Adapted from The Bartender’s Guide: How to Mix Drinks, by Jerry Thomas

Take your cookies to the next level with this foolproof Royal Icing recipe. You only need three ingredients to make this icing and food coloring of your choice to create beautifully decorated cookies for any celebration or holiday. This recipe is perfect for outlining and flooding cookies.

This Tuaca Toddy will no doubt keep you warm and help you relax this holiday season.

Smoked turkey is a delicious alternative to a traditional roasted turkey – and it frees up space in your oven! Consider smoking your turkey this year to add a whole new depth of flavor to your Thanksgiving dinner. Spatchcocking (or butterflying) will also cut the cooking time of your turkey down significantly, leaving you more time to enjoy the holiday!

Roasted Turkey is the cornerstone of any traditional holiday meal.

Turkey gravy is what unites your whole holiday meal – literally and figuratively.

Brining is a surprisingly simple way to add loads of flavor and moisture to poultry and pork. In the most basic sense, it’s the marinating of leaner meats to add moisture and tenderize them. But more specifically, the herbs, salts, and spices of the brine can transform a typically dry turkey into the most tender and juicy entrée you can imagine.

During the cooking process, meat can lose up to 30% of its water. Proper brining can cut that moisture loss in half. The brining solution actually works to gently break down the meat fibers, allowing more moisture and flavor to be infused.

The truth is until you’ve tried brining, you’ll never know how tender and juicy a turkey can be!

Looking for a vegetarian holiday show-stopper to satisfy your Thanksgiving cravings? Look no further than this decadent stuffed acorn squash! Made with all the Thanksgiving flavors you know and love, it’s the perfect meatless alternative to the classic holiday turkey, and with quinoa instead of traditional bread stuffing, it makes a great gluten-free side option as well.