It’s that time of year again—time to break out the tinsel and the holiday sweaters and, of course, the cookies! Yesterday was the Workman holiday party, and we really pulled out the stops. In addition to gifts under the tree, a rockin’ holiday band, and a record-breaking dance number (more details soon…!), the party also saw the return of a favorite holiday tradition: the annual Workman cookie swap.

A very small sampling of the many desserts at the party

What is a cookie swap, you ask? It’s just that: a swapping of cookies. Partygoers whipped up a batch of their favorite cookies—often, you probably won’t be surprised to learn, out of a Workman cookbook—and then laid them out for display. Then everyone who brought in baked goods could put together a sampler of all the other cookies they wanted to take home. And even those of us who didn’t make anything were allowed to try a few—you know, in the generous holiday spirit and all.

This year the edible offerings were as great as ever, with cookies running the gamut from peanut butter thumbprints to chocolate whoopie pies. Among the many highlights were treats from two of our favorite cookie books: Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunch Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich and Lauren Chattman’s Cookie Swap! Below, check out (on the left) some Snickerdoodles from Chewy Gooey and (right) some Chocolate Peppermint Dirt Cookies from Cookie Swap!, lovingly baked by Workman employees.

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Gearing up for your own holiday party? Whip up a plate of delicious ginger cookies from Artisan’s spectacular Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy and you’re sure to wow all the holiday revelers you know; the recipe’s below. (And keep scrolling for a few choice shots from the party!)

Partygoers mingle and jingle.

Red-and-green peanut butter thumbprints (!!)

The Reprints---Nancy (at the back on the spoons), Erin, Liz, Bob, David, Jeanne, and Mike (below)---rock out.

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Donated gifts under the tree---and Cheryl and Griffith Day of "The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook" on top!

Happy holidays, from our family to yours!
—Avery

Take it or leave it, Valentine’s Day means something different to everyone…but who doesn’t love a great dessert? We’ve probably all had tiramisu in various forms – sometimes as a sublime ending to a meal or sometimes as a soggy, tired finish to a meal.  But along comes Eric Ripert’s version from A Return to Cooking, which freshens up the recipe and frankly looks quite pretty, like the perfect valentines-y type dessert.  So try whipping up this crowd-pleasing berry-topped confection…

Tiramisu

Prep: 25 minutes, plus 30 minutes to macerate the fruit, Cook: 15 minutes

I love this dessert, though it’s not a traditional tiramisu. Here, ladyfingers are marinated in framboise, served with a coulis of berries and marinated whole berries, topped with sweet mascarpone enriched with egg yolk, and garnished with a port and balsamic reduction.

The sauce:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup port wine

The ladyfingers:
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup framboise liqueur
12 ladyfingers (store-bought)

The topping:
1 1/2 pints raspberries
6 tablespoons sugar
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 egg yolks
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the sauce, combine the balsamic vinegar and port in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

2. For the ladyfingers, bring the water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar has been dissolved. Remove from the heat.

3. Mash the raspberries, using a fork, and press through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Add the raspberry puree and the framboise to the sugar syrup. Refrigerate until well chilled.

4. Place the ladyfingers on a platter and gradually brush the syrup evenly over them until you have used all of the liquid. Allow the ladyfingers to sit for at least 10 minutes to absorb all of the liquid.

5. For the topping, puree 1/2 pint of the raspberries in a blender or food processor. Strain to remove the seeds. Place the puree in a bowl and add 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Add the strawberries and the remaining raspberries and macerate for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, place the yolks and the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until pale yellow and very light, about 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the mascarpone and vanilla and whisk until well blended and light. Add the yolk mixture and stir to incorporate.

7. To serve, place 2 ladyfingers in the center of each plate and top with the berries. Spoon the mascarpone over each. Drizzle the balsamic-port sauce around the plates. Serve immediately.

Thanksgiving is the ultimate potluck dinner for my family. My aunt and uncle host three generations for the long weekend, and the number gathered around the table varies from 12 to around 20 over the course of three or four days. My clever Aunt Joan has figured out a good system for feeding this crowd for several days running: she makes a casserole for Wednesday-night dinner and she takes care of the Thanksgiving turkey; all other cooking tasks are delegated to the houseguests.

Her hosting example has taught us all how to be a Good Houseguest. The rules are easy: make your bed, take yourself out for a walk now and then (even better, take a few of the assembled small children with you), don’t wait to be waited on – whether for breakfast or cocktails –  and do not forget to ask “what can I bring?”

Here’s what I bring: Anne Byrn’s Cranberry Tart from (the aptly named) What Can I Bring? Cookbook. And here’s why:

• It can be made a few days ahead. There’s no crust, so nothing gets soggy. This makes for ideal leftovers, too – though there rarely are many to spare.
• It’s portable. The filling firms up as it bakes, so nothing sloshes around in the back of the car while we battle holiday traffic.
• It’s seasonal. Fresh cranberries just shout “Thanksgiving.”
• It looks so pretty. Those bright red cranberries liven up one’s dessert plate next to pumpkin, pecan and apple pies. (My other aunt’s and cousins’ pies are all delicious, but let’s face it – rather brown.)
• It’s simple. Did I mention no crust? Did you understand this means no rolling, and no lattice-making? And other than the cranberries (which I usually grab when they first appear at the grocery store, and stow in my freezer til baking day), the other ingredients are already in my fridge or pantry.
• It’s requested. Last year’s Cranberry Tart was so delicious, everyone asked me to bring it again this year!

Anne Byrn is known around here as “The Cake Mix Doctor” – and her newest book, The Cake Mix Doctor Returns, is a current New York Times bestseller. She’s a wizard with a box of cake mix – a pinch of that, a bit of this, and it becomes an extraordinary and truly homemade dessert. But she’s just as brilliant at cooking and baking from scratch; her food is exactly what I like to eat – fresh, homey and delicious – and the recipes in What Can I Bring? are all smartly designed to be toted with you.

Even if you haven’t been asked to bring dessert for Thanksgiving (in which case your host or hostess should learn a few tricks from Aunt Joan), these recipes will enliven any potluck you attend this season.

Try the Big Green Salad with Orange, Avocado and Red Wine Vinaigrette, which adds a little tropical fiesta to any mid-winter dinner, and is a perfect foil for the beef bourgignon or other hearty fare your host is likely serving. (The addition of parmesan cheese to the vinaigrette is brilliant and unexpected. And it’s now a trick I use all the time. Thank you, Anne!)

Or tell your weekend hostess you’ll bring a big pan of Chicken Enchiladas to serve for the Saturday-after-Thanksgiving lunch. Anne’s sauce is salsa- and broth-based, so it’s not too creamy (a nice break after holiday food indulgence) and the bright Mexican flavors are a welcome change of pace after a few days of turkey sandwiches and leftover mashed potatoes. Like most of the recipes in this very smart book, the Enchiladas can be made ahead and left in the fridge for a day, or the freezer for longer. This means you can do the work at home and just put the pan in your hostess’ oven before lunch – providing her with both a meal and a mess-free kitchen, gifts she will really appreciate after doing endless dishes for what feels like days on end.

Check out the chapter called “It’s a Gift” for thrifty and delicious food gifts– all of which are great choices to bring your holiday hostess. If you brought me a pretty jar of Vidalia Onion Marmalade, I’d pour it over cream cheese, open up some crackers, and skip fussing over appetizers on Friday night after the Big Feast. If you brought me a Sour Cream Cinnamon Streusel Loaf, I’d leave it out for my guests’ breakfast and sneak back to bed with my coffee (hey, the hostess deserves a holiday weekend too). If you brought me a tin of Anne’s Sweet and Spicy Pecans, I’d probably hide them in the cupboard so I could eat them all myself while watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” a couple weeks later… but I’d definitely invite you back for Thanksgiving next year.

Click here for the Cranberry Tart recipe