This easy dessert has it all: chocolate cookie crust; rich, creamy filling; and a glistening tumble of berries on top.

Makes 12 servings.

Crust
1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chilled sour cream
5 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon grated orange peel

Topping
1/2 cup ruby Port
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 cups fresh cranberries or frozen, partially thawed, divided

Preparation

For crust: Finely grind cookies, chips, and sugar in processor. Add melted butter; blend until wet crumbs form. Set aside 1/2 cup crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4- inch-high sides.

For filling: Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Set over saucepan of simmering water and whisk vigorously until candy thermometer registers 175°F, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Add spices. Using mixer, beat until thick and cool, about 5 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, sour cream, Grand Marnier, orange juice concentrate, and grated orange peel in large bowl until peaks form. Add egg yolk mixture and fold together. Pour 2/3 of filling into crust. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup crumb mixture. Gently spoon remaining filling over. Cover; freeze overnight or up to 3 days.

For topping: Whisk Port and cornstarch in large skillet to blend. Add sugar, honey, and spices. Bring mixture to boil over high heat, stirring often. Add 3 cups cranberries; cook until mixture boils and cranberries begin to pop but still hold shape, about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining 2 cups cranberries. Chill topping at least 6 hours or overnight.

Release pan sides from torte. Transfer torte to platter. Spoon topping over filling. If desired, garnish torte with white chocolate curls.

Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Email it to: OSSJournal@ossone.com. If your recipe is chosen you'll receive a Free "Thank You" gift so be sure to include your name and address!

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.

The ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from the illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.

Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called the Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. In Northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood were scarce. It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.

Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier.

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Are you struggling to find the perfect gift for someone, or receiving the present that's just what you needed? How about gift-giving accompanied by the knowledge that your gift is also a gift for the planet? There's more to green giving than just switching to the stuff with the "green" label, however. Here are some suggestions for making your holiday a little more earth friendly.

1. Buy a locally made gift
A gift made or grown locally can tell a story or share a unique product that you discovered in your local area. You are supporting your local businesses and you'll burn less gas than you would hitting all the malls trying to find that perfect gift. If your giving consists of clothing you could take it one step further and look for apparel made from recycled fibers or made from organic fabrics.

2. Give a consumable gift
93 percent of restaurant gift certificate receivers say they would like to receive a restaurant gift certificate again. That's one gift that won't end up shoved into a closet corner and doesn't require wrapping paper.

3. Share a piece of yourself
Offer your services to baby-sit while your friend enjoys a cozy date with their partner, give a gift certificate for a relaxing massage, or you could rake your friends yard in the fall or offer to mow their lawn for a couple of weeks (in which case you just save that massage for yourself).

4. Make a gift of a green savings
Give a gift of compact fluorescent bulbs that use considerably less energy or perhaps a low flow shower head or a programmable wall thermostat.

5. Consider a renewable gift
For the kids and their battery chomping toys why not give a gift of rechargeable batteries. That's a gift that will be used over and over all year long.

Consider starting your own Christmas tradition by expressing how much you care for others in need. You could participate in building a Habitat for Humanity home or help with organizations such as Operation Christmas Child. There is no greater gift than one that comes from the heart. Your time and devotion to helping others overcome their hardships can be a blessing to the giver and the receiver. Happy shopping and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Meet our Staff! Each month we will introduce you to one of our associates. This month our Featured Employee is Mr. Tim Yates. Tim is a Delivery Specialist. He enjoys the beach, and spending time with his wife Susie and their daughter. Tim is active in his church working with the youth group and enjoys meeting new people. He is a real 'meat & potatoes' guy and enjoys a good Robert Redford movie. Thanks Tim for being a part of the OSS family of professionals who work hard each day to give the best personal service possible to our customers!