Rum Balls

This recipe and photo are from the Associated Press.

RUM BALLS
Yield: about 60 cookies

8 ounces pecans, toasted and cooled
1 (9-ounce) package chocolate or vanilla wafer cookies
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup rum (any type, including spiced, dark or…

Milk Chocolate Meringues

This recipe and photo are from the Associated Press.

MILK CHOCOLATE MERINGUES
Yield: 30 cookies

3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup finely chopped milk chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line 2…

Caramel Peanut Melt Bars

This recipe and photo are from the Associated Press.

CARAMEL PEANUT MELT BARS
Yield: 32 bars

For the dough:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the caramel layer:
2 cups granulated…

Mexican-Spiced Macaroons

This recipe and photo are from the Associated Press.

MEXICAN-SPICED MACAROONS
Yield: 36 macaroons

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14-ounce) package sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
2 teaspoons…

Snickerdoodle Spritz Cookies

This recipe and photo are from the Associated Press.

SNICKERDOODLE SPRITZ COOKIES
Yield: 24 cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground…

Cranberry fig chutney

I’m pulling out the ingredients for my favorite cranberry recipe and thought I’d post a link here. I’ve been making this each Thanksgiving since the early ’90s. It’s great with the feast — even the skeptics (figs? ginger?…

Marinated olives

Here’s an easy way to dress up green and/or black olives. The recipe is from Brett Harrision of Universal Press Syndicate.

WEST-COAST STYLE OLIVES
Yield: 16 servings

1 pound olives with pits, rinsed of any brine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
1/2…

Mini cupcakes; Post-Dispatch photos by David Carson

Cravings owner/pastry chef Tim Brennan will use this rich chocolate ganache to top his Mini Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes at a fundraiser Nov. 14 for the St. Louis Public Library.

Chocolate Ganache > Tim Brennan, Cravings

1 cup…

Sour cream was an elusive ingredient in the stuffed cabbage recipe sought by Pam Schaeffer of Grover. We received three sour-cream-free recipes in response to her recent request and published one of them in the Post-Dispatch.

Thanks to Marilyn Rickmeyer, here is…

Chinese Celery Salad

My colleague Amy Bertrand made this recipe as she prepared to interview Lucinda Scala Quinn, author of Mad Hungry: Recipes, Strategies & Survival Techniques. You might not think of celery as a side dish, but Bertrand, her husband…