Brown Butter-Raspberry Baked Oatmeal
In this baked oatmeal, perfectly tender spiced oats mixed with sweet and tart fruit are topped with crispy coconut and pecans. The recipe calls for raspberries—blackberries, blueberries, or sliced strawberries would work as well. Blooming the spices in the hot brown butter releases their flavors and infuses the entire dish with a nutty warmth. The baked oatmeal can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Cover with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes, or microwave individual portions on high for 1 minute.
Garlic-Butter Rib Roast
This impressive, flavor-packed rib roast is perfect for a celebration. The secret? A compound butter made with garlic, anchovies, herbs, and shallot. Half of it is slathered all over the roast before it goes into the oven; the other half is rolled up into a log, chilled, and then sliced into medallions to serve with each slice of beef. Special order the rib roast from a local butcher, asking for one with nice marbling and an even fat cap. The roast can be prepped the night before and stored in the fridge until ready to bake—just bring it to room temperature before roasting. Thinly sliced leftovers make satisfying roast beef sandwiches or sliders.
Leg of Lamb with Fingerling Potatoes and Leeks
Incredibly easy to prepare, this bone-in leg of lamb is coated with an herby, pleasantly salty crust before marinating in the refrigerator for about 8 hours. The dry brine results in a juicy, tender, and deliciously garlicky lamb roast. Potatoes and leeks are added about 45 minutes before the roast is finished cooking, absorbing the flavors of the herbs and lamb juices as they roast. Serve with salad and red wine.
Lemongrass Chai with Ginger and Mint
League of Kitchens instructor Yamini Joshi's lemongrass chai is energizing and restorative, with fresh ginger, fresh mint, and green cardamom. It's a lovely way to start the day or to enjoy for an afternoon pick-me-up. The recipe makes enough for two, unless you find one cup of tea is never quite enough. In that case, you may want to keep it all for yourself—or make a double batch. Because the tea is strained, there is no need to peel the fresh ginger before grating.
Matcha-Butter Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle
Matcha powder adds festive color to these crisp butter cookies from Aiko Cascio, a Japanese cooking instructor with the League of Kitchens in New York City. Cascio learned how to make these not-too-sweet matcha tea–flavored cookies from a friend who owns a bakery in Tokyo, where they are popular during the winter holiday season. Matcha powder is made from finely milled green tea leaves and imparts a slightly bitter and earthy flavor to these cookies, and melted white chocolate boosts the sweetness and gives them a festive look. Due to the high ratio of butter in the dough, it softens quickly at room temperature; chill it in between rolling and cutting for clean cuts.
Kourampiedes (Greek Christmas Cookies)
Blanched and toasted almond pieces bring a lovely crunch to these crumbly, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Greek Christmas cookies. Some versions of kourampiedes add orange zest, but League of Kitchens Greek cooking instructor Despina Economou, who shared this recipe, prefers the simple flavors of butter, sugar, almonds, and vanilla. This recipe can easily be doubled.
