(Family Features) The traditions of the holidays often include family-favorite meals and seasonal sweets, but enjoying those beloved treats doesn’t always mean giving up health-conscious eating.

This year, before you decide what to prepare for holiday get-togethers, consider the benefits of recipes like this Apple Coffee Cake that follow heart-healthy eating plans. One such plan, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan, offers benefits for the heart and helps prevent and treat high blood pressure, too.

Developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), DASH takes a flexible, balanced approach to eating that can help boost your health for the long haul.

• It requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals.
• It can lower two major risk factors for heart disease – high blood pressure and high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, according to NHLBI-funded research.
• It can help you lose weight if you follow the plan and increase your physical activity, research shows.
• If combined with reductions in salt and sodium, it often provides greater health benefits than the eating plan does alone.

To learn more and find DASH-friendly recipes, visit nhlbi.nih.gov/DASH.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

Apple Coffee Cake
Recipe courtesy of The Heart Truth program, part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Servings: 20

• 5          cups tart apples, cored, peeled and chopped
• 1          cup sugar
• 1          cup dark raisins
• 1/2       cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4       cup vegetable oil
• 2          teaspoons vanilla
• 1          egg, beaten
• 2 1/2    cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2    teaspoons baking soda
• 2          teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine apples with sugar, raisins and pecans; mix well. Let stand 30 minutes.
3. Stir in oil, vanilla and egg.
4. Sift together flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Using about 1/3 of mix at a time, add to apple mixture, stirring just enough to moisten dry ingredients.
5. Turn batter into pan. Bake 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
6. Cool cake slightly before serving.

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

(Family Features) This cake delivers a mild sweetness and crunchy topping that can delight nearly any guest.  Serve it warm with a side of ice cream or a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Find more dessert recipes at culinary.net.

Watch video to see how to make this delicious recipe!

Cinnamon-Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

Nonstick cooking spray

Topping:

• 3/4         cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3         cup flour
• 1/3         cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4         cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2         teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4         teaspoon salt
• 5             tablespoons butter, softened

Cake:

• 1-1/2     cups flour
• 3/4         teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2         teaspoon salt
• 1/4         teaspoon baking soda
• 8             ounces cream cheese
• 3             tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2         cup sugar
• 1             whole egg
• 1             egg yolk
• 5             tablespoons milk
• 2             teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Heat oven 350°F.
2. Spray 9-inch round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. To make topping: In medium bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and salt.
4. Using pastry blender, cut butter into mixture until blended.
5. To make cake: In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
6. In large bowl, mix cream cheese, butter and sugar. Beat mixture until smooth.
7. Add egg and egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract. Beat mixture until smooth.
8. Combine flour mixture with cream cheese mixture. Spread mixture in pan. Sprinkle topping over batter.
9. Bake 35-40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe adapted from Wilton.

Source: Culinary.net

(Family Features) If the kitchen is the heart of the home, a gift from your kitchen is truly a gift from the heart. For the holidays, treat everyone on your list to a heartfelt food gift.

Gather for a casual holiday open house and give one of your hand-made or hand-picked creations as party favors. Offer hot cider, cocoa or flavored coffee and serve a spectacular cupcake cake — the latest in show-stopping desserts. Order a holiday-themed cupcake creation from your neighborhood Wal-Mart for easy pickup that morning.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bark and Chocolate Thumbprint Cookie are just two easy-to-make treats, perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth. They’re a few favorite recipes from best-selling author of “Semi-Homemade Cooking,” Sandra Lee for holiday gifting. Not only is her complete collection of 200 recipes in the new Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade recipe card collection a great resource for holiday gift treats but it’s also the perfect gift. Packaged in a holiday red tin, the collection is available exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club locations this holiday season.

There’s something for everyone on your list — friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, postal carrier, hairdresser, even the kids’ teachers. These gifts from your heart are sure to be appreciated.

Create Personalized Goodie Gifts

Gather the contents by collecting goods from the grocery aisles and housewares department of your favorite superstore:

• Holiday sweets: Pre-wrapped and packaged cookies and candies in fun Snowman and Santa Towers are great to have on hand; simply hang a decorative homemade card or gift tag around the neck.
• Help with happy hour: Line a pretty basket with a festive towel and fill with a bottle of sparkling juice or wine, two elegant wine glasses, a fragrant candle, a tin of fancy nuts and some stylish cocktail napkins.
• Love you a latte: Give a bag of gourmet coffee and include a beautiful coffee mug — or pick up an already-packaged gift set.
• Bring brunch for a bunch: Load up a festive gift box or basket with brunch favorites — try fresh oranges and pears, pancake mix, maple syrup, a loaf of cinnamon or banana nut bread, plus an assortment of jams and spreader knives with holiday handles.
• Time for some reel fun: For the film buff, include microwave movie popcorn, king-sized candy bars, a few cans of soda and the latest DVD releases, in a large plastic snack bowl.
• Fuel-up power pack: Fill a draw-string knapsack with energy bars, bottled sports drinks, banana chips, a box of whole wheat pasta and wrist weights for the avid athlete.

Make a list for one-stop shopping for gift ideas by visiting www.walmart.com. Additional recipes are also available by clicking on In Stores Now/Ideas Center.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

These pretty-as-a-picture cookies are amazingly easy to make. Let the kids help make these by rolling cookie balls and unwrapping the chocolate morsels.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

• 1 16-ounce container dark chocolate frosting
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup very finely ground almonds
• 48 large chocolate morsels, unwrapped

1. Beat chocolate frosting and butter in large bowl until well blended.
2. Mix in graham cracker crumbs and almond extract. Place almonds in pie plate or other shallow bowl.
3. Shape chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls (about 48). Roll each ball in almonds to coat.
4. Place balls on cookie sheet. Using finger, make deep indentation in center of each ball.
5. Fill each indentation with chocolate morsel. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until cold.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bark

Easy and irresistible — be sure to make a batch for yourself as well. Package in a pretty cellophane bag or in a holiday candy dish tied with a festive ribbon.

Makes 1 1/2 pounds

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
• 2 cups white vanilla milk chips
• 2/3 cup macadamia nuts or almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

1. Line 13- by 9-inch cookie sheet with waxed paper, allowing 2 inches of paper to hang over sides.
2. Melt 1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate morsels in microwave on medium power for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until smooth.
3. Pour melted semisweet chocolate onto prepared sheet and spread to cover entire surface and form one even layer.
4. Melt 1 3/4 cups white chips in microwave on medium power 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth.
5. Drizzle melted white chips over semisweet chocolate layer. Using toothpick or skewer, swirl melted chocolates together, creating marbled effect.
6. Sprinkle with nuts and remaining 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels and 1/4 cup white chips. Gently press toppings into melted chocolates.
7. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
8. Remove waxed paper from chocolate. Cut or break chocolate into bite-size pieces.

Morning Coffee Cake

What better way to wake up the holidays than with a delicious cinnamon swirl coffee cake? Give this breakfast treat on a red or green platter with a ribbon-wrapped serving knife.

Makes 12 to 16 slices

• 7 sweet dinner rolls
• 1 box (1 pound, 14 ounces) cinnamon swirl coffee cake mix
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 10-cup Bundt pan. Slice 1 inch off tops of rolls and tear tops into 1-inch pieces; set aside. Place bottoms of rolls, cut sides up, in prepared pan.
2. In large bowl, combine coffee cake batter mix, water, oil and 2 eggs. Beat until well blended.
3. Pour half of batter over rolls. Sprinkle with cinnamon swirl packet from coffee cake mix. Pour remaining batter over rolls.
4. Whisk remaining egg, milk and sugar in another bowl to blend. Add reserved roll tops to milk mixture; set aside until milk mixture is absorbed.
5. Pour roll top mixture over cake batter in pan. Swirl batters together with a skewer.
6. Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 25 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack; remove pan.
7. Place cake, right side up, on platter. Slice cake and serve.

Candy Cane Cocktail

Perfect for an evening of holiday entertaining. Or for gift-giving, bundle the ingredients in a candy cane themed basket complete with martini glasses and a cocktail shaker.

Makes: 1 drink

• 1 shot vanilla rum
• 1 shot white chocolate liqueur
• 1 shot peppermint schnapps
• Candy cane, garnish

1. Add all liquid ingredients to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into martini glass. Garnish with candy cane.

Source: Wal-Mart