In the weeks preceding Christmas, luxurious saffron is both celebratory and fragrant, bestowing a beautiful golden hue to treats and sweets. Saffron bread or Santa Lucia bread is a delicious Swedish sweet bread, which celebrates the return of light during the dark winter solstice. The decorative buns are traditionally made to celebrate the Feast of Saint Lucia on Dec. 13 by forming billowy, saffron-scented dough into various shapes (lussekatter) and buns. It's a wonderful family-friendly tradition, as everyone can help to shape the buns and, of course, eat them, still warm from the oven and slathered with butter.

You don't need to be Swedish to enjoy these fragrant golden treats. I have been making saffron bread with my Danish husband since we first met. In the early years before our children were born, we made a point of inviting friends with children to help us make the bread, since this holiday tradition is not complete without little fingers rolling and tasting the dough. While the bread rose, we would take long walks in the nearby forest before returning home to a crackling fire to shape and bake the breads, which we enjoyed with a glass of mulled wine or tea. Now we have our own children to help, but we continue to share this tradition with our friends.

Saffron Bread

Active time: 1 hour

Total time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

Yield: makes about 24 buns

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1/4 teaspoon sugar, plus 2/3 cup

2/3 cup unsalted European-style butter

2 cups whole milk

2 envelopes active dry yeast

1 teaspoon kosher salt

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup raisins, plus extra for garnish

1 large egg, lightly beaten

In a small bowl, crush the saffron and the 1/4 teaspoon sugar with a spoon.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the milk and heat over medium-low until warm to the touch (about 110 degrees).

Place the yeast in a large bowl, add 1/4 cup of the warm milk, and stir to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until it foams, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the remaining milk and the saffron, the 2/3 cup sugar, and the salt, and stir once or twice to blend. Add 6 1/2 cups flour to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. The dough should be sticky but not too wet; add more flour, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Stir in the 1/2 cup raisins and then knead the dough until it pulls away from the bowl and is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free spot, such as the oven with the pilot light on. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Form the dough into shapes by grabbing a small handful and, with light hands, rolling into a 1/2-inch-thick rope. Roll the rope into an "S" shape, or braid 2 ropes together. Place the shapes on a baking tray.

Lightly brush the breads with the egg and garnish the folds and corners with a few raisins. (Add the raisins after you glaze the bread to prevent them from burning.)

Bake until puffed and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on wire racks. Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve warm with butter.

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You probably know hummus, the likable, dependable and very beige Middle Eastern chickpea and tahini dip. But if you are looking for something a little extra, a dip with pizzazz and flair, then you should try a different kind of hummus.

Beet hummus transcends all vegetable dips. It's a guaranteed up-stager on the party table, flamboyantly fuchsia in color, with FIESTA written all over it. And while its name is rather frumpy, it makes up for any nomenclatural dowdiness with a captivating vibrancy and subtle sweetness tinged with citrus and spice. It's healthy to boot, which is not always a sure thing during the holiday season.

In this recipe, I match the powerful visuals with bold flavors and spike the hummus with Sriracha and lime, which stand up well to the earthy backdrop of the beets, and serve it with a kaleidoscope of crudites for dipping, such as carrots, watermelon radishes and cucumber wedges.

Eating your daily dose of veggies never tasted this good.

Beet Hummus

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes, plus beet roasting time

Yield: makes about 2 cups

2 to 3 medium red beets, about 12 ounces, roasted until tender, skin removed

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or half lemon/half lime)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup tahini

2 teaspoons Sriracha

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Lemon zest and chopped mint for garnishes

Assorted wedges of pita bread and crudites for dipping

Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process to blend. Add more oil to your desired consistency (it should not be soupy) and taste for seasoning.

Transfer to a bowl and garnish with finely grated lemon zest, chopped mint and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with wedges of pita bread and assorted crudites.

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Bowls of nourishing soups and stews are a perfect timeout during the busy (and indulgent) holiday season. Brimming with seasonal vegetables and hearty grains, they're a great way to put some of that turkey stock to use and cook any wayward vegetables that escaped the turkey dinner.

This soup takes inspiration from minestrone, with a tomato-based stock that includes a wedge of cheese. Cheese? Yes, a chunk of Italian cheese is a great trick for soup stocks and a good use of the ends of your hunk of parmesan or Pecorino Romano that's buried in the fridge. Simply add it to the stock while it simmers, and the cheese will break down and infuse its essence into the broth, slightly thickening the soup and adding essential cheesy-umami flavor.

My take on this soup adds sweet and nutty butternut squash, which balances the tomato-acidity of the broth; hearty farro gives a vegetarian infusion of protein and heft, and nutrient-rich kale dutifully wilts and softens in the hot broth. All told, this soup is a perfect timeout that allows you to pace yourself in the days ahead, leading up to the next holiday bash.

Farro, Kale and Butternut Squash Soup

Active time: 45 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup semi-pearled farro or barley

6 cups chicken stock, plus additional stock as necessary

2 cups (1/2-inch-cubed) butternut squash

1 (15-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1 (2-inch) chunk of rind of parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

2 to 3 cups coarsely chopped green kale leaves

Finely grated parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium. Add the onion and saute until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the farro and stir to coat.

Add the chicken stock, squash, tomatoes, cheese chunk, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the squash is tender and farro is cooked, about 30 minutes. (Add more stock to desired consistency if soup is too thick.) Add the salt and pepper and taste for seasoning.

Stir in the kale leaves and simmer until the kale brightens in color and wilts, about 2 minutes. Discard cheese rind and the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into bowls and pass the grated cheese for sprinkling over the soup.

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