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Like many people religiously following COVID stay-at-home orders, we have exhausted our puzzle stash over the course of 2020. Not only have we successfully completed each of our puzzles, we've done so enough that we're beginning to remember the order of pieces. This year, we are hoping to rectify pervasive puzzle boredom so our loved ones can once again feel the exciting rush and occasional frustration of working through a new puzzle. The puzzles we've selected are idyllic combinations of artistry and difficulty so you can rest easy knowing you are sharing uniquely epic puzzles! 1. Alma Haser 'Hermon and Heroda' (500 Pieces) This is our all time favorite puzzle. We love it so much that once we completed it we had it matted and framed as a work of our for our home. The experience of assembling it is fantastic (for only 500 pieces it's pleasantly challenging!). 'Hermon and Heroda' is strikingly original and we can't say enough about how much we love it! (check out our Artist Spotlight on Alma Haser) Buy from Alma Haser 2. Cavallini 'Celestial Jigsaw Puzzle' (1000 Pieces) Celestial Jigsaw is a sophisticated puzzle design. An almost nautically-designed vintage celestial chart provides a series of circles, a shape we love on our puzzles! This puzzle just feels effortlessly timeless and, as such, it makes a perfect gift for anyone in your life. Buy from Luck & Luck 3. Pieces Of The Puzzle 'Boxed Mesmerise' (1000 Pieces) The most challenging puzzle on our list, Mesmerise is nothing short of hypnotic. Much like a gradient puzzle, the piece is a swirl of irregularly-placed psychedelic colors that are fantastically fun to assemble. The puzzle is also available in a bag rather than a box so you're lucky gift receiver won't be expecting a puzzle when they unwrap it! Plus, Pieces of The Puzzle is a female founded company run by Hannah and Daphnée of the UK and US respectively and who doesn't want to support powerhouse women? Buy from Wolf and Badger 4. Micah Lexier 'Several Found things' (1000 Pieces) Created by Toronto artist, Micah Lexier, this puzzle is somehow simultaneous complex and simplistic. A series of found objects are arranged on a stark white background providing a color-blocked effect filled with rich visual texture. Because the objects are laid flat and don't overlap they can be assembled as independent units, making this puzzle a pleasant medium difficulty level. Buy from Town the Store 5. Jason Willome "Insult the Stallion in His Stall" (500 Pieces) We adore this puzzle. A dark leaf-less tree stands tall in the center that supports a collection of unavailing wooden boards, interrupted by swirls of globulous paint and the shadow of rippled wet paper. Overall, the image feels like an eerie collage and it's glorious. The best part of this puzzle? With each puzzle sold, Art Puzzle Project, which creates puzzles designed by local San Antonio artists, proudly shares a puzzle "with seniors and families who are spending more time indoors through [their] partnership with Meals On Wheels" (1). Buy from Art Puzzle Project 6. Ana Barriga 'El Taller De Las Moscas' (1000 Pieces) The color and disconcerting strangeness of this puzzle are fantastic! An assortment of illustrated figurines, each with stark haunting stares, are set against a vibrant red backdrop. "The Flies' Workshop" is complicated and challenging and we just love it! Buy from Affenfaust Galerie 7. Sanae Sugimoto 'Evening Kingdom Puzzle' (1000 Pieces) Sugimoto, based in Kyoto, Japan, created the piece for this stunning fine-pen illustrative puzzle. The drawing depicts a large creature, nestled in flowers, towering over a villagescape. The amount of detail in this puzzle is phenomenal. Up close, the line work is abstracted and gloriously dizzying. It's a puzzle you won't be able to resist assembling Buy from Design Milk 8. BEYOND THE STREETS 'Felipe Pantone' (550 Pieces) BEYOND THE STREETS is as cool as cool can get. A celebration of creative misfits, mark makers, and rule breakers, it comes as no surprise that BEYOND THE STREETS would put forward killer puzzles (2). This puzzle features the work of Argentinian-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone, a work that is a hypnotic composition of digitized texture and bold pixilated rays of gradient neon colour. It's highly graphic, highly vertiginous, and the perfect image for a puzzle! Buy from BEYOND THE STREETS 9. Murchison 'Spring Arkansas Tree' (1000 Pieces) If the 'Felipe Pantone' puzzle is a bit too much for your brain to handle, we totally understand. In contrast with Pantone, artist Clint Murchison, through the Schmidt Fine Art Gallery in Montgomery County, Texas, offers a stunningly serene puzzle featuring a photograph of an enormous tree canopy. Damp mossy green leaves abut rich black shadows and a tangle of heather gray tree branches, creating a composition that is both artistically exceptional and very challenging to assemble. Buy from Schmidt Fine Art Gallery 10. Nervous System 'Orbicular Geode' (~360 Pieces) We debated about whether to include the untraditional puzzle but we couldn't resist. Laser cut wooden pieces, in claw-like shapes, are thick and deliciously irregular. A beautiful computer-generated geode image is applied to the labyrinth of pieces. The concentric rings in the geode are accented by blisters of colors that encroach on and warp the bands. Contemporary and artistic, these agate-esque images are bold presentations of color and pattern that make for exquisite puzzling. Buy from Nervous System 11. Miguel Arzabe 'Dogpatch' This puzzle offered by Minnesota Street Project is an undisputed success. The epically discontinuous but beautiful image featured on the puzzle was created by artist Miguel Arzabe through a process that involved weaving together strips of posters and flyers from art exhibition near his studio in San Francisco. The result is a herringbone of gray and vibrant orange overlaid on a collection of indiscernible images and text. The pattern competes with the outline of the puzzle pieces for a gorgeously complicated visual. Buy from Minnesota Street Project 12. NYCHOS 'Dissection of Mona Lisa' (1000 Pieces) We would be remiss to not include NYCHOS in this list. Known for his masterfully artistic surgery, NYCHOS ensured his piece 'Dissection of Mona Lisa' had the same saturated graphic quality of all his work. In the image, the beauty of Mona Lisa is bisected to reveal the tangle of structures that lay beneath the flesh. An amputated hand leaves a cross section of the radius and ulna. A striking blue arterial rope produces a necklace-like tie at the collar bone. A comedically active tongue, centered within the head, seems to lick a juicy skin pull stretched between the two halves of Mona Lisa's exterior. It's so disturbingly outstanding and it makes a damn-good puzzle. Buy from Rabbit Eye Movement 13. Frank Stella 'Firuzabad' (750 Pieces) Last, but certainly not least, we share the Firuzabad by Frank Stella puzzle. Stella is one of our favorite contemporary artists. His bold use of color and geometry is playful and simplistically striking. It's really no surprise that it translates well to puzzle form. Contoured to the edges of two circles, each divided by graphic concentric rings and pie chart style wedges, the puzzle is enchantingly fun to assemble. Buy from Hyperallergic

These traditional Italian cookies by Anya Kassoff of Golubka Kitchen are almost too beautiful to eat (almost!). A tender shortbread-like dough wraps a fabulous rhubarb filling and is shaped into birds (hence the name Celli Ripieni, meaning 'stuffed birds'). They even get embellished with tiny cacao nib eyes and textured cut feathers. The cookies are just a masterpiece. Tart rhubarb, sweetened with maple syrup and fragranced with orange, is combined with walnuts to become a filling that is a beautiful composition of flavours and textures. The best part of this recipe? It's unexpectedly vegan! Making it the perfect choice to share with any holiday guest. The recipe is flawless just as it is but of course we had to experiment with it. Try adding toasted hazelnuts and a pinch of cardamom to the filling mixture and your holiday palette will surely thank you! By Anya of Golubka Kitchen And these cookies! These are just one great example of a traditionally vegan recipe from Abruzzo that we’ll be serving up at the retreat. Celli Ripieni translates as ‘stuffed birds’ – not a very vegan-friendly name, we know, but it sounds so much better in Italian :). They are made with a very simple, eggless and dairy-free olive oil dough that’s a true pleasure to work with. They are traditionally filled with grape jam and nuts. Since grapes are not in season right now, we thought we would instead fill ours with everyone’s favorite pink plant that is in season – rhubarb. Anna told us that it’s hard to find these cookies in the traditional bird shape nowadays, and that the cookies are mostly shaped as less elaborate, jam-filled dumplings. We thought it would be fun to recreate the authentic bird shape, and it turned out to be pretty easy. Just take a peek at the gif above, where we demonstrate how to shape one. We love how old-school these feel. The pastry tastes lovely, almost like shortbread, and it plays so well with the maple-stewed rhubarb and walnut filling. You could basically fill these with any stewed fruit that’s in season, or any jam that you have on hand. We hope you’ll give them a try! Serves: about 28 cookies INGREDIENTS: for the pastry 3⅓ cups all purpose flour ½ cup plus 4 tablespoons olive oil ½ cup plus 4 tablespoons white wine 2-3 tablespoons coconut sugar pinch of sea salt for the rhubarb filling and assembly 5 medium stalks of rhubarb - sliced into small pieces ¼ cup maple syrup splash of vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean 1 tablespoon arrowroot 1 tablespoon purified water zest from 1 organic orange ½ cup raw walnuts - chopped small walnut pieces, cacao nibs or raisins - for the birds' eyes powdered sugar or more arrowroot powder - for dusting the finished cookies (optional) INSTRUCTIONS: to make the pastry Mix all the pastry ingredients in a bowl until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Make sure not to overwork it. Tightly wrap the dough in plastic and let rest while preparing the rhubarb filling. to make the rhubarb filling In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb, maple syrup, and vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes, until the rhubarb turns into a uniform, jam-like mixture. Turn off the heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the arrowroot with 1 tablespoon of water. Add the mixture to the rhubarb and mix it in vigorously, until the rhubarb jam starts to thicken. Let the jam cool completely. Mix in the orange zest and raw walnuts, and you're ready to assemble your cookies. to make the cookies Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Prepare 2 parchment paper-covered baking sheets. Divide your dough into two halves. Wrap one of the halves tightly with plastic wrap and set aside. On a well-floured surface, roll out the other half of the dough into a sheet about ⅛" in thickness. Use a round cookie cutter or a glass/bowl about 3½"-4" in diameter to cut out rounds. Reshape the remaining dough and cut out more, until you've used up all the dough. Keep the dough rounds covered with a kitchen towel while you work. Place about 1 tablespoon of rhubarb jam in the center of a dough round. Fold it in half and pinch together the edges, like a dumpling. Shape one of the dumpling edges into a bird's head with a pinched out beak. Press a walnut piece, cacao nib, or raisin into the head, where the bird's eye would be. Shape the opposite edge of the dumpling into a tail by flattening it. Use kitchen scissors to cut the beak in half, cut some feathers into the tail, as well as cut some wing marks along the bird cookie's body. Refer to the instructional gif above for a visual. Place the cookie on the prepared baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the dough. Bake the cookies, one tray at a time, for about 30-40 minutes, until lightly golden. Start checking at 20 minutes. Let cool. Dust the cookies with powdered sugar or arrowroot powder, if desired, and serve.

Books are just magic. The smell of the pages, the feel of the binding, the weight of paper in our hands, and the lullingly hushed sound of turned pages are all as memorable and meaningful as the stories and images they surround. Books can offer a safe harbor, a portal to alternate reality, a rallying cry for justice, a guide for self-betterment, or simply a beautiful piece of artistry for your home. Regardless of what role it plays in your life, a book is something to cherish and, by extension, something to share with those you care about. Books are experiential, and their ability to perform for and transport us make them the ripest of gift options. This year we are sharing a few of our favorite books, specifically those we've found to be most impactful in 2020. Some are intricately woven fictional tales, some rely predominantly on imagery, some are provocative minimalist exercises. There may not be a theme —or frankly consistency— to this list but the dissimilarity is something that honors the tumultuous year 2020 has been. LOST WORDS by Robert Macfarlane Lost Words, written by Robert Macfarlane and Illustrated by Jackie Morris, may be the gift we give most this year. Macfarlane compiled a stunning collection of nature words that have slowly been removed from children's dictionaries, to make room for those that describe our increasingly digital existences. Alongside the words are magnificent and tender poems and illustrations that offer a nostalgic window into the nature being forgotten. The poems by Macfarlane alone leave us weak at the knees. There is a simplicity that renders the book perfect for children, but because of the masterful artistry and the enchantment of the Macfarlane's words, we firmly believe that this is an exceptional book to share with absolutely everyone, regardless of age. A gorgeous, hand-illustrated, large-format spell book celebrating the magic and wonder of the natural world. All over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. Words like Dandelion, Otter, Bramble, Acorn and Lark represent the natural world of childhood, a rich landscape of discovery and imagination that is fading from children's minds. The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration of the poetry of nature words and the living glory of our distinctive, British countryside. With acrostic spell-poems by peerless wordsmith Robert Macfarlane and hand-painted illustrations by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book captures the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages. (1) Buy at Indie Bound THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL LIBRARIES by Massimo Listri This book is an unabashed piece of art. 560 massive pages are bound together to form a truly gorgeous book that weighs—no exaggeration—almost 15 and a half pounds. This may seem excessive, but the weightiness and dramatized scale seem downright necessary to convey the grandeur and majesty of the libraries Listri photographed. Some are historically ornate while others are ferociously contemporary, but each library is an oasis of literary magic that feels close enough to touch. For bibliphiles and aesthetes alike, The World's Most Beautiful Libraries makes an unforgettable gift. From the mighty halls of ancient Alexandria to a camel bookmobile on the Kenyan-Somali border, human beings have had a long, enraptured relationship with libraries. Like no other concept and like no other space, the collection of knowledge, learning, and imagination offers a sense of infinite possibility. It's the unrivaled realm of discovery, where every faded manuscript or mighty clothbound tome might reveal a provocative new idea, a far-flung fantasy, an ancient belief, a religious conviction, or a whole new way of being in the world. In this new photographic journey, Massimo Listri travels to some of the oldest and finest libraries to reveal their architectural, historical, and imaginative wonder. Through great wooden doors, up spiraling staircases, and along exquisite, shelf-lined corridors, he leads us through outstanding private, public, educational, and monastic libraries, dating as far back as 766. (2) Buy from Taschen Publishing EXERCISES, OTHER EXERCISES, OTHER OTHER EXERCISES, & OTHER OTHER OTHER EXERCISES by Kurt Johannessen Kurt Johannessen is a fascinating man and an extraordinary artist. To give you an idea of who he is, we first discovered him after finding his book, Steinar [Stones], which documents a project where he read 22 fairy tales about trolls to 22 unique rocks he selected while hiking in Finse. It's utterly bizarre and yet deliciously reasonable. But the series we are sharing here contain exercises offered to the reader. These four books—which in our opinion, should be gifted as a set— prompt the reader to engage with the world though a series of expectedly unexpected assignments. Think "lift a rock that is heavier than you can lift", "eat peas and think of princesses", and "let two ants walk on your head". A few of our favorite tasks are shared in the photographs below. There is an evident deeply rooted connection to nature, a beseeching to find whimsy and presentness, and a humorous existentialism that we simply adore. Buy from Printed Matter GO FISH: HOW TO WIN CONTEMPT AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE by Mr. Fish Mr. Fish is, for lack of a better descriptor, a political cartoonist. With an unparalleled talent for generating a body of work that manages to offend everyone in one way or another, Fish shares drawings and captions that highlight false truths, societal short comings, and failings of humanity as a whole. Mostly harping on religious, economic, and political offenses, Fish utilizes savagely sharp satire to successfully portray the realities of life with clarifying wit and cutting humor. But it's important to recognize that he does so without a drop of innate cynicism; at his core, Fish is simply cursed with unenviable and stunningly unbiased clarity on the state of the world. In this tumultuous time of division, injustice, and unnervingly deep-seated frustration, we find ourselves turning more and more to Mr. Fish to clear through any political misdirections or over-simplified activism and offer a glimmer of the hard truth. We can always count on Fish to make us look, make us see, and make us feel, for better or worse. GO FISH makes an outstanding gift for anyone feeling the endless repercussions of existing in the 2020 reality. Mr. Fish dissects the journalistic responsibility he faces as a cartoonist to make it make sense. It being his raw emotional output in response to a given stimuli (government, society, et al) manifesting itself via pen on paper without regard to the cleverly pointed punchline that will accompany and ultimately define it. . . The drawings are a celebration of the technical mastery and unbridled emotional truth of Dwayne Booth -- the Clark Kent to Superman's Mr. Fish. (Huffington Post) Buy from Akashic Books THE LIVING SURFACE: An Alternative Biology Book on Stains by Lizan Freijsen Lizan Freijsen compiled a series of photographs of stains, mold, and fungi as a way to showcase the beauty of these overlooked and often inconvenient happenings. In her photos, lichens form concentric ripples of gradiating color, tea and coffee rings offer trace proof of past consumption, fungus erupts into bubbling pillars, and various stains produce washes and spirals of groovy color. While you may not have considered photographs of stains to be a worthwhile holiday gift purchase, we assure you they're thoughtfully arranged, revealing disarmingly beautiful. The Living Surface reveals a segment of the world that is resoundingly deemed undesirable when, in fact, it's an unpretentious and unexpected moment of delicately alluring natural artistry in our daily lives. As Freijsen notes, "embracing imperfection is in fact a responds to the over-controlled society in which we live. Witnessing the beauty of slow growing processes and being surrounded by urban nature connects inner time with a sense of home.” And it is this message, captured by Freijsen through The Living Surface, that we gift to our loved ones. The central themes in this publication are transformation and time, in the course of which the unwanted gains significance. Artist and designer Lizan Freijsen is fascinated by stains, fungi and mildew. By turning moisture stains into textiles, Lizan Freijsen focuses on these blind spots and visualizes their beauty. The Living Surface: an Alternative Biology Book on Stains by Lizan Freijsen gives an overview of her extensive photo-archive with a wide-range of categories of traces of decay, and a selection of her unique hand-made carpets, tapestries and blankets produced in the last eight years. (3) Buy from Anagram Books LANNY by Max Porter We don't often share novels (they seem to occupy the majority of literary internet conversation) but this book, this glorious book, is a treasure that we had to share. In Lanny, a mythical shapeshifting—potentially botanical—figure, called Dead Papa Toothwort, is 'entwined' with a small town outside of London and develops a deep and intent commitment to omnipotently watching an eccentric 'ethereal' boy, Lanny. Lanny, somewhat detached from the reality of the world around him, holds an innocent and innate connection to nature and undauntedly interjects his personal magic into his surrounding—leaving messages on shrubs or in the bottom of seed pots for farmers to discover—despite ample criticism from those around him. Toothwort, like the boy, revels in the mundanity of the city life around him. Toothwort enthusiastically takes a bright orange Fanta cap on a tour of the city village, although the Fanta cap succumbs to the power of boredom and tunes-out. However, Toothwort recognizes the hypocrisy and cruelty that also live within the village residents. Ultimately, the tale turns to a disquieting, but entirely entrancing and necessary darkness that perfectly round out a miraculously good tale with mystery, balance, and restoration. Porter has a remarkable, albeit labyrinthine, hold of language and presents a story that is nothing short of mesmerizing. Some of the text ripples at the margins and, when we came across it, we wondered if it was an artistic choice on Porter's part or if we had become so hypnotized that we perceived the words to be wobbling (fortunately, it was the former!). Simply put, Lanny is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. This chimerical, audacious, strange, and brilliant novel will enrapture readers with its anarchic energy, with its bewitching tapestry of fabulism and domestic drama. Lanny is a ringing defense of creativity, spirit, and the generative forces that often seem under assault in the contemporary world, and it solidifies Porter's reputation as one of the most daring and sensitive writers of his generation. (4) Buy from Indie Bound STRATA: William Smith's Geological Maps edited by the Oxford University Museum of Natural History Strata is a beautifully artistic collection of William Smith's illustrative geologic work, composed by Oxford University Museum of Natural History (which evidently has a remarkable eye for aesthetics!). Glorious illustrations offer an entirely unique depiction of our world. Waves of colour—torrid yellows, rusted oranges, and hazy mauves—delineate geologic boundaries on landmasses with astonishing detail. Rivers, surface texture, and map labelings merge to create a dizzying web of line work beneath Smith's geological indicators. Additionally, dense fossil illustrations provide a more recognizable and approachable insight into the history of our planet. Strata is a confidently nerdy book and that's what makes it so exceptional. The pages contain the stunning works of a visionary geologist, framed by essays "that places Smith’s work in the context of earlier, concurrent, and subsequent ideas regarding the structure and natural processes of the earth, geographical mapping, and biostratigraphical theories" (5). Strata makes an exceptional gift for those who love geology, geography, history, science, or art. Plus the foreword is written by Robert Macfarlane who gave us Lost Words! Buy from Waterstones NAME, THING, THING: A Primer in Parallel Typographies by Gerardo Madera We have a profound affinity for typography at ARCANISA, so it's not surprising that we were immediately taken by Gerardo Madera's unique deconstruction of visual language. We will quickly share the synopsis, then we'll offer our take on what makes Name, Thing, Thing such a success. Name, Thing, Thing is a compilation of thoughts, quotations, fragments, on and around typographic intervention as resistance against the colonial embeds of typographic tradition—a pursuit analogous to strategies long used by people of color to subvert or reclaim defined historical narratives and traditions as a means of survival. Cultural remapping, hybrid and subversive form-making and discursive histories are tactics explored in Name, Thing, Thing to locate potential channels of articulation in decolonizing typography. (6) The book is divided into two section: the first, "a performative text [that] attempts to cobble together what a methodology that actively combats typography’s inherent homogenization of language and form might look like" and the second a collection of images intended to lead an exploration of a genuine decolonized expressive language. We admit that, prior to reading this book, we hadn't considered the colonial impact on typography. While Madera poses no concrete solution to rectify this invasive impact, Madera offers a beautiful exploration and discussion of the fluidity and diversity of written language. We adore the imagery of part two and how communicative it is, introducing the possibility that expression and language are infinite. Name, Thing, Thing provides a fantastic and unique perspective on decolonialization that we feel deserves amplification. Buy from Antenne Books

Swap out a holiday turkey for this gorgeous Mexican duck breast from Chef Julieta Ballesteros, graciously shared with us by Jessica Lee Binder of Food Mayhem. Binder went behind the scenes in Ballesteros's kitchen, filming her masterfully prepare a sinfully fragrant mole and caramelized plantains as though she was performing a culinary dance. This is a video recipe, without any measured ingredients, but Binder and Ballesteros provide ample information to recreate this exquisite dish at home. Preparing this yourself allows you to feel the ample pride and love associated with culinary experimentation while remaining comfortably within the fail-proof boundaries offered by Ballesteros instruction. A duck breast, marinated in a simple but full bodied marinade begins to cook as Ballesteros prepares an ancient aztec mole sauce with aromatic spices, rich spiced Mexican chocolate, and dried pasilla and ancho chilis that are roasted to bring out their shimmering flavorful oils. Sweetened with agave nectar and brightened with tomatoes, this sauce is staggeringly complex in the most successful way. After plating the duck breast with the mole, set beside sweet plantains, Ballesteros adds a whispered drizzle of pomegranate reduction that transforms the dish into something so magical we can't seem to pin down the right words to describe it that would honor its perfection. Written by Jessica Lee Binder of Food Mayhem Recipe by Julieta Ballesteros, Executive Chef of La Loteria NYC Chef Julieta Ballesteros has always dreamed of being a chef. She came to New York from Northern Mexico, to go to The French Culinary Institute, and describes her first place as a small taqueria. But Crema is a full restaurant, her baby, where each plate is her canvas. Her artwork stems from her richly flavorful Mexican background mixed with French influences, my kind of Frida Kahlo. I’ve been to Crema for brunch twice, and loved it both times. I consider it one of the most under-appreciated restaurants in NY. Take this dish for example (she demos it in the video below), with so much going on. A beautifully prepared duck breast is the centerpiece for a poblano mole sauce, a potato chipotle flauta, some amazingly spiced plantains, and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. No skimping here. After this demo, I got to eat this dish and I have to say, it’s delicious and I have to eat it again. I’m planning on bringing Lon back for it. The flavors draw from French, Asian, and Mexican influences, put together in a way I could not have imagined.

Here at ARCANISA, kipfel is synonymous with nostalgia. One of our team members is a proud Hungarian who grew up in Pennsylvania, surrounded by equally proud Eastern Europeans. Due to the large presence of this community, the holidays were an expression of beautiful Eastern European traditions that became as much a part of Pennsylvanian history as of that of their homeland. We learned of the celebration of Santa Lucia in which young girls adorned with crowns of candles deliver cookies, the elaborate Putz installations (dioramas displaying the nativity scene, much like nativity creches), and sugar cakes (the recipe for which involves poking foccacia-like holes in dough that are then filled with cubes of butter and coated in cinnamon sugar before being baked!). But the tradition that we all have adopted is that of Hungarian kipfels, small filled crescent shaped cookies that are to-die-for. Here we share two kipfel recipes: one traditional—straight from an elegant and gorgeous 92 year old woman we met in Pennsylvania— and one a more complex and modern interpretation by Smitten Kitchen (although the recipe itself originated in 1973). We've also included a nut-filling recipe from a woman who worked at our favorite Pennsylvania diner and who generously gifted us seasonal tins of kipfels that were so delicious we begged for the recipe! We have to say, we tend to prefer the rustic traditionalism of the first. A simple recipe combines flour, cream cheese, and butter to form a dough that is rolled out and folded around dollops of assorted fruit and nut fillings. The high fat content of the dough results in a tender flaky cookie with the most fantastic mouth feel. In addition, the dough is rolled out on a mixture of flour and granulated sugar which produces ribbons of sweetness within the dough, often along the surface. Plus many people coat their finished kipfels in powdered sugar—because can one ever have enough sweetness over the holidays? Frankly, any recipe given to us as a hand-written note on a spare piece of stationery by a lovely 92 year old Hungarian woman at a senior center is in itself so full of good holiday energy we can't bear to pass it up! Traditional Recipe: Ingredients: 1 lb. cream cheese (soft) 1 lb. salted butter (soft) 6 cups all purpose flour + extra for dusting the surface filling of your choice (we love an apricot or lingonberry jam or a cooked nut filling) granulated sugar (for dusting the surface) powdered sugar (for garnish) Preparation Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine the ingredients listed above. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours or over night. In a bowl, combine some granulated sugar and flour in a 2:1 ratio. On a smooth surface, sprinkle the mixture to prevent the dough from sticking. Transfer the dough to the surface and divide into four pieces. One section at a time (to make the process more manageable), roll the dough out into thin sheets. Cut into small squares—as large or small as you want your cookies to be—and spoon your desired filling into the center, being careful not to overfill. Fold each square over the filling and pinch or press the edges to seal them. Bend the cookie, (which should now be in a tube-like shape) into a crescent shape. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until slightly browned. Contemporary Recipe: By Smitten Kitchen (Adapted from The Gourmet Cookie Book) We are so infatuated with these cookies that I’m breaking my Never Post About Cookies Right After Christmas, When The World Is Cookie-d Out, Rule to tell you about them today. We want to fill them with Nutella, with chocolate chips. We want to try out different jams and maybe even some of that exalted chestnut paste. Plus, having no sugar in them, they seem destined for savory applications to, be it herbed goat cheese or a slip of caramelized onions. Makes about 30 cookies 2 sticks (1 cup, 8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, softened 7.5 ounces farmer cheese (a low-fat cottage/ricotta-style cheese) 2 tablespoons (1 ounce or 30 grams) sour cream 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups (8 3/4 ounces or 250 grams) all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling cookies out 1/4 teaspoon salt Jam or preserves (I used raspberry) Milk, for brushing cookies Powdered sugar, for dusting Preparation: Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Force cheese through a sieve right onto creamed butter and stir it in. Add the sour cream and vanilla and combine the mixture well. Whisk or sift together flour and salt in a separate bowl and gradually blend it into the cheese mixture. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill it for at least 3 hours. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll one-fourth of the dough out very thinly on a lightly floured surface and chill the remaining dough until it is to be used. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares** and put about 1/2 teaspoon jam or preserves in the center of each. Fold the dough in half on the diagonal, pressing firmly down to seal the two sides around the jam. Roll the triangle into crescents, starting at the wide end. Arrange crescents on a baking sheet (they won’t expand terribly much, so just an inch or so between them is fine), brush them lightly with milk and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are golden. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and dust them with powdered sugar. Continue making cookies in the same manner until all the dough is used. * Or enough pot cheese to fill a 1 cup measure once forced through a sieve. (Pot cheese is the primary recommendation of the recipe, but I didn’t test it with this so cannot provide a definite weight.) ** For the first batch, I used a ruler and a knife and honestly, it is always a pain to try to cut dough into a perfect grid. The second batch, I remembered I’d just bought some square cookie cutters and hoo boy, it sure sped things up! COOKED NUT FILLING Ingredients: 1 lb of walnuts 1 cup of milk 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar 1 egg 1 stick of butter Preparation: Mix all the ingredients together and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Allow to cool but stir regularly to prevent it from the filling from solidifying and become untenably sticky.

Clothing is a holiday gift-giving go-to (say that three times fast!) but it can quickly become uninteresting. Sweaters and socks seem to creep into gift boxes more frequently as years pass and people's gift creativity wanes. Don't misunderstand, we love a good pair of socks, but we would much rather gift—or be gifted!—a pair of stunning shoes. In the past, we struggled when it came to shoe gifting; fit and form were added challenges to the already tough task of filtering for aesthetic preferences. But when we considered Nouf Fetaihi and Silvia Cobos, our struggles evaporated. Each offer mules— a style that is functional, comfortable, and less rigidly sized than other shoes— in an array of colors and patterns that are mesmerizing. We begin with Silvia Cobos. Cobos, a government executive turned visionary shoe artist, shares a collection of vibrantly colored and textured flats adorned with embroidery, tassels, and southern-Floridian fire. Hand-made in Colombia, each pair is lovingly and sustainably made with high quality materials and it shows. We are smitten with her jewel-toned calf-leather flats that are embellished with vibrant gold embroidery encompassing simple statement pearls. We own her Maria Red mules that feature a delicate and astoundingly flattering peak above a trail of wispy red fringe. Cobos combines an eye for color with an apparent appreciation for texture to create designs that are bold and striking but beautifully balanced. As we own, and often wear, Cobos's creations we can attest to their comfort and, as we have shared more than a few pairs with loved ones, we can further attest that these mules are show-stealing gifts. However, the vibrant playfulness of Silvia Cobos shoes may not be appropriate for every lifestyle. Nouf Fetaiihi, based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, offers a collection of mules that epitomizes luxury and style. An effortless hybrid of traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern aesthetics, the mules are composed of densely woven textiles that reveal subtle texture. Each available design is a masterpiece; blocks of contrasting pattern abut each other to reveal highly complex but extremely wearable compositions. Color is ingeniously used to accentuate pattern but is never heavy-handed. Nouf Fetaiihi mules are comfortable, flattering, and offer unrivaled sophistication making them as appropriate in the office as in the grocery store. They truly are lovely. Whether you choose to share boldly playful or subtly elegant shoes, you can rest assured a pair of mules by Silvia Cobos or Nouf Fetaiihi will certainly elicit a smile from anyone fortunate enough to receive them this holiday season.

There is something so enchanting about these tiny crystal-covered spheres. Leslie Kiszka of Stress Baking shares this trouble-free recipe for these heavenly sugared cranberries (Kiszka is an absolute ray of culinary light and we highly encourage you to check out more of her site!). Viciously tart cranberries are tamed by a hot sugar syrup before being rolled in fine sugar until they take on a generous coat of frosty sweetness. When eaten, each berry opens with an intoxicating introduction of sweetness on the tongue, followed by an effervescently tart burst once bitten into. It's such an enjoyably—down right addictively—dynamic experience that will certainly keep you coming back for more. Flavor aside, these treats are magically beautiful. The vibrant almost oxblood red colour of the cranberries peaks through the sugared shell offering a visual reminiscent of glistening frosted snow-covered berries. Extremely appropriate for the holiday season, we highly recommend using these sugared cranberries as garnishes on all your sweet creations this winter. In the years before covid, we often filled festive bowls or tins with these cranberries to place on our coffee tables for guests to enjoy or to offer as gifts to welcoming party hosts and hostesses. We can't tell you how often people ask us for this recipe; it's arguably the most requested snack we share during the holidays! Note: we sometimes deviate from the recipe below a bit and let the cranberries cool down in the syrup for 12-24hrs and then roll them in sugar—as opposed to cooling them on a rack immediately after tossing them in the syrup. Both variations work well, it's typically just a matter of how much counter space we have while preparing our holiday meals! By Leslie Kiszka: Tart cranberries rolled in sugar make for a simple, 2-ingredient, no-bake snack for the holidays! It’s also perfect as a garnish for all your holiday treats. I’ve always been a fan of candy that is both sweet and sour. Why? I don’t know. But Sour Patch Kids? Ohhhhh. I’m all over those. Cranberries aren’t sour, but they are tart – which, to me, makes them the perfect candidate for my first sweet and tart “candy”: Sugared Cranberries. I’m going to apologize right now for including so many pictures – they’re just so pretty, I couldn’t help myself! I wanted my final cranberry recipe for the month of November to be simple. Easy to create during the busy holiday season. Something that requires practically no brain power because the post-Thanksgiving food coma is still lingering. Luckily, making these were step number one in the next recipe I’ll be posting this week. Not so luckily, that meant they had a purpose and I couldn’t just sit down and inhale them all. Therefore, I was forced to make a double batch. [snaps fingers] Gosh darn it. These are super easy and only require two ingredients, if you don’t count water as an ingredient (which I don’t). You boil some water and sugar together until the sugar dissolves and then add the cranberries to coat. Let them set a bit on a wire rack, and then coat them in sugar. Voila! You now have sugared cranberries. They make a gorgeous garnish as well as a delicious snack. Even though they’re coated in sugar, they’re not overly sweet thanks to the natural tartness of the cranberries themselves. I like to keep them in a little bowl in my fridge because I really love them as cold as I can get them – but they’re the perfect little snack to set in a decorative bowl, out on the counter during a party to let your guests snag a few if the mood strikes them. What’s your favorite holiday snack? Is it one of my recipes? If so, tag your photos with #stressbaking and follow me so I can see them! And if not, tag me anyway so I can see those, too! Sugared Cranberries Prep Time: 2 hours Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes Yield: 1 cup INGREDIENTS 1 cup granulated sugar, divided ½ cup water 1 cup fresh cranberries INSTRUCTIONS In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine ½ cup sugar and water. Stir frequently until sugar has dissolved and remove from heat. Add cranberries and stir to coat. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they’re well coated. Transfer cranberries to wire rack to cool (placing parchment paper underneath to catch the dripping sugar syrup). Allow to cool for an hour. Place remaining sugar in a large bowl and add half of the cranberries. Toss to combine. Using a slotted spoon, transfer coated cranberries to clean parchment paper to set. Repeat with the other half. Let set for at least an hour, then enjoy!

While we are deeply appreciative of each gifted box, we cannot tell you how exhausted we are of receiving hunks of over-priced steaks at the holidays. (That's not to say that there aren't ample situations where these gifts are the ideal choice; it's simply that, in our lives, they become a bit banal). But sharing food, particularly meats, is a time-honored holiday tradition and we firmly believe the absolute ideal meaty gift isn't steak but Macelleria Tozzetti's Sbriciolona. We were first introduced to Macelleria Tozzetti's Sbriciolona while in Tuscany. Our first night at Il Borro in Arezzo, we were welcomed with a stunning, albeit dimly lit, dinner. Against the backdrop of Il Borro's impressive wine collection stood, under an actual spotlight, a swoon-worthy layout from Macelleria Tozzetti, complete with a man offering fresh generous slices of Sbriciolona. Within moments of discovering this, we committed ourselves, unabashedly, to standing beside him and savoring as many discs of culinary perfection as possible before being—very begrudgingly— pulled away by the rest of our party. A variation of a Finocchiona salame, Sbriciolona is not fully dried resulting in a magnificently tender composition that almost crumbles when you eat it. Made outside of Florence, each Sbriciolona from Macelleria Tozzetti begins with rich Casentino grey pork that is generously spotted with fat and then perfumed with heavenly fennel. The meat is almost velvety and seems to effortlessly melt in the mouth. The spices are delicate and a remarkable complement to the flavors of the pork; nothing is ever overpowering or grating. Macelleria Tozzetti's Sbriciolona is a magnificent manifestation of true Tuscan culinary artistry and we cannot get enough of it (just as the poor man who had to ceaselessly hand us Sbriciolona slices!). This typical fresh Tuscan salame is beautifully tender, sweet, and fragrant making it a magical addition to any menu and a perfect holiday gift. Beyond the flavor, the Sbriciolona is aesthetically phenomenal. The frosted—almost powdered—look of the exterior provides spellbinding contrast to the vivid pink meat tangled with specks of luminous white fat within. Pair with soft focaccia or golden crostini and a sharp cows milk cheese or a few fresh figs, this salami is a welcomed addition to any plate . Add to a cheeseboard with Marcona almonds, fig jam, and olives for a mouthwatering display or follow in our footsteps and enjoy it in all its unadulterated wonder.

Is anything more decadent than smooth rich cheesecake, filled with succulent boozy plums, sitting atop an indulgently moist chocolate cake and served doused with a generous glaze of chocolate ganache and a sprinkle of crunchy and verdant pistachios? We certainly don't think so. Anna Chwistek of Serving Dumplings shares this mouth-watering and easy-to-make recipe that we can't get enough of. Check out Serving Dumplings for even more culinary masterpieces! When we prepare this for the holidays, we love adding a whisper of warming spices to our plums as they soak as well as throwing in a pinch of cayenne and cinnamon to our chocolate cake batter, just for a touch of seasonal cheer! This cheesecake is absolutely phenomenal and is the most luxurious way have found to finish a holiday meal. I’ve been dreaming about this cheesecake for a long time. Actually everything started with this chocolate cake and two failed attempts later I’m looking at this fluffy, fudgy and creamy cheesecake. But the combo with the chocolate, the cheese filling and wodka soaked plums is just addictive! And it doesn’t end here, once the cheesecake is baked, you add a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce and a sprinkle of pistachios. I love dried plums, chocolate and cheesecake, so for me this lusciousness is just perfect! 2 hours 30 minutes serves 8 Ingredients chocolate cake 130 g flour 40 g cocoa powder 160 g sugar 45 ml vegetable oil 150 g Greek yoghurt 1 organic egg 90 ml espresso 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon vanilla pinch of salt cheese filling 500 g ricotta 160 g sugar 1 teaspoon potato starch 3 organic eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla vodka plums 200 g dried plumes 100 ml vodka ganache 80 ml heavy cream 100 g dark chocolate 1 tablespoon butter also 4 tablespoons chopped pistachios Instructions Cut the plums into small pieces, pour wodka and set aside for an hour. In a large bowl, combine the egg with sugar, vanilla, oil and yogurt. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda. Stir and add coffee. Line a 24 cm springform pan with baking paper and grease the sides with butter. Pour the batter into the pan, place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 180°C. Place the ingredients for the cheese filling in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the plums and stir gently. Pour the cheese filling onto the chocolate cake and place back in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool. Pour the cream into a saucepan, bring to a boil, set aside and add chocolate and butter. Stir until melted and smooth. Pour the ganache over the top of the chilled cheesecake, sprinkle with pistachios. Chill 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Enjoy!

While purses may occupy the majority of bag conversations, the duffle is our favorite. Perfect as a chic weekender bag, a stunningly unique carry on, or even an overflowing gym bag, this made-in-France holdall Sac by Guy Cotten is one of the most utilized and prized bags in our collections. Intended to hold gear on sailing expeditions, the unisex Sac is designed to be both waterproof (thank you welded seams!) and impressively durable in order to survive the salty sting of sliding across ship decks. But don't let its utility turn you off; this bag is impossibly good looking. Coming in a variety of colors and sizes we dare you not to find a bag you love! First let's address how gorgeous the bags are. Made of glossy rubbery fabric they feel industrial in the most delicious way. The body of the bags is one color while the ends, tops, and logo are in a complementary shade making them aesthetically flawless. The men on our team swear by the colors that are sensibly bold like the royal blue and unapologetic red (designed so you can easily spot the Sacs should they accidentally fall overboard!) but we also love the contemporary flair of the yellow and gray and the striking monochromatic magic of the white with accents of black. Not only will these enticingly unique colors leave you looking and feeling fiercely stylish but they also make your bag easy to recognize at airports and train stations, never to get lost in the sea of black and blue cases that suffocate baggage claims! The Sac comes in five sizes; Nano (10 liters), Mino (40 liters), Uno (60 liters), AO (80 liters), and Duo (80 liters). If you aren't used to buying your bags by the liter, the Nano is roughly the size of a large handbag or small gym bag and the Uno is a plenty large travel duffle. The AO and Duo Sacs are a bit too large to keep as carry ons but they are excellent bags if you need extra space sans overhead bins. In our lives, the Mino (featured on the left) is the perfect size for both the gym and weekend trips and the Uno is our ideal Sac for trips as long as two weeks (if we manage to pack light). Each bag, regardless of size, is fitted with a side zipper pocked and an adjustable shoulder strap making it ideal for travel. The Duo is the only bag with two separate interior pockets but we've actually come to love having a single unbroken space to lay our belongings in so we haven't missed the division in the other models. We are so enamored of this bag that we had a heated debate as to whether we should feature it at all; the exclusive utilitarianism of the Sacs is half the fun! So, while we invite and encourage you to buy and enjoy one for yourself, please do us a favor keep it on the down low!