Winter

Sweet potatoes have been cultivated in the South since at least the 1700s. A touch of cardamom gives this dish modern flair.

Spritz cookies-from the German Spritzen, meaning "to squirt"- are formed into fanciful shapes when the dough is piped through a cookie press. One food editor still uses her aunt Carol's old metal spritzer to make these delicate cookie.

Apples did so well in the colonies that they were exported to the West Indies, and Virginians eventually sold Pippins back to the mother country.

(Buckwheat Yeast Pancakes with Three Caviars)

"These cookies have been baked by my mother, by me, and now by my daughters at Christmastime," writes Suzanne Perry of Columbus, Ohio. "The recipe was given to my mother by a Swedish friend." Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Look for whole cardamom pods in the spice section of your supermarket or in Indian markets (do not substitute ground cardamom). And if your store doesn’t carry blood oranges, use navel oranges instead.

A sweet snack, full of chewy dried cherries and apricots, to nibble or wrap as a gift.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The flavor and texture of these chewy confections are even better if they are allowed to rest overnight.

Pies are probably the most popular dessert in Lancaster. Brown sugar and sweet potato are among the many ingredients used in fillings.

The perennial Christmas gift gets a luscious face-lift in this impressive cake. We guarantee that it won't get shuffled around, and no one will make any jokes about it. Store the cake in the refrigerate for up to three weeks before giving. Wrap it in some red or green cellophane, and present it in a decorative box (a hatbox is fun) tied with a big, bright bow.

Great with chicken, turkey burgers or steak.

In this pie, dried cherries, cherry preserves and fragrant spices accent crisp green apples.

This bread and butter pudding gets its Italian flavor from panettone, a Milanese egg bread studded with raisins and candied fruit. Long a Christmastime specialty, panettone is becoming increasingly available throughout the year not only in Italy but also in the United States. Note: Panettone can be found in some Italian markets and specialty foods shops.

This recipe originally accompanied Crown Roast of Pork with Apple and Pork Stuffing and Cider Gravy . Part of the terrific stuffing is used to fill the crown roast of pork, and the rest is baked alongside. But if you are making the stuffing to go with other meats, simply bake all of it in a shallow baking dish until a meat thermometer registers 155°F.

These savory pastry packages are a fitting presentation for Oscar night - plus they're perfect with the ham. This recipe makes few extras for second helpings.