Christmas: Expert Guides and Resources

Bûche de Noël is French for Christmas log. This dessert with the fancy name is found in every pastry-shop window in France during the month of December. It’s simply a yellow sponge cake rolled around a white chocolate and cherry filling. You can start this the day ahead and let it sit overnight. Preparation time: 45 minutes; 8 hour cooling time Cooking time: 20 minutes Yield: 10 servings Yellow Sponge Cake for Bûche de Noël 1/4 cup whole milk 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup cake flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch salt 3 large eggs 3 large egg yolks 1 cup sugar Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

An Italian Christmas Eve tradition involves a multi-course seafood dinner where you might enjoy a delicious seafood stew. This holiday dish is sure to impress. just round it off with some crusty bread and perhaps a salad and cheese course.Although this is a low-fat recipe, it doesn't skimp on flavor. Low-Fat Seafood Stew Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 25 minutesYield: 8 servings 1/4 cup olive oil 2 large yellow onions, diced 1 fennel bulb, chopped and diced, fennel tops reserved 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon thyme 2 teaspoons crushed rosemary 1 bay leaf 4 cups bottled clam juice 2 cups dry white wine 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped 2 dozen small clams, scrubbed 2 dozen mussels, scrubbed 2 pounds sea bass fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 dozen large shrimp (20 to 25 shrimp per pound size) Three 4-ounce frozen lobster tails, defrosted, cut into thirds Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Cassoulet is a festive, budget-friendly main dish that's just right for a family Christmas dinner. This version of the classic French casserole makes a rich bean stew full of five types of meat. You can make it a month ahead and freeze, so it's a perfect dish for holiday entertaining. ©iStockphotos.com/ALLEKOThis cassoulet benefits from an overnight rest in the refrigerator.

Most people have a mountain of leftover turkey the day after the big Thanksgiving meal. This soup is a creative and easy way to make use of those tasty leftovers, even if they are just scraps. Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 35 minutesYield: 10 servings 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 3 celery stalks, diced 3 carrots, peeled and diced 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon sage 3 large all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels 1/2 cup frozen lima beans 6 cups turkey or chicken broth 1 1/2 pounds (about 3 cups) cooked leftover turkey, diced or shredded 1/2 cup frozen peas 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup whole milk Salt and pepper to taste Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat.

Kids love cookies and they also like to build things with food. You or one of your helpers makes this Holiday centerpiece by gluing a batch of cutout cookies together with icing to make an edible 10-inch wreath made of cookies. Place a large pillar candle in the middle for a beautiful centerpiece. Credit: ©iStockphoto.

Making place mats is an inexpensive way to decorate your Christmas table. Sewing holiday place mats means you can customize them with your theme colors or use traditional colors like red and green or silver and blue. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Juan Jose Gutierrez Barrow 2005 The instructions here show you how to make place mats out of the same type of fabric, but you can use different types of fabric to add more variety to your place mats.

Pomander candles are old-fashioned fragrant balls of citrus and cloves that fill the room with the scent of Christmas. The embedded candles enhance your room with a festive holiday atmosphere via flickering light. To make these candles, you need to use tealights, which are half-dollar size candles about 1 inch thick.

These are the sugarplums of children’s dreams. Sugarplums are small candies made from dried fruit; kids love making them. If you’re making them for adults, try the spirited version; otherwise, use orange juice as the liquid. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/tjasam 2012 Sugarplums Preparation time: 10 minutes Yield: Thirty-six 1-inch sugarplums 1/2 cup finely chopped dried figs 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans 1/4 cup finely chopped dates 1/4 cup finely chopped dried cherries 1/4 cup finely chopped golden raisins 1/4 cup unsweetened grated coconut 2 tablespoons rum, orange liqueur, or orange juice 1 cup confectioners sugar (approximately) The various fruits and nuts should be uniform in size.

Making a gingerbread house is a Christmas activity that kids enjoy. This gingerbread is not for eating; it’s for construction. It’s edible, but therefore drier than gingerbread for eating. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Ruth Black 2012 The recipe makes a large batch, so you’ll have some left over for trees or other shapes to add to the landscape.