Our treasured holiday recipes return year after year to family gatherings and seasonal celebrations. From perfect pumpkin bread to luscious lamb shanks, enjoy these recipes from your Southern Wake neighbors and use them to bring hometown flair to your holiday table.
Angus Barn Chocolate Chess Pie
Blake Massengill, mayor of Fuquay-Varina
“Our family’s favorite dessert to make during the holidays — okay, I mean all year round! — is Angus Barn’s Chocolate Chess Pie. The kids love to help make it (cracking the eggs is their favorite part), and our extended family always requests it at each family gathering.” – Heather Massengill
Heather, Blake, Jake, and Anna Massengill
1 unbaked pie shell
1 stick butter
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt
- Melt butter and chocolate over a double broiler or on a low power setting in the microwave.
- In a medium-sized bowl, blend together the other ingredients. Mix in the melted butter and chocolate.
- Pour ingredients into the pie shell and bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Allow pie to cool completely, then optionally top with whipped cream and/or serve with vanilla ice cream.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze
Jermaine Powell, visual artist and muralist
“This is a recipe we’ve tweaked a bit from Southern Living. We’re big on desserts, and this one’s a must for us every holiday. My daughter, Ahna-Brielle, and I love to bake this cake together. This recipe is hands down our favorite because it’s flavorful, rich, and has just the right amount of sweetness. It disappears pretty quickly in the Powell house! It also remains a hit when we’ve shared it at larger family gatherings.” – Katrina Powell
Jermaine, Katrina, Ahna-Brielle, Jay Louren, and Kole Nathaniel Powell
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup vegetable oil
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup apple cinnamon applesauce
chopped walnuts (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray and dust with flour.
- Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and baking powder to the bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the vegetable oil and sugar together until fully combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla.
- Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding the dry ingredients and pumpkin puree to the batter, mixing on low speed after each addition just until the ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Firmly tap the pan on the countertop a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Maple Glaze
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¹⁄³ cup pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¹⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Place the butter, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Allow to cool for 2 to 4 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Spoon the warm glaze over the cooled cake. If the glaze starts to set in the pan before drizzling over the cake, simply place the pan back on the heat for a few seconds and whisk until smooth. Garnish with chopped walnuts, if desired.
Roasted Marrow Bones and Parsley Salad
Erica Tyler, owner The Vine Natural Health Shoppe
“Like my mother, I grew up eating this dish between Christmas and New Year’s. It has become a New Year’s Eve tradition in my home. My kids devour it and look forward to it every year. If you like butter, you will love bone marrow. Plus, it is SO good for you — marrow is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and collagen! Serve this on toasted sourdough bread for a double dose of gut health. I like working with local farms to source my grass-fed marrow bones, but you can also find them at the butcher.” – Erica Tyler
Ian Quilty, Rush Tyler, Mackenzie Quilty, Aura Tyler, Santa, Erica Tyler, and Scott Quilty
8 to 12 center-cut, grass-fed beef marrow bones, about 4 pounds total, split in half lengthwise (ask your butcher!)
1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons tarragon leaves
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons capers, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
sliced sourdough bread, toasted
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Put bones in a shallow roasting pan, using crinkled foil to hold the bones straight/even.
- Adjust the oven rack to the upper third of the oven and roast for 15–20 minutes until marrow pulls away from the bone. Do not overcook because the marrow liquidizes and will run off the bones. I turn the oven light on and have my kids watch them.
- Toss together the parsley, tarragon, shallots, and capers. Combine the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Dress the salad.
- Remove the marrow bones from the oven, season with flaky salt and fresh ground pepper, dress them with the salad, and serve with toasted sourdough.
Tar Heel Pie
Nash Atkins, agent, State Farm
“This Tar Heel pie has been a holiday staple in my family since I was a little girl. My mom made it every Thanksgiving and Christmas, and now I make it for my family! In our household, we are big NC State fans, so we jokingly now call it the Tuffy pie! The recipe calls for walnuts, but we enjoy it without nuts as well. It is great warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We hope you enjoy this pie as much as we have over the last two decades!” – Nash Atkins
Nash Atkins State Farm Team: Florian and Alejandra Dionicio; Nash, Josh, Rhett, Georgia, and Beau Atkins; Caidyn Michelle and Dale Oxendine; Ytallo Cruz and Melanie Maldonado
1 cup chocolate chips
1 stick margarine or butter
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 9-inch pie shell
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter, chocolate chips, and walnuts in a saucepan. Pour into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
- Pour into a 9-inch pie shell. Bake for 30–35 minutes.
Braised Lamb Shank with Glazed Carrots
Da’Jon Brandon, chef at The Library Steakhouse
“This brings together different flavors that I’ve cooked with throughout my career. These flavors with dark currants and a hint of mint are the embodiment of the holiday season. If you don’t want to cook it at home, come enjoy it at The Library Steakhouse, where it will be on our winter menu.” — Da’Jon Brandon
Da’Jon Brandon
2–4 lamb shanks (hind)
2 onions
1 large or 2 small carrots
3–4 stalks celery
4 quarts vegetable stock
6 cups Taylor port wine
½ cup tomato paste
¼ cup minced garlic
8-quart roasting pan or larger (should be taller than lamb shanks)
- Peel carrots and trim leaves from celery. Cut up the onions, carrots, and celery into medium-sized pieces. Peel and finely chop fresh garlic.
- Make sure lamb shanks are thawed to ensure seasoning sticks. Season the shanks with salt and pepper to taste. (Personally, I like to make sure I put a nice even and thick coat of seasoning, because some will fall off during the searing process and be used to flavor the veggies.)
- Select a large sauté pan big enough to sear the shanks and cook down the veggies — preferably a taller rondeau, about 20–30 quarts. Heat the pan over medium-high heat with about ¼ to ½ cup of cooking oil (enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan but not puddle).
- Place the shanks on the flatter side in the hot pan and sear about 2–3 minutes until you see a dark golden brown. Flip shanks and repeat on other side. Remove shanks and place in roasting pan for later.
- Immediately after removing the shanks, add cut vegetables and garlic to the pan with leftover juices. Stir with a wooden spoon, being careful not to scrape the pan.
- When the veggies begin to get soft, reduce the heat to medium-low and add tomato paste. Stir thoroughly and cook until the mixture starts caramelizing on the bottom of the pan. Stir and scrape tomato paste from bottom of pan until the paste turns a deep burgundy red.
- Add in Taylor port wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Simmer until reduced by half.
- Add vegetable stock. Pour liquid and vegetables over the lamb shanks in the roasting pan, reserving 2 cups for gravy. Cover with aluminum foil. (If you have it, cover with a layer of parchment paper before the foil.)
- Place pan in an oven preheated to 300 degrees and cook for 3 ½ to 4 hours, until tender and almost falling off the bone.
- Serve lamb shank topped with mint gravy alongside glazed carrots.
Mint Gravy
2 cups stock, reserved from cooked braising liquid
½ cup mint, packed
½ cup red currants (can substitute dried cranberries)
- In a blender, combine 2 cups reserved braising liquid, mint, and red currants. Blend until smooth.
Glazed Carrots
6–8 small-to-medium carrots
1 teaspoon oil (I like to use homemade roasted garlic oil)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons agave (can substitute honey)
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel carrots. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the water.
- In a bowl, toss carrots with oil, vinegar, smoked paprika, agave or honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until evenly coated.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and glazed.
Key Lime Pie
Mike James, principal of Fuquay-Varina High School
As a native Floridian, Mike James recommends the bright, tart flavor of Key Lime Pie as a refreshing complement to rich holiday spreads. Prepare his classic recipe a day ahead to allow enough time for chilling.
1 graham cracker pie crust or 6 mini pie crusts
3 egg yolks
¾ cup key lime juice (I prefer Nellie and Joe’s Key West Key Lime)
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
-
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake pie crust for 4–5 minutes, then remove to cool.
Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl and whip until fairly stiff and near peaked.
- Add condensed milk slowly while mixing to combine.
- Slowly add the key lime juice, and continue mixing until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour mixture into pie crust. Bake for 12–15 minutes
- Remove pie from oven and let cool. For best results, let the pie cool at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
Whipped Cream Topping (optional)
1 pint heavy whipping cream
powdered sugar
- Whip heavy whipping cream in a mixer until stiff peaks form. Make sure not to over whip the cream, which will turn it to butter.
- Sweeten the whipped cream by adding powdered sugar to taste.
- Chill overnight.
Eggplant Salad
Tan Uckan, chef and owner of Nil’s Mediterranean Cuisine
“Eggplant salad is a family recipe we created and continue to eat for all the holidays, and at special dinners for our guests.” – Tan Uckan
Tan, Semra, Baran, and Kaan Uckan
1 whole eggplant
1 tomato, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup parsley
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon chili powder
olive oil and lemon zest
pomegranate arils
- Smoke eggplant on a grill or smoker until soft and skin is charred. Cool slightly, then peel.
- In a bowl, combine eggplant with remaining ingredients through chili powder. Mix gently.
- Add olive oil and lemon zest and toss to combine. Finish with extra parsley and pomegranate arils.
Torta Di Mele Rustica (Rustic Apple Cake)
Paolo Gavazza, chef and owner of Spazio Vino & Cucina
“My mother taught me this recipe. It is always present on the table at our holiday meals.” – Paolo Gavazza
Paolo Gavazza
and family
28 ounces stark apples*
3 eggs, room temperature
3.5 ounces butter
10 ounces 00 flour*
2 ounces potato starch
5 ounces sugar
cinnamon to taste
3.5 ounces whole milk, room temperature
0.5 ounce baking powder
juice of 1/2 lemon
- Peel the apples and remove the core. Slice thinly.
- Place apple slices in a bowl and stir in the juice of half a lemon to help prevent the apples from blackening.
- Melt butter in the microwave or in a saucepan over very low heat. Let it cool slightly.
- Sift together the flour, potato starch, and baking powder.
- In a bowl, whisk eggs, then add the sugar, followed by the flour mixture.
- Pour in the warm melted butter, milk, and ground cinnamon. Mix the ingredients with the electric whisk until evenly combined. Add two-thirds of the apples to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the apple mixture into a buttered and floured pan, preferably an 8- or 9-inch springform pan, and level.
- Add the remaining apples to the surface of the batter. Cook in a hot ventilated oven at 360 degrees for 55 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick before taking the cake out of the oven.
- Cool torta in pan before turning out and serving.
*Notes: If stark apples are not available, substitute your favorite all-purpose apple. 00 flour is a finely ground Italian flour typically used in pastries and pizza crust. All-purpose flour may be substituted.
Pumpkin Bread
Sean Mayefskie, mayor of Holly Springs
“Every year I bake this pumpkin bread for my family during the holidays. It isn’t anything special, but it certainly fills the house with the smells of the holidays! Letting this cool after baking is the hardest part.” – Sean Mayefskie
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
¹⁄³ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup 100% pure pumpkin (I use Libby’s)
¹⁄³ cup water
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 10-inch loaf pan with baking spray.
- Combine flour, all spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix. In another large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs, and sugar. Add the flour mixture and water to the egg mixture. Stir to make sure no lumps remain.
- Pour mix into the loaf pan. Bake for 60–70 minutes or until bread is firm and a knife inserted at the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool — the hard part. The house smells so good, you will want to start cutting it when it’s warm. That is up to you!
Chocolate Mint Cookies
Todd Stevens, owner of Bless Your Heart Boutique
“My mom made these cookies for as long as I can remember, so they quickly became part of our Christmas traditions as we started our family in North Carolina. This is a great recipe for a family, because it is easy to involve little kids by having them unwrap the Andes mints.” – Todd Stevens
¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks)
1 ½ cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons water
12 ounces chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 ½ cups flour
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 box Andes Mints (green wrapper)
- Heat butter, sugar, and water on low heat. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted.
- Pour into a mixing bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Beat in eggs on low speed one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Refrigerate dough for at least one hour.
- Scoop dough into 1-inch balls. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
- Break Andes Mints in half and press one piece on the cookie right after it comes out of the oven.
- Allow mints to melt, then spread the melted chocolate on top of the cookie.
Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Diane Kinlaw, senior loan officer at Revolution Mortgage
“This recipe was passed down to me by a friend’s grandmother over 30 years ago, and I always make it during the fall season through Christmas. It is always a hit! Hope you enjoy it just as much!” – Diane Kinlaw
Diane Kinlaw
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
4 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup water
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix everything together with a stand or hand mixer for approximately 2 minutes. You will have some lumps due to the sweet potatoes.
- Pour into a greased and floured Bundt pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes (or maybe a little less depending on your oven). Set aside to cool.
- Once cooled, drizzle with cream cheese icing.
Cream Cheese Icing
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ stick of butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
- Combine butter and cream cheese and beat together until creamy and smooth.
- Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl, then beat slowly until there are no lumps.
- Add the vanilla and a pinch of salt if desired. Mix until incorporated. If you want a runnier glaze, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk to reach desired consistency.
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