Braised Chicken Pie with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms and Chestnuts

Instead of a traditional tourtiere, this year I'm serving a puff pastry-topped pie that's especially festive with tiny onions and chestnuts. For variety you can replace the chicken with pork or veal. To use canned chestnuts instead of the fresh, add these already-cooked nuts when adding the mushroom mixture.

Soft Pretzels

This Oktoberfest, pair up large pretzels with mustard, wurst and a stein of your favourite ale. These are best enjoyed warm or the same day that they are baked.

Pina Colada Cheesecake

Take your taste buds to the tropics, The rich coconut flavour of a pina colada livens up a cheesecake that's topped with sunny caramelized pineapple and served with a golden sauce.

Lemon Shimmer Cheesecake

With a sunny mirrorlike top, this glorious dessert shines in looks and taste. Use only full-fat cream cheese and sour cream.

CANNOLI-STYLE CHOCOLATE-GINGER MILLE-FEUILLE

Gingerbread Cottages

Chimneys with billowing smoke, Dr. Seuss–inspired stepping stones, Christmas trees and a skating rink make a winter wonderland. You will need a 23- x 17-inch (58 x 43 cm) cake board or other sturdy surface for the base. Having a few cottages means three sets of little hands can personalize their own houses. Bake and trim the pieces a day ahead. The next day, prepare the icing, and assemble and decorate the village.

Dark Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes this decadent pie even better.

Lemon Curd and Pistachio Mille-Feuille

Mille-feuille is a classic French dessert with three layers of puff pastry. In this version, we've substituted the traditional custard with whipped cream and lemon curd for a tangy twist. You'll find jars of lemon curd in the jam section of most grocery stores. 

Moussagna

I thought about making a healthier version of lasagna with vegetables instead of pasta and thought of using eggplant instead of the lasagna noodles to come up with "Moussagna" (Moussaka and Lasagna combined). I've eliminated the bechamel sauce to cut back on the fat and used the tomato based sauce from the lasagna recipe to make it low fat. I also used low fat cottage cheese instead of the full ricotta cheese.

Little Furry Monsters

What's not to love about coconut-covered marshmallows? Easy to make and decorate, these little monsters will disappear by the mouthful. For an extra treat, cut the marshmallow trimmings into bitesize pieces and toss with icing sugar.