We hope that you're enjoying a mug of hot coco by the fire with a sprinkling of festive cheer.

For the winter season, our test kitchen is wild about cranberries. These bright berries, unanimous with the holidays, are loaded with antioxidants and can be enjoyed either dried or fresh. We found that these berries, paired with our exclusive Kashmiri Garam Masala blend, made for a warm, seasonal flavor.

Last week in our test kitchen, we made spiced cranberry shrub, cranberry chutney, and spiced cranberry cake for the holiday season. The cake has a complex combination of flavors from orange and lemon zest and freshly grated ginger, with the right amount of sweetness through the combination of molasses and pure maple syrup. The shrub is a flavored holiday spirit, as the word "shrub" comes from the Arabic verb sharāb which means "to drink", that is not too sweet but not too strong. The chutney can be used with any of your favorite holiday roasts or as a condiment.

We held a taste testing at the Summit Meat House and got great reviews. Whether you've been naughty or nice, you deserve to try these delicious goodies. We are happy to share these recipes with you and hope you can use them this season.