holiday cooking and baking

For the last couple weeks at Cardamom and Tea, it's been nothing but Christmas cookies and holiday feasts. Tomorrow, I'll leave you with a layer cake before taking a few days off for Christmas. But until then, I thought it might be helpful to organize all my favorite holiday recipes in one place. Some of these dishes are foods my family traditionally eats around Christmas, and some of them are just things that work nicely for fall and winter. I hope you find something delicious for your holiday table.
 

a holiday feast

Thanksgiving dinner (works for Christmas too)

a meze for entertaining vegetarian guests

a vegan feast for the Advent fast, or for entertaining vegan guests

stuffed dates

manakish za'atar | lakhm'it za'atar

zesty lemon hummus

burek

pomegranate fig lamb shanks

chicken biryani

zucchini dolma | dolm'it koosa

ruby fennel tabbouleh

crispy lentil and carrot salad with quick-pickled lemon

pomegranate cilantro tabbouleh

riza sh'ariyeh

fatayer

potato chop

banadurah harrah squash

ma'amoul

cardamom baklawa

sumac thyme cake

kadeh

persimmon upside-down cake

straight up persimmons

cardamom rose gingersnaps

cardamom and tea ghraybeh

tahini molasses cookies

flower-water fruit salad with apple, pomegranate, and pomelo (can substitute grapefruit)

baklawa-filled honey cake