogger Sarah Kieffer's cookbook, Baking for the Holidays.

Simple. Elegant. Buttery. These vanilla bean cookies are the perfect slice-and-bake treat, and you can make them four ways. 

Trust us: This festive and easy peppermint bark recipe is so much better than store-bought versions. Break it into bite-size pieces or cut it into six larger "candy bars" and wrap them up for gifting. 

Even if you're not a fan of fruit cake, Sarah Kieffer's modern take may convert you. These super-moist cakes are encassed in chocolate and star elegant flavors like tarte cherries, orange zest, candied citruis peel, colorful chopped and dried fruit. Package them up in our DIY modern fruit cake boxes before gifting.

Here's a clever use for peels from the fruit you've juiced: make candied citrus peels. Sarah Kieffer's trick is to boil and re-boil the peels several times in fresh water to remove their bitterness. 

Related: How to Mkae a Modern Fruit Cake Box

Soft, chewy homemade caramels are the bee's knees. For a twist on the classic, try Sarah Kieffer's orange, espresso and salted variations. Extra credit if you package them in our darling crepe paper treat bags!

If you can find savoy cabbage, a variety with rippled leaves that's extra-tender when cooked up, this skillet-roasted side dish is a great use for it. Panko and chopped toasted hazelnuts give it the perfect amount of crunch. 

Shredded cabbage replaces pasta in this filling, flavorful main, and it all comes together in a Dutch oven. Enjoy it as a gluten-free dish, or pair with crusty bread.

This healthy, colorful salad is filled with feta, pistachios, juicy clementines and crisp apple, and gently softened by a warm shallot vinaigrette. 

This vibrant combination of beer-braised pork chops and cabbage makes a simple one-pan dinner, but if you want to go all German, buttered steamed potatoes are an excellent complement to this dish.

At The Bake Shop and Cafe in Cleveland, Shawnda Moye offers the Cinny, a warm cinnamon roll-meets-biscuit that somehow becomes more divine when paired with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee.

This tangy, make-ahead tart has a crisp ginger crust. Easily create its eye-catching swirls of cranberry and lemon curd with a toothpick or chopstick.

The nostalgic flavors of your favorite childhood sandwich come together in cookie form. Use your favorite preserves (these feature raspberry) to give your batch an extra-personal touch.