SPONSORED POST: Recipe: Pears Poached in Ruby Port with Spices — Sponsored by Bosch Home Appliances

There are three good reasons to make these poached pears. The first is the incredible aroma that will fill your house; the second is the ease with which you can prepare them; and the third — and the most important, of course — is that they're a thoroughly delicious dessert that works with nearly every menu throughout the holiday season. Serve the rich, deeply flavorful (and healthful) pears alone, or accompany them with a sliver of chocolate cake or cookies: They'll be as elegant as they are appealing.

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Recipe: Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies — The Freezer Cookie Plate

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Recipe: Lemon Curd Sandwich Cookies — The Freezer Cookie Plate

Stop the search — you've found your new addition to this year's lineup of holiday cookies. This lemon curd sandwich cookie starts off with just-sweet-enough cookies, made rich and tender by a simple cream cheese dough. Don't expect to find a snappy cookie here — these rounds have some give because we want them to melt a bit when you bite into them. Nestled inside is a sunny, tart and sweet lemon curd. Thanks to those tender cookies, the curd won't smoosh out when you bite them. Consider this a cookie designed with flavor and eating in mind.

While the holiday rush beckons for a shortcut from time to time, we consider this the place to spend a few extra moments. Make the curd and skip the store-bought stuff. I'm guessing you already have everything you need — lemons, butter, sugar — in the house already.

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How To Make Peppermint Bark — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

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One of our holiday obsessions is a rich and bright peppermint bark, only available in December and eaten in small pieces over hot chocolate while wrapping presents or trimming the tree. If you've only enjoyed this stunning treat from a fancy gifted tin from a well-known cooking supply store, then you might be delighted to know how easy it is to make at home.

The ingredient list is short — just dark and white chocolate, peppermint candies, and peppermint oil — and you don't need any special equipment to make peppermint bark for yourself or to give as gifts. It helps to know a little bit about each ingredient and to have an hour to dedicate to the process. Here's how to make your own peppermint bark at home for gift-giving this season.

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Recipe: Chicago-Style Popcorn — Bite-Sized Gifts

As the perfect snack food, popcorn works as a flavor delivery system with an endless number of ways to customize it. But around the holidays, a few flavors stand out as favorites.

If you've come to love the mixed tins of caramel and cheddar popcorn, known as the classic Windy City blend, we urge you to give this mix a try at home — and even give it as a homemade edible gift. The sweet crackle of caramel corn is the perfect foil to intensely cheesy popcorn. You've got to get both in a bite to really experience the joy of these two opposites coming together for such a rich, crunchy treat.

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Recipe: Brown Butter Sugar Cookies — The Freezer Cookie Plate

Rich and nutty brown butter is a special ingredient with the power to make everything it touches taste a little more luxurious — including sugar cookies. With the addition of brown butter, the classic sugar cookie of our childhood takes on a deep, mellow richness with hints of toasted nuts in every bite. By simply browning the butter, we're giving everyone's favorite holiday cookie an instant upgrade for an extra-special touch on this year's cookie tray.

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