Julia’s mother-in-law Sal religiously served peanut brittle every Christmas, which Julia loved but didn’t find particularly Christmassy. One season, Julia tweaked the recipe by removing the peanuts and adding pistachios and dried cranberries instead – and, voilà, a new holiday tradition was born! The subtle red and green of the mix-ins hit the right seasonal note, and the cranberries give the brittle a softer, more agreeable bite. To give it a try, hop on over to the blog for the recipe.