12 Recipes We’re Cooking in December

In Emilia-Romagna, chef Carla Rebecchi taught Jenn Louis to make this borlotti bean stew with shell-like gnocchi called pisarei. A fresh herb sauce laced with speck tops it off. Get the recipe for Bread Crumb Dumplings and Bean Stew with Parsley-Speck Pesto »

Duck and Andouille Gumbo

Glazed Grapefruit Cake

This hearty pork roast, rubbed with coriander, thyme, and allspice, gets a shot of brightness from a vinegary herb bagna cauda. Get the recipe for Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Parsley Bagna Cauda »

Slow baking gives this loaf, from Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir’s Icelandic Food and Cookery (Iðunn, 2014), its dense crumb and deep color. See the recipe for Icelandic Dark Rye Bread »

In Sweden meatballs are served plain, as a snack; on a sandwich with beet salad; or as they are here, with mashed potatoes, creamy gravy, and tart lingonberry preserves. Get the recipe for Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes (Køttbullar mit Potatismos) »

Cornflakes—both mixed into the batter and coating the cookies’ exterior—give these crumbly chocolate chip treats a pleasant crunch and a nutty flavor. Get the recipe for Umbrian Snowflake Cookies »

Pearl Barley Soup with Moscato d’Asti

Forget the sours of your teenage years; this sophisticated update uses maple syrup to temper rye whiskey, with fresh lemon and orange juices to brighten things up. Maple Rye Sour »

Dough studded with dried cranberries and a drizzle of sweet, cinnamon-spiced glaze take oatmeal cookies from ordinary to perfect.

Chiles and ginger add invigorating heat to a classic Punjabi dish of tomatoes and kidney beans garnished with slivers of red onion. Redolent of coriander, cumin, and cinnamon, this warming stew is best enjoyed over basmati rice.