Who said you had to wait until February? Love is a New Year's Treat from Sweet Things, Chocolates, Candies, Caramels & Marshmallows to Make & Give (Kyle Books, October 2014) by Annie Rigg. Praline Hearts I like heart shapes and so for these truffles I set the praline ganache into a shallow pan and stamped out heart shapes in assorted sizes before coating in either milk or dark chocolate. If you had plastic or silicone...

In a mushroom state of mind? Try this soup recipe from Shroom, Mind-Bendingly Good Recipes for Cultivated and Wild Mushrooms (Andrews McMeel, September 2014) by Becky Selengut. Sweet Potato Soup with Lime Leaves, Beech Mushrooms, Basil, and Peanuts Serves: 4 Pairing: French Riesling The beech mushrooms are less the star here and more of a textural element used as a garnish. Because of this, it’s extra important to use homemade mushroom stock (page xxiii) to...