Orange Pecans
Makes 8 cups

• 1 cup orange juice
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
• 8 cups toasted pecan halves

Line two baking sheets with foil. In medium saucepan, bring juice, sugar, and zest to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for one minute and remove from heat. Add pecans, coating thoroughly. Pour mixture onto the baking sheets, spacing evenly. Let sit until firm, about 20 minutes. Break into pieces before serving.

Gruyère Puffs
Makes 24 pieces

• ½ cup water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced small
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese (substitute cheddar or other cheese of similar firmness)

Adjust oven rack to center, and preheat oven to 400º.

In a medium saucepan, heat water and butter over medium heat until butter melts. Add salt and flour, and stir until dough no longer sticks to sides of pan. Remove from heat, and working quickly, whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in cheese. Use a tablespoon to drop balls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes.

Pomegranate Sparklers
Makes 8 cocktails

• 2 bottles Prosecco
• 1 pomegranate, seeded

Fill a champagne flute with Prosecco, and drop in a large pinch of pomegranate seeds.

Chai Eggnog
Makes one cocktail

• 4 ounces chai tea concentrate
• 4 ounces eggnog
• 1 small or medium bottle of dark rum (substitute with spiced rum or whiskey)

In a double boiler pot, over high heat, mix chai tea and eggnog. Stir until creamy and hot, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour into mugs. Add one shot of rum to each. Stir and serve.