Japanese Calamari with Wasabi Mayo

This calamari is speckled with flecks of sweet nori and served with a tasty dipping sauce that packs a punch. Add the wasabi paste to the mayo a little at a time so you can adjust the amount to suit your taste. Deep-frying is best done in batches for the most consistent results; adding too much calamari at once will bring down the temperature of the oil.

White Chocolate, Almond and Blueberry Icebox Cookies

These blueberry-studded cookies are a staff favourite at Canadian Living headquarters. Finely ground almonds replace some of the flour in the dough, adding extra nutty flavour.

Double Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Canes

Salted Caramel Shortbread Thumbprints

The delicate flavour of fleur de sel complements and enhances the sweetness of caramel. If the caramel is too thick to spoon into the cookies, warm it for 20 seconds in the microwave.

Candy Caramel Corn

Everyone's favourite sweet popcorn treat just got a little bit sweeter and festive thanks to added candy-coated chocolate candies.

Gingerbread Men

Quick Cassoulet Stew

This hearty French stew (named after the earthenware pot that it's traditionally cooked in) normally takes hours to prepare. Using canned beans and chicken thighs (instead of the usual duck confit) allows you to get it on the table in just minutes!

Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies

Take your gingerbread cookies up a notch this year by turning them into snowflake stunners.

Ground Beef Pide

A delicious alternative to traditional pizza, pide is a Turkish flatbread shaped as a boat and baked in a brick or stone oven. Here we serve up a ground beef pide, but the options are limitless!

Toppings vary widely but most often include ground meat with onion, tomato, parsley and spices, as well as cheese, eggs, mushrooms, peppers, spinach and sausage.

New York Style Cheesecake With Pineapple Rum Sauce

This tall, creamy cheesecake has a delightfully retro feel. A pinch of allspice in the batter adds a hint of the tropics. The pineapple topping is best if made just before serving.