Better Homes and Gardens December 2012 Recipes

'Tis the season to stop and smell the gingerbread. Adorn your holiday table with our easy-to-assemble gingerbread trees. Decorate them as you please using our quick icing recipe and pastel candies.

For this fresh and healthy crowd-pleaser, Prize Tested Recipe winner Kelly Ortigara started by making fattoush, a traditional Lebanese bread salad, and added watermelon and pomegranate seeds for a delicious twist.

Wow your holiday crowd with the unexpected deliciouness of rosemary-lemon shortbread cookies from award-winning cookbook author Nancy Baggett. To make four large cookies, trace around a tree-shape cookie cutter and use a copy machine to increase the size to 11 inches tall. Use dough scraps to form the star. This recipe also makes 44 regular-size cookies.

Looking for a showstopping holiday dinner idea? We've got you covered. Our rib roast recipe from chef Melissa Perello gets its crispy crust from the garlic-herb rub and its zippy flavor from a savory grain mustard sauce.

• Watch this recipe in action!

We walk you through every step to make this special roast for your holiday feast!

Add some color to the buffet table at your holiday party with these cheese-flavored cookies paired with a tangy cranberry-and-fig filling. Prepare and freeze ahead of time, and simply assemble and store in an airtight container up to two days before your event.

Pop the bubbly and use it in our festive holiday punch recipe featuring Prosecco, orange liqueur, pomegranate juice, and sliced fresh ginger. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and orange slices for one bright and fun party drink.

With a satisfying crunch and all the flavor of classic gingerbread, these irresistible treats get a dose of holiday fun from coarse sugar "glitter" and are easily bundled for a cute food gift. Use a ruler and pizza cutter to slice your gingerbread dough into strips.

Watch how simple it is to make this delicious gingerbread treat!

Fresh and dried cranberries add a tart bite to these easy (and freezer-friendly!) holiday shortbread cookies. A candied orange slice and a dash of sea salt take the chocolate-dipped delicacies over the top. To make candied orange slices, brush orange or clementine slices with melted orange marmalade and place on parchment to cool.

Ground and fresh ginger pair with lime zest to give these crisp-chewy sugar cookies a refreshing punch of flavor. A dusting of powdered sugar and a sprinkling of lime peel add a touch of elegance. Freeze them for up to 1-1/2 months.

Move over, banana bread. There's a new tasty way to use up your bananas. Nuts add an unexpected crunch, while bourbon gives Brenda Camp Orbell's Prize Tested Recipe winning cake its signature moistness. Serve it straight out of the oven, or freeze it for the next time you have company.

Packed with dried apricots, golden raisins, and toasted pistachos, this easy biscotti recipe is so much better than fruitcake. Plus, it's delicious dipped in chocolate or swirled in coffee. Even better, it lasts up to 10 days and freezes for up to two months.

Fit a hearty meal into your busy schedule with our simple slow cooker beef chili. It's budget-friendly, perfect for a crowd, and gets its sweet smokiness from cumin, chili powder, and unsweetened cocoa. For an extra kick of heat, toss in one minced chipotle chile in adobo suace.

These golden buttery shortbread wedges make a quick and easy holiday dessert. Coarse green sugar adds an elegant edge to the coconut-topped treats. If you don't have a fluted tart pan or springform pan, just press the dough into a 10-inch circle and create a decorative design by pressing the edges with a fork.

A menu favorite at her San Francisco restaurant, Frances, this delicious brown-sugar lumberjack cake from chef Melissa Orello is packed with dates, pear, and coconut. "It's always sweet, always moist, always good. There's something about it that takes you back to your childhood," Orello says.

These cute-as-a-button shortbread cookies pack a double dose of pecan goodness -- once from the chopped pecans browned in butter for the dough, and again with a perfect pecan-half topper.

Serve up a warming bowl of Beth Seuferer's Prize Tested Recipe winning chicken pot pie soup, complete with homemade quick biscuits, and you've got the perfect dinner idea for a cozy night in.

Instead of stuffing, chef Melissa Orello likes to serve this sweet and savory quick bread that features raisins, pecorino cheese, and Italian sausage. For the best browned butter, slice your butter so it melts evenly, stir it constantly, and remove it from the heat immediately after it froths a bit.

Fresh nutmeg and vanilla make these woodland-inspired treats a cozy addition to any cookie platter. To make the barklike texture, just score the dough gently with a dinner fork and slice it into rectangular cookies using a pizza cutter.

This hearty holiday side dish features Parmesan cheese, lemon peel, and homemade seasoned bread crumbs in a creamy bean ragout. If you don't have dried butter beans, marrow beans and gigandes beans are both good substitutes.