For holidays, we always spring for special crackers. We have our year-round go-to favorites, but a special occasion deserves special crackers with the hors d’oeuvre, soup and cheese courses.

Raincoast Crisps is one of the finest cracker lines made.

Lesley Stowe spent years as a caterer before the demand for her crisps grew so great, she realized there was a different opportunity to pursue. She went into the crisps business full-time.

Perfect for antipasto, dips, cheeses, pâtés or eating by themselves, these crisps are a perfection of flavor, texture and eye appeal. They’re packed with seeds (flax, pumpkin, sesame), nuts, fruits and herbs.

There are now six year-round flavors and a pumpkin edition for the holidays.

These small batch crackers* are made from scratch, using the finest-quality, all non-GMO ingredients. While Lesley could make them flat naturally, she creates a slight curve in the crisp to make them even more special (and great for dipping).

Much time was spent in the development of Raincoast Crisps. There’s a lot of hand labor required to get them just so. As a result, they’re pricier† than production-line crackers. But as a splurge, don’t hesitate to spend your money on them; they’re worth it. The products are certified kosher by OU.
 
*In the U.K. and Canada, crisps are something small and crunchy. Potato chips are called potato crisps.

†We have seen them for $7.99 to $11.99 for a 170 g (6-ounce) box, depending on the retailer.
 
THE GLORIOUS RAINCOAST CRISPS AND IDEAS FOR
PAIRINGS

As a caterer, Ms. Stowe had the experience to develop cracker flavors to pair with popular nibbles. Her choices follow, although your own preferences should guide your way.

Original Raincoast Crisps

With four types of seeds—no nuts, no fruits—this savory crisp is match anything, but Lesley favors it with:

TOP PHOTO: Use Raincoast Crisps as the base for canapés. BOTTOM PHOTO: The flavors and textures of Raincoast Crisps. Photos courtesy Lesley Stowe.

 
Cranberry Hazelnut Crisps

This sweet and fruity crisp, with plump cranberries and toasty hazelnuts, is a natural with:

 
Fig & Olive Crisps

Pair this savory and salty crisp, made with Adriatic figs and Kalamata olives (no nuts), with:

TOP PHOTO: Rosemary Raisin Pecan crisps
with blue cheese. BOTTOM PHOTO: The
filling of a New Orleans mufffuletta sandwich
is turned into a dip. Here’s the recipe. Photos
courtesy Lesley Stowe.

Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crisps

Try this sweet and savory crisp, balancing sweet Thompson raisins with pecans and fresh rosemary, with:

 
While you’re at it, check out Lesley’s recipe for Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheese Dip. We couldn’t get enough of it.
 
Salty Date and Almond Crisps

Made at the request of customers for a saltier crisp, this combination of dates and almonds is topped with a dusting of coarse sea salt. Try it with:

 
There are also two flavors exclusive to Whole Foods Markets: Apricot Fig & Lemon Crisps and the seasonal Pumpkin & Spice Crisps.
 
WHEAT-FREE, NUT-FREE CRISPS

So that more people can relish the crisps, there’s a wheat- and nut-free line made with oats, in:

There’s a store locator on the website, and they are sold online at Dean & DeLuca, iGourmet and other specialty food sites.

However, reading the reviews on Amazon raised an issue we need to point out. While almost every comment called them the “best crackers ever” (while bemoaning the high price), the majority reported that the crackers arrived in crumbs, that the packaging wasn’t good for shipping.

If you can’t find them or can’t afford them, several people have recreated their own copycat recipes—much to the chagrin of Ms. Stowe who spent so much effort developing them. (“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” she says.)

We can’t think of a better holiday gift for a foodie—along with a fine piece of cheese.

Learn more at LesleyStowe.com.

 
Cranberry Hazelnut Crisps photo courtesy Dean & DeLuca.
  

TOP PHOTO: Pretty pinwheel sandwiches
from Hidden Valley. BOTTOM PHOTO:
Cranberry-feta pinwheels in tomato tortillas.
Here’s the recipe from Food.com.

We delighted in them, and were even happier when the bread was baked in red and green loaves for Christmas, pink and blue for baby showers.

Fast forward 30 years: Tortilla wraps have taken over; and since they are made in different colors/flavors, there’s no need to tint dough and bake bread. Pinwheels are as easy to make as any wrap sandwich, so we now enjoy them regularly.

(We used up our Thanksgiving leftovers in pinwheel sandwiches. The combination of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce can’t be beat!)

For the holidays, serve them with cocktails, or bring them as your contribution to a party. Make a double or triple recipe. They go fast, and you can freeze any leftovers. BONUS: They can be made the night before.

The following recipe from Hidden Valley has bits of red and green accents for the holidays, but you go whole hog with the variation below.

RECIPE: PINWHEEL SANDWICHES

Ingredients

*The 2¼ ounces equals about 4 tablespoons. We prefer the flavor of loose olives to many canned slices, which can be bland. We buy quality pitted olives from our market’s olive bar and slice them ourselves.
 
Preparation

1. MIX the cream cheese, dressing mix and onions until blended. Spread on the tortillas. (If the tortillas are not room temperature or not pliable, warm them briefly in the microwave to prevent tearing when you roll them.)

2. BLOT dry the pimientos, chiles and olives on paper towels. Sprinkle equal amounts of over the cream cheese mixture.

3. ROLL up the tortillas tightly, and cover them in plastic wrap or foil to hold their shape. Chill at least 2 hours.

4. CUT the rolls into 1-inch slices. Discard the ends (we discarded them right into our mouth). Plate with the spirals facing up. Garnish the plate as desired and serve.

You can further provide a dip: guacamole, onion or ranch dip, salsa, etc.

If you need a video, here.

Start by considering your favorite ingredients (ours: smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers), then an accent or two (dill, salmon caviar). Fresh herbs (dill, for our sandwich) really bring up the flavor.

Alternatively, think of your favorite cuisine: French, Greek, Italian, Mexican? Assemble your ingredients on that theme.

Another option: Take a look at all the varieties in Google Images, until you find the combination of ingredients that you like.

Here’s a generic starter list:

Main Fillings

 
Spreads

 
Accents

 
For Kids

 
Have fun with pinwheel sandwiches, and make them often!

TOP PHOTO: Ham and cheese pinwheel sandwiches with holiday colors. Here’s the recipe from Lynda’s Recipe Box. MIDDLE PHOTO: Five different flavors and colors from The Pioneer Woman. BOTTOM PHOTO: Think of how you want to present your pinwheels. Maybe form a Christmas tree? Photo courtesy Nancys.com.

Dehydrate lemons, limes oranges and grapefruit to make tree ornaments. TOP PHOTO: An orange slice ornament. Photo courtesy Specialty Produce. BOTTOM PHOTO: Red or pink grapefruit make pretty slices. Photo courtesy Good Eggs.

You—or your kids—can make these dehydrated citrus ornaments in your oven. You don’t need an electric dehydrator, but if you have one, great.

The fruit slices become translucent after drying, adding color and textural interest to any display.

A convection oven is better than a conventional oven, but the latter works, too.

In addition to tree ornaments:

 
MAKE YOUR OWN CITRUS CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT Preheat the oven to its lowest temperature setting, usually 140°F. (To use a food dehydrator, set the temperature to between 125°F and 135°F and dry for 2-12 hours. Remember to rotate your dehydrator trays for even drying.)

2. CLEAN the skins of the citrus with a damp towel.

3. CUT the citrus into slices from 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick. If using the cloves, use an ice pick to punch holes for them in the surface skin (not in the white pith). TIP: Pressing in cloves can create a sore spot on your finger. Use a thimble.
 
*If you need a lot of cloves, it’s best to buy them in bulk (e.g., a one-pound bag).

4. PLACE a wire rack atop a baking sheet(s), and arrange the slices on the rack. Place the sheet(s) in the oven, but leave the door open 2 to 4 inches. This enables the air to circulate and the moisture to escape, dehydrating the fruit. If you are preparing more than one tray, rotate the trays halfway through for even drying.

TIP: You can set a fan just outside of the oven to supply further air circulation, and to help speed drying.

5. DRY the orange slices in the oven for 6 to 12 hours, or until the peel is hard and the fruit is brittle. Allow the slices to cool completely; then store in an airtight container until ready to create the hanging loops or otherwise use them.

6. USE an ice pick or other sharp implement to puncture a hole for hanging through the flesh of each piece. Use string (the metallic wrapping string is great here) to create a loop for hanging on tree branches. If you’re using a gift card, place it on the string before tying the knot.
  

A popular medieval European dessert that faded out of style in the mid-20th century, compote (COM-poat), also referred to as poached or stewed fruit, is mix of fruits cooked in a syrup. Although a single fruit can be cooked in the same manner, a variety is more interesting.

In fact, the name derives from the Latin compositus, mixture. Think of it as a cooked fruit salad. It was once so popular that people of means served it from a stemmed compote dish, designed to show off the fruits (see a photo below).

The syrup is made from the cooking liquid—typically water or wine—plus sugar and spices.

The syrup could be seasoned with the cook’s choice of cinnamon, cloves, lemon or orange peel, vanilla or other spices. The cooked fruit could be enhanced with candied fruit, grated coconut, ground almonds and/or raisins.

In the absence of fresh fruit, compote could be made entirely with dried fruits, plumped in water that was optionally enhanced with kirsch, rum or sweet wine.
 
HOW TO SERVE COMPOTE

Thus, compote was especially popular in fall and winter, when fresh fruit was limited. Our Nana made it at least once a week during the season.

RECIPE: POACHED WINTER FRUIT COMPOTE

[2] Compote with a cheese course.

For a holiday version, here’s another recipe: compote with cranberries, oranges and maple syrup.
 
Ingredients

 
_______________

*If you don’t have star anise and don’t want to buy it, for each star you can substitute: 3/4 teaspoon crushed anise seed, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon anise extract, 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder or 1 tablespoon anise liqueur or other licorice liqueur.
 
Preparation

1. PLACE the first nine ingredients (up to and including the bay leaves) into a pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar; then reduce the heat to low and add the fruit.

2. COVER the pot and simmer, removing the fruit with a slotted spoon as it softens.† Arrange the fruit in a glass bowl. (Nana mixed everything together like fruit salad, although you can layer the fruits if you wish.) Once all the fruit has been removed…

3. BRING the poaching liquid to a boil and reduce it by half (it takes 5 to 10 minutes). Taste; if necessary add more lemon juice to balance the flavor. Strain the syrup and carefully ladle it over the poached fruit. The cooked fruit will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
 
_______________

†The fruit should be tender but not mushy. Cooking times vary for different fruits: 10 to 15 minutes for dried fruits, 20 to 30 minutes for pears, 30 to 45 minutes for apples and one hour for quince.
 

THE HISTORY OF COMPOTE

No doubt, fruits have been stewed since the invention of clay pots, some 17,000 years ago in China. But the oldest known recipe we have, for a pear and fig kompot, dates to the early Byzantine Empire (330 C.E. to 1453 C.E.).

Here’s the recipe for that ancient fruit compote. It’s made with dried fruit, date syrup and pomegranate molasses.

Compote ultimately made its way to Europe. According to Wikipedia, in late medieval England the compote was served as one of the last courses of a feast. Later, during the Renaissance, it was served chilled at the end of a dinner, e.g., a predecessor of the modern dessert.‡

Because it was easy to prepare, made from inexpensive ingredients and contained no dairy products, compote became a staple of Jewish households throughout Europe.

Make it one of your household’s desserts!

‡Sugar was little known in Europe until the 12th century or later, when the it was brought back from the Crusades. Even then it was rare and costly; honey or dried fruits were the common sweeteners. In southeast Asia, where sugarcane originated, it has been in use for 1,000 years or so.
 
 

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We [heart] cheesecake. Every October, we switch to pumpkin cheesecake in its many forms. But as soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, we start baking cranberry cheesecake recipes.

Because cheesecake is such a rich and heavy dessert, we usually don’t serve it following a big dinner, but as a “tea time” snack (and honestly, we’ve been known to eat it for breakfast).

The first recipe is a plain cheesecake with a cranberry topping, analogous to cherry cheesecake. The second recipe has a different look, with a cranberry swirl inside the cheesecake and a thin layer of cranberry gelée on top.

Both recipes are made in a nine-inch springform pan. A nine-inch cake yields 12 slices.
 
 
RECIPE #1: CHEESECAKE WITH CRANBERRY TOPPING

This recipe (photo #1) is Philadelphia Cream Cheese’s classic cheesecake, with a cranberry topping. The result is the cranberry version of a cherry cheesecake.

Ingredients

1. HEAT the oven to 325°F. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and the butter until blended. Press onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

2. BEAT the cream cheese and 1 cup of the remaining sugar in a large bowl with a mixer, until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over the crust.

3. BAKE from 55 minutes to 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until the center is almost set. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake; cool before removing the rim. Refrigerate the cheesecake 4 hours. (You can leave it in the spring mold for the time being.) Meanwhile…

4. BRING the cranberries, water, remaining sugar and cinnamon to boil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer on low for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened and the berries have softened; stir occasionally. Cool slightly; thrn refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. SPREAD the cranberry topping over the cheesecake just before serving.

[3] Fresh cranberries (photo courtesy Ocean Spray).

In this recipe from Taste Of Home (photo #2), cooked fresh cranberries are swirled through the batter; and then strained in a food mill or sieve to create a gelée topping.

Prep time is 30 minutes, cook time is 55 minutes plus chilling.

Ingredients For 12 Servings
 
For The Crust

 
For The Topping

 
For The Filling

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Place a greased 9-inch springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil, about 18 inches square). Wrap the foil securely around pan and place the pan on a baking sheet.

2. MIX the graham cracker crumbs and butter in a small bowl and press onto bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 6 minutes and cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile…

3. COMBINE the cranberries, sugar and water in a large saucepan. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until the berries pop, about 12-15 minutes. Add the lemon juice. Press the cranberry mixture through a food mill into a small bowl; discard pulp and seeds. Set aside.

4. MAKE the filling. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add the eggs and beat on low speed until just blended; pour into the crust. Spoon 1/4 cup of the topping over filling. With knife, cut through the filling to make a cranberry swirl.

5. PLACE the springform pan in a larger pan and add 1 inch of hot water to larger pan. (This creates a water bath, or bain-marie, which adds moisture to the oven and keeps the top of the cheesecake from cracking.) Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the center is just set and the top appears dull.

6. REMOVE the springform pan from the water bath. Cool the cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides from the pan with a knife; remove the foil.

7. COOL for 1 hour longer. Pour the remaining topping over cheesecake. Refrigerate overnight, covering the cheesecake when it is completely cooled. Remove the rim from the pan.