25 Christmas cookie recipes

(Katherine Frey / The Washington Post)

More than two dozen ways to work chocolate, fruit and wonder into the holidays from our Recipe Finder.

Recipes

This week’s recipes

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 26:
Honey and Milk Chocolate Bars are photographed Thursday September 26, 2013 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

It’s here: Our annual holiday cookie issue.

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VIENNA, VA, JANUARY 9, 2013: Winter salad of shaved cucumber, radish and endive with lemon vinaigrette. Dishware courtesy of Crate & Barrel. (Photo by ASTRID RIECKEN For The Washington Post)

Free Range on Food is a forum for discussion of all things culinary. Join us every Wednesday at noon.

Owners pull the plug on PORC truck

Owners pull the plug on PORC truck

Josh Saltzman and Trent Allen need the time to focus on other projects, including Kangaroo Boxing Club.

The Wydown pop-up on U Street ends Sunday

The Wydown pop-up on U Street ends Sunday

The McCracken brothers hope to host a second pop-up before opening their permanent shop in the Louis at 14th.

Urban Butcher in Silver Spring set to open on Dec. 12

Urban Butcher in Silver Spring set to open on Dec. 12

The debut of the whole-animal restaurant will mark a dramatic comeback for owner Raynold Mendizabal.

Better chocolate chip cookies

Better chocolate chip cookies

Start with a standard chocolate chip dough. Tweak the size of the cookie and its chips. Magic!

How to: Needlepoint Gingerbread Stockings

How to: Needlepoint Gingerbread Stockings

For the advanced cookie decorator, an impressive way to display your holiday baking.

Tips on making and decorating Gingerbread Stockings

Tips on making and decorating Gingerbread Stockings

The designs are challenging, the results are rewarding. But you can scale the project to your skill level.

Graphic

Gingerbread stocking template

Gingerbread stocking template

Use this template to help create Julia Usher and Roxanne Roberts’ Gingerbread Stockings cookies.

New vending zones force some food trucks to alter business plans

New vending zones force some food trucks to alter business plans

Vendors who have developed followers away from D.C.’s main squares are not ready to forsake those locations.

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Black pepper tofu, perfected

Black pepper tofu, perfected

The Weeknight Vegetarian finds a new version of a favorite dish.

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When the wine bubbles but the label confuses

When the wine bubbles but the label confuses

Dave McIntyre offers a primer on champagne and other effervescent wines, starting with terminology.

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Sparkling wines for your holiday table

Sparkling wines for your holiday table

Inexpensive alternatives to champagne include two proseccos and two cavas.

Review

Where creative meets delicious

Where creative meets delicious

At Water & Wall in Arlington, chef Tim Ma adds sparks of surprise to just about everything he serves.

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Breweries bypass the flagship

Breweries bypass the flagship

Beer: Adroit and Bluejacket embrace diversity rather than commit to signature brews.

Calendar of culinary events

Calendar of culinary events

Classes teach how to make a gingerbread house, cookies and food gifts for the holidays

Latest Recipes

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Introducing Recipe Finder 2.0

We’ve upgraded how it looks — but more importantly, how it works. Planning your meals just got easier.

Tom Sietsema’s 40 favorites

The Washington Post restaurant critic reviews the dining rooms you should know.

Washington Post cooking class list, 2013-2014

There are more than 180 cooking classes in the Washington area to tempt you into the kitchen.

A Washington Post cookbook, at last

Out in stores and online, it features recipes that span more than 50 years of Food section coverage.

The big chill: A freezer guide

Use this guide to learn the best ways to take your food from freezer to table.

Farmers market listings

The Washington Post Food section’s 2013 listing and map of farmers markets in the area.

The whole scoop on ice cream

This might be the help you’ve been waiting for: base recipes, current standards for various frozen desserts and tips for serving and storing.

Nourish recipes

Search more than 100 healthful entrees, all clocking in at less than 500 calories, from Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.

Tom Sietsema

Osteria Morini, with great views inside and out

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 25: Osteria Morini, with chef Matthew Adler, which opened recently at The Yards Waterfront fronting the Anacostia River in Southeast, features dishes such as seafood with lentils, Monday November 25, 2013. (photos by Dayna Smith/For the Washington Post).

First Bite: Catch the view. Order the scallops with salsa verde. You’ll wish you lived nearby.

Doesn’t Petworth deserve better?

WASHINGTON,DC - OCTOBER 31: The homemade chorizo burger served with hand cut fries at Petworth Citizen on Thursday, October 31, 2013 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Mark Gail/For The Washington Post)

First Bite: Citizen looks good, but the food and drink are lamentable.

Where comfort food reigns

WASHINGTON, D.C., OCTOBER 9, 2013:  Country-fried steak with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts is offered at Ted's Bulletin, a newly opened restaurant on 14th Street Northwest, featuring U.S. American comfort food and an interior design of the 30s and 40s. (Photo by Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post)

First Bite: Ted’s Bulletin joins the noise along 14th Street NW.

Rialto, a bridge to Italy in Georgetown

WASHINGTON,DC-NOVEMBER,08: Stinco D'agnello alla Florentina at 'Rialto' restaurante in Washington, DC on November 08, 2013.  (Photo by Juana Arias for the Washington Post)

The new spot offers sleek design and hearty, satisfying food.

Fourth RedRocks has a wow factor

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 16: 
Puttanesca Pizza at the newest Red Rocks restaurant, 1348 H St., NE, Washington, DC, October 16, 2013.  
(Evy Mages/For The Washington Post)

The largest of the mini-chain’s four restaurants serves a good pie and well-executed meaty dishes.