Last Updated on November 3, 2026 by Daily News Staff

A Fresh Twist on Holiday Gathering and Gifting

(Feature Impact) The holiday season is a beautiful time of gathering with loved ones, making memories, giving gifts and sharing the year’s bounty with one another.

Bring a little extra sunshine to the season by showcasing citrus fruits at your holiday table this year. This Florida Grapefruit and Apple Galette recipe combines creamy custard, tangy grapefruit and sweet apple slices in a flaky puff pastry crust for a uniquely flavorful dessert. As your friends and family come together to enjoy the merriment of the season, raise a toast with a colorful Holiday Citrus Sparkler Cocktail featuring fresh Florida Oranges.

If you’re looking for a thoughtful way to celebrate the people in your life whether they’re near or far, consider Florida Citrus Gifts, which are a fresh, flavorful source of vitamin C. You can choose from a variety of cheerful gift boxes and baskets filled with juicy, fresh-picked fruits – perfect for snacking or adding to delicious seasonal recipes – ready to brighten your loved ones’ days when they arrive on their doorsteps.

Find more holiday recipes and gift ideas at PickFLA.com.

Florida Grapefruit and Apple Galette

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12

• 3       tablespoons custard powder
  
• 3       tablespoons sugar, divided
  
• 3/4    cup, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons, milk
  
• 1/3    cup, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons, freshly squeezed Florida Grapefruit juice
  
• 1       roll puff pastry, about 11 ounces
  
• 1       egg, beaten
  
• 4       Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  
• 1       Florida Grapefruit, zest only

1. Preheat oven to 340 F.
2. To make custard: Place custard powder and 2 tablespoons sugar in jug with milk then stir until fully dissolved. Add grapefruit juice and stir.
3. Transfer mixture to microwave and heat 3 minutes, stopping every minute to stir, until custard is thick and smooth.
4. Roll out puff pastry and use sharp knife to score 1-centimeter border around edge.
5. Transfer pastry sheet to nonstick baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush edges with beaten egg and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon sugar for crispy, caramelized finish.
6. To assemble galette: Spread custard evenly over pastry, staying within border. Layer sliced apples on top to fully cover custard. Finish by lightly sprinkling remaining sugar over apples.
7. Bake 25 minutes, or until pastry is golden and crisp.
8. Just before serving, zest fresh grapefruit over galette.

Holiday Citrus Sparkler Cocktail

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1

Orange Simple Syrup:

• 1       cup superfine sugar
  
• 1       cup hot water
  
• 1       Florida Orange, zest only (no pith)

Cocktail:

• 1       ounce freshly squeezed Florida Orange juice
  
• 1       ounce pomegranate juice
  
• 1 1/4 ounces vodka or gin
  
• 1/2    ounce lime juice
  
• 1/2    ounce orange simple syrup
  
•          ice, divided
  
• 1       ounce club soda, chilled
  
• 1       Florida Orange slice
  
• 1       tablespoon pomegranate seeds
  
• fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

1. To make simple syrup: In saucepan, combine sugar, hot water and orange zest; heat 3-5 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside and let cool.
2. To make cocktail: In cocktail shaker, combine orange juice, pomegranate juice, vodka or gin, lime juice and orange simple syrup. Add ice, shake and strain into tall glass over fresh ice. Top with club soda.
3. Garnish with orange slice, pomegranate seeds and fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired.

SOURCE:

Florida Department of Citrus

Transform Leftover Halloween Candy Into Creative Brownies

(Feature Impact) Once all the trick-or-treaters have filled their pumpkin totes and the porch lights have turned off, many American households are stocked with an abundance of sweet treats in the aftermath of a successful Halloween. Make them even sweeter by using those chocolates and cookies as decorations on a tray of brownies to share with family, friends or coworkers.

Chocolatey treats work best for this recipe but the specifics are up to you. Whether you use one kind of candy for the whole tray, decorate each section with a different variety, combine them all for a flavor explosion or let the kids decide, this is a fun way to enjoy the sugary bounty. Avoid using gummy, chalky or hard candy.

You’ll add most of the candy to the top of the brownies after baking, but you can also toss a few pieces into the bottom of the pan before pouring in the batter if you’d like some extra surprises in each bite.

Find more seasonal recipe inspiration at Culinary.net.

Leftover Halloween Candy Brownies

Recipe adapted from Sarah’s Day Off
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Servings: 9

• 2       cups leftover Halloween candy, chopped
  
•          nonstick cooking spray
  
• 6       ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, broken into pieces
  
• 10     tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 3       large eggs, at room temperature
  
• 1       cup light brown sugar
  
• 1/2    cup granulated sugar
  
• 1/2    teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1       teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 1/2    cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1/4    cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1. Transfer chopped candy pieces to container and freeze.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper and grease again.
3. In small saucepan, add baking chocolate pieces and butter. Melt slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely smooth.
4. Using stand or hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar 3 minutes.
5. Scrape down mixing bowl. Set speed to low and gently pour in melted chocolate and butter mixture. Increase speed to medium and beat until mixture is completely combined. Beat in salt and vanilla. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
6. Using rubber spatula or spoon, gently fold in flour and cocoa powder until mixture is smooth. Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread evenly.
7. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until center is set. Immediately press frozen candies into top of brownies, arranging as desired.
8. Refrigerate pan 2 hours, or until cool, then slice into nine equal brownies.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

SOURCE:

Culinary.net

Holiday baking season is getting a new countdown tradition. NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® has announced its first-ever 12 Days of NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Advent Calendar, a limited-edition set built to help families bake, share, and make memories in the kitchen—one surprise at a time.

Designed in the shape of a house inspired by the original Toll House Inn, the calendar is meant to sit on a countertop as part of the seasonal setup. It features 12 numbered doors that also double as festive holiday cards, with each day revealing a corresponding NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE product.

What’s inside the 12-day calendar

Instead of mini candies, this calendar leans into what the brand is known for: cookie dough and morsels. The lineup includes two new holiday innovations plus a mix of familiar favorites.

Two new holiday innovations

• NEW! NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Snowflake Morsels: Snowflake-shaped morsels designed to bake into holiday treats or sprinkle on top as a decorative finish for cookies, brownies, bark, and more.
• NEW! NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Snowflake Cookie Dough: Sugar cookie dough with snowflake-shaped morsels mixed in for a winter-ready twist.

Ten favorites and festive classics

• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Santa’s Cookie Dough
• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Peppermint Cocoa Cookie Dough
• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolatey Flavored Football Morsels
• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Artificially Flavored Morsels
• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (made with 100% real chocolate)
• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolate Mini Morsels
• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Morsels
• NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Remix Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Why this fits the season

For STM Daily News readers, the appeal is pretty straightforward: it’s a ready-made holiday baking starter kit that also functions as a festive countertop display. It’s positioned as a way to spark new traditions—whether that’s a nightly bake-and-watch routine, a weekend cookie swap prep session, or quick treats for school and office parties.

In the announcement, Melanie Knoke, Sr. Marketing Manager at NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE, said the calendar is meant to bring the brand’s long-running “bake, share and celebrate” spirit into a new format, combining seasonal newcomers with classic staples.

How to buy it (drop dates + price)

The 12 Days of NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Advent Calendar is priced at $29.99 and will be available exclusively at tollhouse.com/adventcalendar in three limited drops. Each drop goes live at 2 p.m. ET:

1. October 9
2. November 6
3. December 4 (National Cookie Day)

Quantities are limited, and the brand notes that fans should act quickly when each drop opens.

What to watch for

Advent calendars have been expanding beyond candy into “experience” categories—beauty, coffee, and now baking ingredients. This release is a good example of that shift: it’s not just a countdown, it’s a built-in reason to get into the kitchen multiple times during the season.

For more information, NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® directs fans to VeryBestBaking.com and its social channels, including @TollHouse on Facebook.

Source (press release):

• PRNewswire — NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Launches First-Ever Advent Calendar for the Holiday Season” (Oct. 5, 2026)

Related links:

• Advent calendar purchase page: https://tollhouse.com/adventcalendar
• Brand hub / baking resources: https://www.verybestbaking.com/toll-house/
• Nestlé USA company info: https://www.nestleusa.com