Christmas

To create the dome shape, bake this flourless chocolate cake in a foil-lined bowl. The cake is crusty outside with a tender center: rich, fudgy and irresistible. And it's a great addition to your holiday table.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 days

So many German settlers carried their gingerbread treats to small towns around this country that the sweetly spiced cakes and cookies have become an all-American tradition. Coated with a chocolate ganache glaze, the homey cake of holidays past is transformed into a special-occasion dessert.

Candied-Fruit Honey Wafers Dipped in Chocolate You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge — the cookies must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

This makes a rich but surprisingly light, torte. An absolute, worth-the-price-of-the-book winner. Mashed sweet potatoes make a great substitute for the traditional pureed chestnut paste. Chestnut puree is available kosher, but I have never been able to find it "kosher for Passover." It may seem unusual, but I can assure you of two things — it tastes divine and it is easier than buying fresh-in-the-shell chestnuts, roasting, poaching, and grating them to get them ready for this cake. You can also serve this in squares, as French-style "petit fours." The glaze slicks this up but is not necessary—a dusting of cocoa is just fine.

These pastries are best when freshly baked, so if you plan on giving them to someone who may not be able to serve them within a day or two, you should deliver them frozen, along with the baking instructions.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This moist Christmas cake takes its cues from the flavors and spices found in the classic Lebkuchen cookie. It's brushed with an orange-scented honey syrup, frosted with a creamy white chocolate icing and then surrounded by sliced almonds.

Serve this stuffing alongside your Christmas turkey, ham, goose or duck. Add an extra dose of chestnuts to your meal by offering the Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon.

When stewed, the dried corn kernels sold as "posole" or "hominy" expand and become tender. At Cafe San Estevan, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, chef Esteven Garcia makes posole as a mild, brothy side dish, unlike the heartier and spicier stew type.

A celebration of midwestern cherries.

Garlic mashed potatoes and green beans sprinkled with toasted almonds are perfect with this dish.