ALLRECIPETS

HANDS-ON 30 MIN TOTAL 2 HR, 15 MIN  SERVES 6 (MAKES 6 CUPS)  SUBMITTED BY HAPPY AS A YAM

★★★★★ 3 REVIEWS This vegan and gluten-free soup is a great base to please guests with different dietary restrictions. Set out a variety of toppers—we used coconut milk, pepitas, and sage leaves, but bacon would also be nice—so partygoers can personalize their soup.

1 (21/2 lb.) butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 1 (8 oz.) sweet potato, halved lengthwise 3 Tbsp. olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 12 fresh sage leaves, or to taste 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 2 bay leaves, or more to taste 1 cinnamon stick 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves 1 tsp. salt Black pepper, to taste

1 . Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a shallow baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. 2 . Arrange butternut squash and sweet potato, cut sides down, in prepared pan. Bake until vegetables are easily pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes. Let cool. 3 . Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sage; cook until garlic is browned and sage is crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. 4 . Scoop flesh from squash and potato and transfer to a blender, along with the browned garlic. Add maple syrup and 1 cup broth; process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and adding a little more broth as needed. 5 . Press mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps and transfer to a 3-qt. pot. [If you don’t mind a chunkier soup, you can skip this step and transfer mixture directly from blender to a 3-qt. pot.] Add remaining vegetable broth, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, thyme, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Season to taste with pepper and serve with crushed crisp sage leaves. armagazine.com/sweet-veganbutternut-squash-soup

HEALTHY GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN

PER CUP: 186 CAL; 7G FAT (1G SAT); 2G PRO; 31G CARB (5G FIBER, 8G SUGARS); 504MG SODIUM

F O R T H E N E X T B A T C H , A N D T H E R E W I L L B E A N E X T B A T C H , I ’ L L B A K E T H E M A F E W M I N U T E S L E S S S O T H E Y ’ R E N O T Q U I T E A S C R U N C H Y . B U T T H E Y A R E D E F I N I T E L Y D E L I C I O U S ! – DARLENE CICCHELLI BRITTON

HANDS-ON 40 MIN TOTAL 2 HR, 15 MIN MAKES 22 COOKIES SUBMITTED BY CHEF JOHN

★★★★★ 60 REVIEWS This classic Italian cookie is easily customizable. Mix up the nuts and dried fruit—give hazelnuts, pistachios, and dried apricots a try. Then dip and drizzle in dark, milk, and/or white chocolate.

2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 eggs 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 tsp. almond extract 1/2 cup whole and 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries (optional) Melted dark, milk, and/or white chocolate (optional)

1 . Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. 2 . In another bowl, mix together butter, sugar, and oil until creamy. Add 1 egg; mix until incorporated. Add remaining egg, the vanilla extract, and almond extract; whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture; mix until incorporated. Stir in whole almonds, chopped almonds, and cranberries (if using). Chill mixture, covered, 30 minutes. 3 . Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. 4 . Divide dough in half. Shape each half into an 8-inch log. Wrap with plastic wrap and flatten until logs are 3 or 4 inches wide and about 1/2 inch thick. Remove wrap. Transfer flattened logs 4 inches apart to prepared baking sheet. 5 . Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes. 6 . Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. On a cutting board, carefully cut each log at a slight angle into 1/2- to 1-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife. Return slices cut sides down to baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until golden brown and crunchy, about 27 minutes. 7. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool to room temperature. If desired, dip ends of each cookie into melted chocolate and drizzle with another type of chocolate. Let stand or chill until set. armagazine.com/chef-johns- almond-biscotti

PER COOKIE: 220 CAL; 10G FAT (4G SAT); 4G PRO; 30G CARB (1G FIBER, 20G SUGARS); 65MG SODIUM