The Jewish holiday of Purim is a joyous celebration where families eat, drink, and even dress up in costumes! A traditional Purim treat are these hamantaschen, triangle-shaped cookies meant to resemble a 3-cornered hat. Ingredients 1 cup sugar 1 1/3 cups margarine (room temperature) 2 large eggs (room temperature) 6 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups flour (all-purpose) Fillings of choice such as poppyseed, prune (lekvar), apricot, Nutella Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. Cream together sugar

This torte is named after the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804–1877) who, according to legend, regularly enjoyed the sweet treat with “punsch” for breakfast. Runeberg tortes are typically eaten only in Finland and are generally available in stores from the beginning of January to Runeberg’s birthday on February 5th; however, Porvoo, where Runeberg lived for most of his life, is an exception, as some of its cafés tortes are available every day of the year. Popular legend says that Runeberg’s wife, Fredrika Runeberg,

Kagami mochi is a traditional Japanese New Year’s treat that acts as a decoration in many homes during the first days of a new year. Supermarkets begin selling kagami (“mirror”) mochi in November and December, but why not try your hand at making it at home? The two mochi discs are variously said to symbolize the going and coming years, the human heart, “yin” and “yang”, or the moon and the sun. The two white discs are often topped with

This dish definitely is not for the faint of heart! Growing up with Minnesotan grandparents, I had often heard the word “lutefisk” without any context. Learning that it has its roots in Viking plundering—supposedly the Vikings burned a fishing village who had been drying cod and the water-soaked ashes created a lye slush—lutefisk is rumored to have been brought to America on ships as it could withstand the long journey. Now it has made its mark on Norwegian-American heritage. The