1. Sweet Sugar, Sultry Spice by Malika Ameen
From pink-peppercorn-spiked lemon bars to peanut brittle packing a smoked-paprika punch, this seasoned pastry chef’s recipes will make sweet-toothed bakers view their spice racks in a whole new light. Roost Books, $30

2. ¡Cuba! by Dan Goldberg, Andrea Kuhn, and Jody Eddy
Just cracking open this book, filled with tantalizing recipes (ribs with guava barbecue sauce, anyone?) and vivid photography, sends a beam of sunlight into your kitchen on a dreary winter’s day. Ten Speed Press, $30

3. The Adventures of Fat Rice by Abraham Conlon, Adrienne Lo, and Hugh Amano
Restaurant, bakery, bar, and now quirky-cool comic book/cookbook. Fat Rice fans, rejoice: You’ll score the recipe for the restaurant’s top dish, arroz gordo. Ten Speed Press, $35

4. My Halal Kitchen by Yvonne Maffei
Maffei shatters the notion that a halal diet means shunning dishes like pepperoni pizza. Her adapted recipes span the globe, with one section dedicated to halalified American comfort food. Agate Surrey, $30

5. Cocktails for Ding Dongs by Dustin Drankiewicz and Alexandra Ensign
Part hand-drawn comic strip, part craft boozer’s manual, this collection of cocktail recipes by mixologist Dustin Drankiewicz makes a fitting gift for an old fraternity brother. Curbside Splendor, $25