When I need an impressive dessert in a hurry, I pull out my bundt pan. Though the batter is no more involved than any other cake, the big, fluted finished cake looks like it took a lot of work or special skill. Even better, bundt cakes don't require frosting, layering or any other decoration beyond a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream on each slice. This particular bundt cake replaces sweet icing with a heady mixture of whiskey, black coffee, butter and brown sugar, which is spooned over the still-warm cake to soak in and glaze it as it cools. More

Holiday baking doesn't have to be a big, expensive production. With a little planning and some careful shopping, you can turn out a generous parade of cakes, cookies and candies on a less-than-generous budget. Here are five tips for baking up a storm without breaking the bank: More

Chances are, if you've reached this site, you are planning on cooking at least part of your holiday meals from scratch. Many of you may even be going the whole shebang and cooking the entire meal, from the biscuits to cranberry sauce, on your own. But who says you can't fib a little on the timing? Read on for seven foods you can make now and freeze to save a few hours when you're cooking up a storm in a few weeks. More

The Thanksgiving prep has begun with dogeared recipes, phone calls to family members, and pie dough made and frozen. But recently the question of bread came up: do we need it? Do we want it? Will anyone miss the bread if it's not a part of the meal? More

This is the time of year when nearly every food writer and editor scratches their head, looking for something new to say about Thanksgiving. Can we spice up the turkey? Put a glaze on the pumpkin pie? Can we buff up the old standards, add a bit of shine? But all of this is largely a quixotic endeavor as you, like us, prefer to stick with the old favorites. And rightly so: the charm of Thanksgiving is its familiarity. So, to that end, here is our own rundown of Thanksgiving essentials — everything you need to start from scratch and put that masterpiece of classic cooking on the table. More

Do you have a friend or loved one on active duty overseas? If you'd like to send them a holiday food package this season, go right ahead! But here are a few rules to keep in mind when shipping edible goodies to troops overseas: More

Anyone else here think that the stuffing is the best part of Thanksgiving dinner? I love its mix of textures and flavors — crunchy roasted nuts with soft broth-soaked bread and chewy morsels of spiced sausage. Oh mama, that's good stuff! As the self-designated stuffing-maker in our house, I've tweaked and tested my recipe over the years until finally settling on this one easy method. More

Ah, pumpkin pie — that most quintessential of Thanksgiving desserts. Here's my own favorite take on pumpkin pie — one that skips the sometimes finicky, sometimes soggy pie crust for one made from crispy graham crackers. Add a heaping spoonful of fresh, piquant ginger and you have the pumpkin pie I look forward to all year long. More

Way back in college, green bean casserole was my signature dish, canned cream of mushroom and all. (And to think, I actually considered myself quite the gourmet.) Even though my culinary repertoire has moved beyond recipes that include processed soup, that classic American casserole—with extra cheddar cheese and a heap of "fried" onions—is still my favorite part of Thanksgiving.

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For a little after-dinner fun this Thanksgiving, how about a spoonful of sugar... shaped into a turkey, of course! We were a little wowed by these "gobble" spoons, made from caramel, chocolate and colored sanding sugars. Clever and crafty, yet still surprisingly easy to make!
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