A roundup of holiday, entertaining, and baking cookbooks

Every year I am caught by surprise at how fast the holidays come around. I am working on a gift guide (with giveaways), but wanted to do a fast roundup of holiday books for our Members. This summary includes entertaining, baking and cocktail titles. I have included some popular books below as well as some more recent books and recently indexed titles – that may be a little vintage. This post could also serve as a gift guide for that special person on your list.

There are over 1,600 Christmas titles in our Library (and 1,160 books with the word holiday in the title — some may show up in both searches). The most popular of these books include:

• Nigella Christmas: Food, Family, Friends, Festivities by Nigella Lawson
• Delia Smith’s Christmas by Delia Smith
• The Christmas Chronicles: Notes, Stories & 100 Essential Recipes for Midwinter by Nigel Slater
• Christmas Memories with Recipes (recently indexed)
• Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas by Anja Dunk
• Home Made Christmas by Yvette van Boven
• Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook by Jamie Oliver
• Rose’s Christmas Cookies by Rose Levy Beranbaum
• Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas by Anja Dunk

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Recent Christmas and holiday titles:

• The Christmas Companion: Recipes, Crafts and Inspiration for a Magical Festive Season by Skye McAlpine
• The German Christmas Cookbook: Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Holidays by Jürgen Krauss
• Rick Stein’s Christmas: Recipes, Memories & Stories for the Festive Season by Rick Stein (28 online recipes)
• Winter in Tuscany: Cosy Recipes and the Quanto Basta Way by Amber Guinness
• Winter in the Highlands: Eating, Drinking and Celebrating in Scotland by Flora Shedden
• Warm Your Bones: Cozy Recipes for Chilly Days and Winter Nights by Vanessa Seder
• Taste of Home Christmas – 2013: 465 Recipes for a Merry Holiday! by Taste of Home (198 online recipes)
• The Batch Lady Saves Christmas: Prep Ahead Recipes for Stress-free Entertaining by Suzanne Mulholland

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Baking, cookies and more!

• Cookies – The Best Recipes for the Perfect Anytime Treat by Vaughn Vreeland and the New York Times (99 online recipes – New York Times)
• It’s Time to Bake Cookies by Brian Hart Hoffman (64 online recipes)
• The Joy of Cookies by Sharon Tyler Herbst
• Pâtisserie Made Simple: The Art of Petits Gâteaux by Maxine Scheckter (more in my Quick Bites and review post) – being released in the US and UK in March 2026
• Baking Across America – A Vintage Recipe Road Trip by B. Dylan Hollis
• 108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen by Kat Lieu (short review here)
• Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Cookies Cook Book
• Pastry Temple: Baking with Inspired Flavors by Christina Wood
• Chocolat – Parisian Desserts and Other Delights by Aleksandra Crapanzano
• The Big Book of Baking & Viennoiserie by Jean-Marie Lanio, Thomas Marie and Olivier Magne 
• Dorie’s Anytime Cakes by Dorie Greenspan (11 online recipes) – more about this book here
• Sure Thing Desserts: Truly Perfect Versions of Everyday Classics by Matt Lewis
• Potluck Desserts by Justin Burke (read more about this book in my Quick Bites and review post)
• Ready for Dessert, Revised Edition: My Best Recipes by David Lebovitz
• Dobre Dobre: Baking from Poland and Beyond by Laurel Kratochvila (read more about this book in my review post)
• Baking & the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes by Helen Goh (read more about this book in my review post)
• Lebanese Baking: More Than 100 Recipes for Sweet and Savory Baked Goods by Maureen Abood (read more about this book in my Quick Bites and review post)
• Mali Bakes: Make and Decorate the Retro Cakes of your Dreams by Patti Chimkire
• Sally’s Baking 101: Foolproof Recipes from Easy to Advanced by Sally McKenney
• Galette!: Sweet and Savory Recipes As Easy As Pie by Rebecca Firkser
• Buns – Sweet and Simple Bakes by Louise Hurst
• The Homemade Pie Cookbook: 100 Pie, Tart, and Galette Recipes for Every Season by Laura Klynstra (author of Christmas Baking: Festive Cookies, Candies, Cakes, Breads, and Snacks to Bring Comfort and Joy to Your Holiday)
• SCÉAL: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Modern Irish Bakery by Charlotte Leonard-Kane and Shane Palmer
• Big Book of Bread: 125 Recipes for Every Baker by King Arthur Baking Company (read more in my review post)

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Entertaining, great recipes for gatherings

• Highland Harvest: Countryside Recipes & Inspiration for Gathering by Theresa Baumgärtner
• Eat Small Plates: Vibrant, Shareable Dishes for Daily Joy by Ben Siman-Tov and Zikki Siman-Tov
• Entertaining with Charm: A Modern Guide to Relaxed Gatherings by Eden Passante
• Feast – Recipes that Bring Joy by Sarah Rankin
• She’s a Host: An Unbuttoned Cookbook for Elegant Entertaining by Erin Lichy
• Snacking Dinners: 50+ Recipes for Low-Lift, High-Reward Dinners That Delight by Georgia Freedman
• Glorious Table: Beautiful Food for a Delicious Life by Gloria Jang
• Welcome to My Table: A Cookbook of Delicious Recipes, Celebration Menus, and Hosting Inspiration to Bring People Together by Jeannie Jacobs
• Lucky Dragon Supper Club: Asian-inspired Dinner Party Ideas for Home Cooks by Stephanie Feher
• Stay for Supper: Laid-back Vegetarian Food to Share by Xanthe Ross
• Last Minute Brunch Party: Over 100 Inspiring Dishes to Feed Family and Friends at a Moment’s Notice by Amelia Wasiliev
• Dinner Party Animal by Jake Cohen
• Party People by Brie Larson and Courtney McBroom
• Dinner at Mine?: How to Eat Good Food Every Day by Kate Young
• Dinner at Our Place: Recipes for Gathering by Our Place and Shiza Shahid
• All I Think About Is Food: A Vegetarian Cookbook That’ll Keep the Party Going by Mamrie Hart
• What Can I Bring?: Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life by Casey Elsass
• The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes for Everyday Luxury and Elevated Entertaining by Meredith Hayden
• Pull Up a Chair – Recipes for Gatherings Big and Small, Morning to Night by Martha Collison (more in my review post)
• Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Planning, Throwing, and Attending Every Type of Party by Chelsea Fagan
• Entertaining 101: 101 Recipes Every Host Should Know How to Make by Beth Le Manach
• Good Time Cooking: Show-stopping Menus for Easy Entertaining by Rosie Mackean
• In for Dinner: 101 Delicious & Affordable Recipes to Batch Cook, Share and Enjoy by Rosie Kellett (read more in my review post)
• You Got This!: Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love by Dianne Morrisey
• Family Style: Elegant Everyday Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage by Peter Som
• Let’s Party: Recipes and Menus for Celebrating Every Day by Dan Pelosi

Great cookbooks with recipes to impress!

• Six Seasons of Pasta: A New Way with Everyone’s Favorite Food by Joshua McFadden
• Good Things – Recipes and Rituals to Share with the People You Love by Samin Nosrat
• Chesnok: Cooking from My Corner of the Diaspora: Recipes from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia by Polina Chesnakova (more in my review post here)
• La Cucina di Terroni: Rustic Italian Fare from Our Kitchen to Your Table by Cosimo Mammoliti
• Listen To Your Vegetables: Italian-Inspired Recipes for Every Season by Sarah Grueneberg (more in my Quick Bites and review post)
• By Heart: Recipes to Hold Near and Dear by Hailee Catalano
• How I Cook – A Chef’s Guide to Really Good Home Cooking by Ben Lippett
• Linger – Salads, Sweets, and Stories to Savor by Hetty Lui McKinnon
• Padella: Iconic Pasta at Home by Tim Siadatan
• The Whole Fish Collection by Josh Niland is a special slipcase edition that includes The Whole Fish Cookbook, The Fish Butchery, and Take One Fish in a stunning, limited-run set that unites all three of Josh Niland’s trailblazing and award-winning cookbooks in one beautifully crafted package. Included is a limited edition signed print of the breakdown of the John Dory from The Whole Fish Cookbook (along with a special new cover for this title).
• The Talisman of Happiness: The Most Iconic Italian Cookbook Ever Written by Ada Boni is the new English translation with 1,700 recipes. The 1977 edition indexed here The Talisman Italian Cookbook has 709 recipes. 

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Cocktails!

I  am in love with the City Cocktail series – they are beautifully done and feature a cut-out in the cover of a cocktail glass with a map of the city beneath. You will find in the City Cocktail series: More than 100 essential and exciting cocktail recipes, including recipes for bespoke ingredients and other serving suggestions; interviews with the city’s trendsetting bartenders and mixologists; bartending tips and techniques from the experts and more. (And the City Eats books) We have two EYBD Previews up for Colorado Cocktails and Philadelphia Cocktails.

• Cocktails Illustrated: 400+ Recipes for the Home Bartender, from Spirit Forward to Zero Proof by America’s Test Kitchen
• Booze & Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks by André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington
• The Madrusan Cocktail Companion: 2800+ Cocktails with Contributions from 100 of the World’s Best Bartenders by Michael and Zara Madrusan
• Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails by David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald and Alex Day
• Drinking French: The Iconic Cocktails, Apéritifs, and Café Traditions of France, with 160 Recipes by David Lebovitz
• Cocktail Codex: Origins, Fundamentals, Formulas by Alex Day, David Kaplan and Nick Fauchald

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And as always, a gift subscription to Eat Your Books/CookShelf is a welcomed surprise for a cookbook lover especially with the new app. We’re calling the app CookShelf, and you can subscribe in the app, or access it as part of your Eat Your Books Premium membership. You can download the app on the Apple App Store here and on Google Play Store here. If you’re having issues linking your EYB account in CookShelf (maybe you’re seeing the paywall when you are already a Premium member, or your books aren’t synching), here’s some info on how to resolve that.