You’re Invited

You’re Invited... The meal is the star of many holiday get-togethers, but you need not stress over what to serve. Simple yet thoughtful— and delicious—treats will always win over a festive crowd. Here are five easy-to-make recipes to mark the occasion.

An assortment of nuts and dried fruit is easy to prepare, adds visual interest to any table—and the tiny morsels are perfect for snacking while waiting for drinks and the main course to arrive.

COFFEE CHAI DISCO

Serves: 3–4

INGREDIENTS: n ¾ cup vodka n 4 star anise pods, plus extra to decorate n 4 chai tea bags n 1/3 cup coffee liqueur n scant ½ cup heavy cream n ice cubes n ground cinnamon n cinnamon sticks n dried orange slices DIRECTIONS: Pour the vodka into a pitcher, add the star anise pods and tea bags and let infuse for at least 2 hours. Remove the tea bags and star anise. Mix in the coffee liqueur and heavy cream until combined. Taste and add more vodka, coffee liqueur or cream, according to your personal taste.

Fill cocktail glasses with ice and pour the mixture over. Decorate each cocktail with a small pinch of ground cinnamon, a cinnamon stick and a dried orange slice.

Kitchen notes: If you cannot find chai tea bags, make your own chai blend by mixing black tea with a little ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, freshly grated nutmeg and ground black pepper. Stir this mixture into the vodka, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve after steeping.

Whether you’re serving a fivecourse meal or hors d’oeuvres, simple place settings can fill guests with the holiday spirit.

HOLIDAY 2022 |

MUSHROOM, SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE WREATH

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS: n 1 lb. (assorted mushrooms n extra-virgin olive oil n 1 yellow onion, finely chopped n 1 clove garlic, finely chopped n 7 oz. baby spinach, chopped n 1 tsp. cumin seeds n 7 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled n finely grated zest of 2 lemons, preferably organic n scant 1 cup pine nuts n 1 small handful dried cranberries, optional n 2 sheets puff pastry (8x12), preferably all-butter n 3½ Tbs. whole milk n salt and freshly ground pepper DIRECTIONS: Clean and thinly slice the mushrooms. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet, add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook over medium heat until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden.

Stir in the spinach and cumin seeds, followed by the goat cheese, lemon zest, pine nuts and dried cranberries, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool for 15–20 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut one puff pastry sheet in half lengthwise. Place the halves side by side on the baking sheet and cover each one with half the mushroom mixture, leaving a 1½-inch border at each end and a 1¼-inch border along each side.

Fold the long sides over the filling to form logs, pressing the pastry edges together to seal. Close the ends, then turn the logs over so the seams are underneath. Very carefully shape the two logs into a wreath.

Cut out leaves or flowers from the second pastry sheet. Brush them with a little water and press them gently onto the wreath. This also allows you to hide the joints where the two logs meet.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk the milk with 1 Tbs. olive oil and brush all over the wreath. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Let the wreath cool for several minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully slide it onto a large serving plate.

LEMON-THYME SHORTBREADS

Makes two dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS: n 1¾ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature n 1 cup superfine sugar n 1 egg n 1 tsp. vanilla extract n finely grated zest of 1 lemon, preferably organic n leaves of 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme n 2¼ cups all-purpose flour

For the icing

n 1 egg white n 1 Tbs. lemon juice, plus a little finely grated zest n confectioners’ sugar, as needed n leaves of 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme

DIRECTIONS: Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir in the lemon zest and thyme, followed by the flour. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of about ¼ inch and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut out 1½- to 2-inch disks using a plain cookie cutter and place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Chill for 10 minutes, then bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool.

To prepare the icing, whisk together the egg white, lemon juice and zest in a bowl, then gradually whisk in confectioners’ sugar until the icing is the consistency you want. Spread a little icing on top of each cookie and sprinkle with thyme. Let sit for 10–15 minutes.

HOLIDAY BISCOTTI

Makes 15–20 cookies

INGREDIENTS: n ½ cup brown sugar n ¼ cup superfine sugar n 2 tsp. vanilla extract n 1 tsp. bitter almond extract n 2 eggs n 2 cups all-purpose flour n 1 tsp. baking powder n 2 pinches fleur de sel n scant 1 cup dried cranberries n ¾ cup shelled pistachios, shelled n ²/3 cup almonds, toasted and blanched

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 340°F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, superfine sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and eggs until combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder and fleur de sel, then add the cranberries and nuts. Mix well with your hands to make a dough, then shape into two logs about 2¾- to 3¼-inches wide and 7- to 8-inches long. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 25–30 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5–6 minutes, then cut each log crosswise into 7–10 slices. Place the slices cut side down on the baking sheet, lower the oven temperature to 325°F and bake for an additional 8–9 minutes until dry. Let cool. Feel free to experiment with different spices, dried fruits or nuts.

PECAN-PISTACHIO BITES

Makes about 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS: n 2 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened n cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting n a few drops of vanilla extract n 2 pinches fleur de sel n 2½ cups all-purpose flour n generous ½ cup pecan halves n generous ½ cup pistachios, shelled

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and fleur de sel in a large bowl and beat until combined. Stir in the flour. Grind the pecans and pistachios to a powder, leaving a few larger pieces, and mix into the dough. Roll into balls slightly smaller than golf balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool for about 10 minutes, so the cookies firm up and don’t crumble when removed from the sheet. Place a little confectioners’ sugar in a soup plate and roll the cookies in it until well coated.

Recipes and photos reprinted with permission from My Art of Entertaining: Recipes and Tips from Miss Maggie’s Kitchen by Héloïse Brion (Flammarion, 2022). Photos by Christophe Roué