Jazz up your morning muffins with the flavors of the tropics! Coconut and spices give the muffins extra texture and a fragrance that will call everyone to the kitchen.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 cup finely chopped mango
• 3 tablespoons shredded coconut

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin. In a bowl, mix flours, baking powder, salt, spices, and brown sugar.
• In another bowl, whisk the egg, then mix in coconut oil, coconut milk, lime juice, and zest. Combine with the dry ingredients and fold in mango.
• Fill muffin cups three-quarters full, top with coconut and optional turbinado sugar, then bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Looking for the best black-eyed pea recipe? One that will finally, bring good luck in the new year? No guarantees, but this may be the one!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 oz. slab bacon, cut into ½" pieces (optional)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, drained
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Warm 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.
• Add 4 oz. bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon starts to look shiny, about 5 minutes.
• Add 1 medium onion, finely chopped, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender.
• Add 5 sprigs thyme, 4 smashed garlic cloves, 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, and 8 cups cold water and bring to a simmer over medium-high.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, until beans are tender, 35–45 minutes. Discard thyme; season with kosher salt.
• To serve, drizzle beans with extra-virgin olive oil and top with thyme leaves and freshly ground black pepper.

Holiday time is eggnog season! In these pillowy rolls, eggnog replaces milk for an even richer, slightly denser result. Nutmeg gives the filling the classic aroma and the walnuts add a little crunch.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup eggnog
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, sliced in pats, plus more for pan
• 2 large eggs

Filling

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons eggnog

Preparation

• In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
• Warm 1 cup eggnog and 1/2 cup butter in a pot until melted and between 120-130°F.
• Mix wet ingredients with dry, add 2 eggs, and knead for until soft and slightly sticky.
• Let dough rise in an oiled bowl, covered, for 1½ hours.
• Mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and melted butter.
• Punch down the dough, roll into a 12x18-inch rectangle, spread filling, roll up, and cut into 12 rolls.
• Place rolls in a buttered pan, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
• Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes until golden. Cool, then drizzle with glaze made to achieve desired consistency.

These oatmeal cookies have a seasonal twist, combining tangy citrus and jewel-like cranberries with a buttery, chewy oatmeal dough.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon orange zest and 1/4 cup juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Preparation

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and tangerine zest and toss to combine. In a large bowl cream the butter. Add the brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Beat in the tangerine juice and vanilla; the mixture will appear to have curdled slightly. Stir in the flour mixture until well mixed, then stir in the cranberries.
• Form heaping tablespoon-sized portions of dough and place on the sheet pans, about 3 inches apart. Don't flatten the cookies—they will spread on their own. Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the pans, reversing their positions in the oven. Bake for 6 minutes longer. Cool for at least 5 minutes before using a spatula to transfer the cookies to the racks to finish cooling completely. Repeat the baking process with the remaining dough.
• These cookies keep, tightly covered, for up to a week at room temperature.

Sometimes, a light, elegant bite of fruit is exactly what you want after a meal. For the best presentation, select pears that have stems, and leave them on for a beautiful vertical element.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe Barlett pears
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 strip lemon peel
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 cups water
• 1 teabag of Earl Grey

Preparation

• Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. Rub each pear with lemon juice to prevent browning as you work.
• In a 2-quart pot, combine the lemon peel, honey, and water and stir to mix. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir to dissolve the honey. Lower heat to a simmer. Drop in the teabag and steep for 4 minutes, then carefully remove.
• Carefully place the pears in the simmering water, stems up. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium or medium low to maintain a good simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, checking and turning the pears halfway. When the fattest part of the pear is tender when you test it with a fork, remove from heat and transfer the pears to a serving plate.
• Put the pan back on the heat and boil on medium-high for about 5 minutes to reduce to a syrup. Let cool slightly, then drizzle over the pears.

Serving Suggestion

These pretty, fragrant pears are perfect as they are with vanilla ice cream and crumbled shortbread.