RECIPES

EASY WINTER CRANBERRY MULLED WINE

Makes 6 cocktails

Warm up this holiday season with a glass of Cranberry Mulled Wine. Combining dry red wine, cranberry juice, vermouth and spices, this easy recipe from Christina Musgrave of Tasting with Tina is perfect for a crowd. Serve as your guests arrive and be the best host of the year!

Ingredients 1 bottle dry red wine 1 cup cranberry juice ¼ cup sweet red vermouth 1 orange sliced, plus more for serving 4 whole cloves 3 cinnamon sticks, plus more for garnish 2 star anise, plus more for garnish 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey Directions Combine ingredients together in a large saucepan. Stir gently.

Cook mulled wine on medium heat until it reaches a slow simmer. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Using a fine strainer, strain the mulled wine to remove orange, clove, cinnamon and star anise.

Serve in a mug and garnish with more orange, star anise and cinnamon sticks.

You can find more of Christina’s recipes at her website (tastingwithtina.com) or on Instagram (@tasting.with. tina) or Facebook (facebook.com/tastingwithtinablog/).

HARISSA AND HONEY GLAZED CARROTS

Makes 4-6 servings

Hannah Lewis of The Beard and the Baker brings us a delicious different way to spice up holiday carrots. This Harissa and Honey Glazed Carrots recipe is a great idea for a unique holiday side dish. It earns bonus points for requiring only four ingredients.

Ingredients 1 bunch rainbow carrots 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons harissa seasoning Directions Boil rainbow carrots in a large pot of water. You can peel your carrots, if desired, but we prefer to leave them a little rustic. Boil for 3–5 minutes, depending on the size. They should be tender enough to poke with a fork.

Add butter to a nonstick pan and start to melt. Then, add honey and harissa. Whisk with a rubber whisk (metal will ruin your pan) until totally combined.

Over low-medium heat, add the cooked carrots. Toss and continue to coat for about 5 minutes, until fully coated.

Place glazed carrots on a serving platter then drizzle any remaining glaze in the pan over the carrots. Top with chopped carrot top greens, if desired.

Find more of Hannah’s recipes at her blog (thebeardandthebaker.com) and on Instagram (@thebeardandthebaker) and Facebook (facebook.com/TheBeardAndTheBaker).

RED WINE BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Makes 4 servings

Laura Lee Pendy of Cuisine & Cocktails knows how to make a delicious, comforting meal. This Red Wine Braised Short Ribs recipe is perfect for chilly winter evenings. With tender short ribs, fresh herbs and a delicious red wine sauce, this dish is sure to delight the whole family. Directions Season short ribs with salt and pepper on both sides. (If boneless, cut into large pieces if they’re not already.)

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Once hot, add short ribs.

Brown on all sides, 10–15 minutes. Turn heat down slightly if needed. Remove to a plate.

Add onion, carrots and celery to pot. Add more olive oil if too dry. Sauté 3 minutes.

Add garlic, sauté 1 minute.

Add tomato paste, thyme and parsley. Stir to combine and cook 2 minutes.

Add oregano, salt, pepper, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook 1 minute.

Pour in wine, turn down heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Add beef broth and return short ribs to pot.

Bring to simmer then turn down heat to low. Cover and cook 2–2½ hours, or until meat is easily pulled apart with fork.

Serve over mashed potatoes (optional).

Ingredients 2 pounds short ribs, bone-in or boneless, with outside fat trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped 1 large celery stalk, chopped 4–5 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons tomato paste 5 fresh thyme sprigs 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon oregano ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 bay leaf 1 cup dry red wine 2 cups beef broth Mashed potatoes for serving (optional)

You can find more of Laura’s recipes at the Cuisine & Cocktails website (cuisineandcocktails.com), and on Instagram (@cuisineandcocktails) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/cuisineandcockt).

EGGNOG PUMPKIN PIE

Makes 1 pie

Combine two holidays in one with this Eggnog Pumpkin Pie recipe from Erin Vasicek of The Spiffy Cookie. This delicious dessert is perfect for the holiday season.

Ingredients 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1¾ cups fresh pumpkin purée or 15 ounces canned ¾ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1½ tablespoons flour 1 cup eggnog

Directions Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the bottom third of the oven. Roll the dough into about a 12-inch round. Transfer to the pie plate. Trim away the excess, then fold the edges under and crimp them.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and pumpkin. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and add to the pumpkin mixture. Add eggnog and mix until smooth.

Pour the filling into the crust and transfer the pie to the oven. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the filling is firm (it will still jiggle, but if you touch it it shouldn’t be wet). Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and bake for an additional 15–20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 175°. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

You can find more of Erin’s recipes at The Spiffy Cookie blog (thespiffycookie.com) or on Instagram (@thespiffycookie) or Facebook (facebook.com/TheSpiffyCookie).