Our Test Kitchen and Photo Studio teams have been busy trying new recipes. Check out this month's most delicious recipes, including dinners, desserts and more. Don't forget to save them to your recipe box!
1/17
Gingerbread Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches
From the Recipe Creator:
If you love crinkle cookies, try this wintry variation before the holidays. Gingerbread crinkle cookies sandwich a vanilla bean buttercream for a new way to enjoy gingerbread cookies this December. —Susan Bronson, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 cookie sandwich: 365 calories, 13g fat (5g saturated fat), 36mg cholesterol, 297mg sodium, 60g carbohydrate (43g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.
If you’ve already decided on your Christmas cookie recipes for the season, please consider making an amendment. We make these by sandwiching a fluffy vanilla bean buttercream between soft, molasses- and ginger-spiced crinkle cookies. It’s a masterclass in maximizing flavors and textures; I can practically taste them through the screen!
2/17
Oaxacan Coffee
From the Recipe Creator:
Oaxacan coffee puts a south-of-the-border twist on a hot toddy by adding smoky agave-based mezcal to freshly brewed coffee, creating a memorable and enjoyable sipper for a chilly evening. This after-dinner coffee upgrade tastes particularly decadent with a floating dollop of cream.—Julie Laing, Bigfork, Montana
Nutrition Facts:
1 drink: 211 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 17mg cholesterol, 8mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.
Irish coffee fans will love this Oaxacan coffee made with mezcal. To take it from good to great, add a few dashes of mole bitters—a high-proof alcohol infused with cacao nibs, spices and chili. It’s kind of like vanilla extract in baking recipes: The recipe will turn out fine without it, but even better with it. If you can’t find mole bitters, use chocolate bitters and add a tiny pinch of ancho chile pepper.
3/17
Indian-Style Butter Gnocchi
From the Recipe Creator:
This vegetarian recipe combines all the flavors of traditional butter chicken with plump, tender Italian gnocchi. —Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 570 calories, 30g fat (19g saturated fat), 101mg cholesterol, 1421mg sodium, 66g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 6g fiber), 11g protein.
A traditional butter chicken recipe gets a makeover when we swap in pillowy, plump gnocchi for yogurt-marinated chicken. It’s a warm, comforting pasta dish with all the aromatic, expertly-spiced flavors of an Indian-style sauce. This is a vegetarian recipe, but you can certainly include yogurt-marinated chicken for a protein boost.
4/17
Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
From the Recipe Creator:
This decadent hot chocolate poke cake is filled with gooey marshmallow fluff, layered with a fudgy ganache and topped with a hot cocoa-flavored whipped cream. —Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 674 calories, 44g fat (22g saturated fat), 126mg cholesterol, 512mg sodium, 69g carbohydrate (47g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein.
I like to think that s’mores-flavored desserts retire for the year on October first and hot chocolate promptly takes over as the kid-friendly marshmallow-chocolate dessert. This hot chocolate poke cake incorporates its marshmallow component in a fun way. Poured into the poked holes of a chocolate sheet cake, the gooey marshmallow fluff soaks throughout. And yes, there’s real hot cocoa mix in the fluffy frosting!
5/17
Spinach Artichoke Dip Soup
From the Recipe Creator:
Spinach artichoke dip lovers, this soup is for you! We transformed the classic party dip into warm, comforting bowls you can have for dinner. —Susan Bronson, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 266 calories, 21g fat (10g saturated fat), 48mg cholesterol, 652mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 5g fiber), 6g protein.
Everyone loves spinach artichoke dip. Creamy, flavorful and packed with veggies, it’s a perfectly balanced party appetizer. With a little veggie broth and half-and-half, we turned the classic dip into a super comforting vegetarian soup. I love to add cornbread croutons to mine for a little more texture.
6/17
Espresso Cream Soda
From the Recipe Creator:
This espresso cream soda recipe is my take on the viral internet recipe. It's fizzy, lightly sweet and refreshing. —Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 soda: 95 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 8mg cholesterol, 53mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (17g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.
Espresso, check. Cream, check. Vanilla syrup, check. Club soda…wait, what? Yes, this new viral recipe has everyone adding a fizzy element to their morning coffee. Utah’s dirty sodas—cream, club soda and cola—walked so the espresso cream soda could run.
7/17
Pie Crust Cinnamon Rolls
From the Recipe Creator:
Save your pie crust dough scraps to make a batch of easy, yummy pie crust cinnamon rolls! The miniature treats have all the flavor and the icing of regular cinnamon rolls, with a crispy, cookie-like texture. —Nancy Mock, Southbridge, Massachusetts
Nutrition Facts:
1 cinnamon roll: 121 calories, 6g fat (3g saturated fat), 7mg cholesterol, 81mg sodium, 17g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.
I love cinnamon rolls as much as the next person. But if I’m being honest, that dough is a lot of work. So we kept the filling and used pie crust dough instead of yeasted dough, giving us a cookie version of the beloved breakfast pastry. You can use your own pie dough recipe, but the best premade pie crust from the store makes this recipe even easier.
8/17
Karpatka Cake
From the Recipe Creator:
This Polish cream puff cake, otherwise known as karpatka cake, is meant to resemble the Carpathian Mountains with its craggly top and dusting of confectioners' sugar, meant to look like snow. —Molly Allen, Hood River, Oregon
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 406 calories, 30g fat (18g saturated fat), 195mg cholesterol, 384mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (20g sugars, 0 fiber), 6g protein.
Karpatka is a traditional Polish dessert that’s essentially a giant cream puff. Choux dough bakes in two cake pans, creating the top and bottom of a cake that’s stuffed with a rich vanilla pastry cream filling. It’s a beautiful dessert for the holiday table, offering a nice change of pace among the Christmas cookies, pies, bars and other Christmas desserts.
9/17
French Onion Gnocchi Soup
From the Recipe Creator:
This rich and cozy soup recipe takes your favorite French onion soup recipe and adds tender, pillowy gnocchi for a hearty and filling twist. —Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 584 calories, 19g fat (9g saturated fat), 51mg cholesterol, 1337mg sodium, 76g carbohydrate (19g sugars, 8g fiber), 25g protein.
French onion soup is kind of having a moment right now. We decided to pair it with another fun food trend: soups with gnocchi. The result? A filling French onion soup with all the deeply savory, umami flavors we know and love.
10/17
Pumpkin Quesadillas
From the Recipe Creator:
These quesadillas, packed with pumpkin, black beans, spices and plenty of melty cheese, are a family favorite in the fall. —Susan Bronson, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 548 calories, 28g fat (13g saturated fat), 50mg cholesterol, 939mg sodium, 52g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 7g fiber), 23g protein.
Before you write off this pumpkin quesadilla as so last season, stay with me. This is a nutritious lunch to whip up during the holidays after indulging in one too many Christmas cookies. Made with black beans, pumpkin puree, cheese and lots of veggies, it has a whopping 23 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber in each serving. Bonus: It uses up that last can of pumpkin puree sitting in the cabinet that you didn’t get to when you tackled easy pumpkin recipes last month.
11/17
Frosted Sugared Cranberry Cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
These thick cookies are dotted with dried cranberries and topped with a vanilla-orange frosting and sugared cranberries. —Molly Allen, Hood River, Oregon
Nutrition Facts:
1 cookie: 542 calories, 20g fat (12g saturated fat), 67mg cholesterol, 131mg sodium, 90g carbohydrate (70g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.
Cranberries and orange zest add a touch of tartness to these thick, soft, frosted sugar cookies, turning them into a festive Christmas dessert. When making the frosting, I recommend using vanilla paste over extract—this simple swap will make the cookies look and taste gourmet.
12/17
French Onion Monkey Bread
From the Recipe Creator:
This French onion monkey bread tastes just like the classic soup recipe. We love making this bread to serve with beef stew or a hearty Sunday pot roast. —Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 416 calories, 24g fat (12g saturated fat), 40mg cholesterol, 1058mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 2g fiber), 11g protein.
For anyone who grew up with a cinnamon-sugar-coated monkey bread, this French onion-inspired version will have you questioning everything you know. After cutting up canned biscuit dough, you’ll coat the pieces in garlic and thyme. Then, layer them in the pan with homemade caramelized onions and lots of freshly shredded Gruyere and Parmesan cheese. It bakes into an umami-rich pull-apart bread that’s perfect with any winter soup.
13/17
Pretzel Bread Bowls
From the Recipe Creator:
These soft and chewy pretzel bread bowls are an obligatory menu item on Sundays during football season, filled to the brim with our favorite broccoli cheese soup. —Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 609 calories, 18g fat (10g saturated fat), 87mg cholesterol, 933mg sodium, 93g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 5g fiber), 16g protein.
We’re all familiar with Panera’s iconic bread bowl, but I much prefer this pretzel version. The tangy, salty pretzel bread is flavored with German-style beer and has much more flavor than a regular bread bowl. I like it with any soup recipe, but it’s a knockout with a copycat Panera broccoli cheese soup specifically.
14/17
Pastitsio Soup
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe takes the traditional flavors of Greek pastitsio—which is the closest dish Greek cuisine has to lasagna—and turns it into a creamy soup filled with ground beef, tomatoes and pasta. —Susan Bronson, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 495 calories, 27g fat (15g saturated fat), 96mg cholesterol, 1155mg sodium, 40g carbohydrate (11g sugars, 4g fiber), 23g protein.
Pastitsio is a classic Greek recipe that layers pasta, meat sauce and cheese. Sound familiar? It’s super similar to lasagna! After the success of our lasagna soup recipe, we figured a pastitsio soup would be a hit, too. In short, we were right. This recipe combines all the great layers of its inspired dish into one cozy, comforting bowl.
15/17
Chicken Potpie Muffins
From the Recipe Creator:
These chicken potpie muffins are a delicious (and easy!) way to use up leftover chicken. —Susan Bronson, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 muffin: 187 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 40mg cholesterol, 627mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 2g fiber), 11g protein.
There are many genius ways to use up leftover chicken, but none are as inventive as this chicken potpie-cornbread muffin crossover. Serve them with hearty winter soups to add a bit of bulk. It’s hibernating season, after all.
16/17
Sheet-Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers
From the Recipe Creator:
This one-pan wonder has everything you need for an easy weeknight meal: flavorful sausage, shelf-stable gnocchi, fresh bell peppers and onion. A sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and parsley makes it pop! —Lesley Balla, North Bend, Alabama
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 638 calories, 35g fat (10g saturated fat), 83mg cholesterol, 1606mg sodium, 59g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 6g fiber), 22g protein.
This is the perfect weeknight dinner during the holiday season. Gnocchi, sausage and vegetables bake on a single sheet pan, making it very quick and easy to throw together (a must when the sun sets at 4:30 p.m.). Plus, it’s filling and comforting but still nutritious enough to add protein and fiber to your diet.
17/17
Gingerbread Pancakes with Pancake Mix
From the Recipe Creator:
Molasses and spices turn an ordinary pancake mix into a special breakfast. These are so easy to make that you can have them any day of the week. —Trina Stewart, Yacolt, Washington
Nutrition Facts:
3 pancakes: 248 calories, 2g fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 972mg sodium, 54g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
If you want to whip up something special for Christmas morning but don’t really have the time or energy for something elaborate, these gingerbread pancakes will do. I like to call these “half-scratch.” Yes, they start with a box of completed pancake mix. But adding molasses and spices gives them a gingerbread boost and a homemade feel.
