These go-to drinks, dishes and desserts are sure to impress every guest at your next soiree

Berry Festive

Connie Littell and Brian Littell moved from a small farm in southwest Virginia to North Durham in early 2023. “Over the years we’ve raised a combination of sheep, dairy goats, turkeys, chickens and bees and had a large garden,” Connie says. “We downsized and moved [here] to live near our daughter, Claire, and son-in-law, Travis.” They also have another daughter, Tracy, who lives in central Florida with her husband, Brad, and kids Dominic, 10, Maxine, 6, and Wrenley, 1.

The family has enjoyed these Red Roosters cocktails during the holidays for going on 15 years now. While it’s typically a pre-Thanksgiving dinner drink, “We usually have it on hand for Christmas, too,” Connie says. “It lasts a very long time in the freezer. … If you have any left come New Year’s Eve, put a scoop in a pretty glass and top it with a splash of Champagne.”

Connie says she saw the recipe on a Food Network holiday show “forever ago, and it sounded great.” She even entered her version of the drink into a cocktail contest for the TV show “True Blood” using the program’s branded blood orange soda in 2010 – and it won! “My prizes included a T-shirt, a poster, a pack of the ‘True Blood’ soda and VIP tickets to the ‘True Blood’ convention in Orlando to meet several of the cast members,” Connie says.

Red Roosters

• 64 oz. cranberry juice (needs to be a high concentration of juice – too much water, and it won’t freeze right)
• 10 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 cup vodka
• Cranberries (optional)
• Orange slices (optional)

Add the cranberry juice to a freezer safe container with a lid, then add the frozen orange juice concentrate. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Add the vodka, mix well, put a lid on it, and pop it in the freezer overnight. The next day, scoop it into glasses. If desired, add a cranberry and orange slice on a toothpick (or just an orange slice), and serve with a spoon.

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Brie Prepared

Karen Cunningham started making a variation of this appetizer about 10 years ago. She experimented with different bases (i.e. phyllo vs. crostini) and fruit toppings, but found that “brie’s mild and buttery flavor pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the honey, the tartness of the blackberry and crunch of the phyllo cup.”

This finger food is a staple for her and her family – husband Geoffrey Cunningham; daughters Annalee Cunningham, 9, and Audrey Cunningham, 6; and their bluetick hound, Maggie May – this time of year. “It’s so easy, yet feels – and looks – like it took effort,” Karen says. “It’s also on the ‘lighter’ side, as opposed to a fully baked brie or some type of dip.”

Karen says the key to making this easy app taste like it comes from a high-end restaurant is the ingredients. “While I purchase already-made phyllo cups out of convenience, I try for the rest to be local,” she says. “The Durham Farmers Market is a great place to source from (and support) local farmers. We like Fricks Apiaries for honey and Boxcarr Handmade Cheese – specifically a mature Boxcarr Cottonbell cheese, which is brie-like.”

Baked Brie Phyllo Cups

• 24 phyllo cups (homemade or premade shells)
• 8 oz. chilled brie (or brie-type cheese)
• ¼ cup honey
• 24 blackberries

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place phyllo cups on a baking sheet. Cut chilled brie into ½-inch cubes and distribute among the cups. Drizzle honey into the cups. Bake for 5-7 minutes (or until cheese melts). Top each cup with a fresh blackberry. Serve warm.

Phyllo Cups

• 8 oz. packet of phyllo dough
• Nonstick cooking spray or canola oil
• ¼ cup butter

Thaw phyllo dough according to package instructions. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 12 mini muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray (or canola oil). Melt butter and set aside. Unroll the phyllo on a large cutting board covered in plastic wrap. Cut the stack of phyllo sheets into quarters, cutting in half lengthwise, then crosswise.

One at a time, layer 5 or 6 pieces of phyllo into each muffin well, lightly brushing each layer with melted butter and gently pressing the dough into the bottom and against the sides of the pan (fine to let the excess extend past the top of the pan).

When all cups are formed, lightly brush the insides with butter. Bake for 10 minutes (or until cups are golden brown and crispy). Let cool slightly, then transfer the cups to wire racks to cool completely. You can make and store (at room temperature) up to three days earlier.

Note Cover any dough you are not using with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out for later use.

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A Gracious Plenty

This decade-old recipe from Durham native Jaime Lawing found its pride of place when she worked as the catering chef at UNC Charlotte. “I would make this for the football team every once in a while, but especially in the cooler months the day before they had a big game,” Jaime says. “Coaches and players always loved this [dish] because it gave the players a hearty, filling meal that also felt comforting to them. My favorite kind of compliments are those that make people remember something nostalgic or reminds them of home. [The] football [squad] loved it so much that this meal became a rotational menu item for the
basketball team (women’s and men’s) as well.”

Jaime, her husband, Marcus Lawing, kids Mariah Lawing, 14, and Jaxxon Lawing, 12, and their cat, Lincoln, moved back to the South Durham area in 2020 to be closer to Jaime’s relatives again as they prepared to welcome Micah, now 2. She ran her own private chef service, Chef Jaime, for a time (she still offers some catering and chef services to this day), and says her clients would request this meal fairly often.

“This recipe makes for a great holiday gathering because it’s typically a crowd pleaser, it’s easy to bulk up or stretch if you need to feed a larger group of people, it’s super affordable, and it’s a hug to your tummy!” Jaime says. “I’ve made this for my own family of five for Christmas and even gifted a few pans to family friends. I think some of the best gifts around the holidays are ones you can eat and enjoy with your family and friends.”

World’s Best Baked Spaghetti

• 1 lb. ground beef (can substitute ground turkey)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 24 oz. marinara
• 1 lb. spaghetti noodles
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium skillet, cook ground meat and onion until done. Drain off the fat. Pour marinara sauce over meat and mix well.

In a large pot, cook spaghetti according to package directions. When done, drain. Add cream cheese and mix well, coating the pasta.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley and salt and pepper.

To build baked spaghetti, grease a 9-by-13 casserole dish with oil and place ½ cup meat sauce in the bottom. Place half of the spaghetti on top of the meat mixture, smoothing to the edges. Layer on cottage cheese mixture, covering all of the spaghetti. Layer remaining spaghetti over cheese. Spoon remaining meat mixture over all layers. Top with mozzarella.

Cover with parchment and foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove paper and foil, sprinkle on remaining Parmesan cheese, and put back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into squares, finish off with chopped fresh parsley (dried flakes are fine, too), and serve with salad and fresh bread.

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O Christmas Treats

“I never thought I would do this job,” says Keri Efird, owner of Baker Street Cookies, but adds that she is truly living out her dream.

Keri had always baked for loved ones on the side, but she had the chance to make it her full-time gig after she was laid off from her job as a publication designer in Chapel Hill in 2018. Her friends and family encouraged her to sell her beloved cookies on a larger scale, and thus, Baker Street Cookies made its debut in an announcement on social media on Jan. 18, 2019. “I thought, ‘Well, why not?’” Keri says. “It was low risk.”

Keri has fond memories of baking biscuits and cookies with her “Meemaw,” who lived just down the road from her childhood home in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Her grandmother passed away 12 years ago, but Keri cherishes the time they spent together and honored her memory by naming the business after Meemaw’s address on Baker Street. The Baker Street Cookies logo even incorporates the silhouette of the exact rolling pin that belonged to her grandmother, which was made by her great-grandfather, a carpenter. Keri now uses that same 80-year-old rolling pin to make each batch of cookies. “Every time I bake cookies or look at the logo, it makes me happy,” she says.

Keri only makes custom sugar cookies these days, providing personalized treats for anything from a small birthday gathering to a 200-person wedding or business event – even a liver transplant party! “I love it because it brings joy to people,” she says. “The cookies are usually for something fun, and even the times when I’ve made them in sympathy, it brings at least a little joy.”

Keri believes the secret to getting perfect cookies every time boils down to one word: consistency. She’s a devoted recipe follower, and now that she’s found a foolproof technique, she crafts her delectable treats with the same unwavering precision each and every time. Keri’s committed to ensuring her cookies are as flawless and as fresh as possible for her customers: She bakes the day before a delivery, ices them that night, then decorates and packages them the day of. “I’m grateful this skill was uncovered, because I love the flexibility, and I love being a part of people’s special day,” Keri says.

Keri’s talent is showcased in the expertly crafted cookies that grace our cover, adding to the joy and whimsy of our holiday issue. While we’d never dream of asking her to divulge the magical formula that goes into those cookies, we were curious what other desserts she enjoys making at the southwest Durham home she shares with her husband, Steve Efird, and 7-year-old son, Carter Efird. Keri’s go-tos for special occasions are her Hershey Bar Cake – a favorite for celebrations; Keri’s mom handmade her birthday cakes, and Keri continues that tradition – and a chocolate chess pie, another ode to her grandmother, who brought a pie to nearly every family gathering. Carter loves to help his mom in the kitchen, especially with treats like these so he can reap the benefits of leftover sweets. “He also likes that I have hundreds of cookie cutters to cut his sandwiches into fun shapes,” Keri says.

Hershey Bar Cake

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 small box of instant vanilla pudding
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cup milk
• 1 cup oil

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line two 8-inch round cake pans with wax paper (or another method you prefer). Add all ingredients to a mixer and combine until well-blended. Pour evenly into the cake pans. Bake for 38 minutes.*

Once the cake has cooled, cut each cake into two layers. Add a generous amount of icing to each layer and around the sides. Keep the cake refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

*Baking time will vary by oven. Start out with less time, and check the cake with a toothpick at various intervals. Take it out of the oven when just a few crumbs are on the toothpick. Immediately remove from cake pans and put on a cooling rack. This ensures your cake does not continue to cook in the hot pans.

Icing*

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 12 oz. Cool Whip
• 3 1.55 oz. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars, shaved

Blend cream cheese, powdered sugar and sugar in a mixer until smooth. Add Cool Whip gradually until all ingredients are incorporated. Fold in most of the chocolate bar shavings with a spoon or spatula. Save the reserved shavings to add to the top of the cake.

*Make the icing the night before so it can firm up before spreading on to cake.

Chocolate Chess Pie

• 3 eggs
• 1¹/_³ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1¹/_³ stick salted butter (about 11 Tbsp.)
• 1½ oz. unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate baking bar (6 squares), chopped
• 1 unbaked pie shell*

Preheat oven to 365 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. In a small pot (or a double boiler) on low heat, melt butter and chocolate pieces. Add chocolate to the sugar mixture. Mix together well with whisk and pour into pie crust. Bake for about 35 minutes. (Oven temperatures vary, so adjust accordingly. Pie should be set, with a little jiggle. After 15 minutes of baking, place a silicone crust cover or foil over the crust to prevent excessive browning.) Allow the pie to cool before cutting. As the pie cools, it will continue to set.

Pie can be served as is, but you can also heat a slice in the microwave for a few seconds and add Cool Whip or vanilla ice cream.

*Either a frozen pie crust (in a disposable pie pan) or a refrigerated pie crust in your own pan will work just fine.