Cinnamon

Prepare the custards the day before you plan to serve them.

This luscious homespun treat is great with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Sephardic Jews from Turkey, Greece, Morocco, and other countries of the Mediterranean region say seven special blessings over seven different symbolic foods at their Rosh Hashanah dinner. Five of these blessings are over vegetables — apples (candied or dipped in sugar or honey), leeks, beet greens or spinach, dates, and zucchini or squash. These blessings symbolize their hopes for the New Year. Many of these Jews trace their ancestors back to Spain, which is called Sepharad in the Bible. Over the centuries, the Sephardic Jews took advantage of the abundance of vegetables available in the Mediterranean countries, often throughout the year. Among these vegetables are sweet potatoes and squash, great favorites of my family. The special blessing you can say over your sweet potatoes and squash at the beginning of your Rosh Hashanah dinner goes like this: Yehi ratzon mi-le-faneha Adonai Eloheinu ve-lo-hei avoteinu she-tik-rah ro-a gezar dinenu ve-yi-karehu lefa-neha za-hee-yo-teinu. May it be thy will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that you should tear up any evil decree and let only our merits be read before You.

This easy pie is the perfect marriage of apple crumble and apple pie, because you shouldn’t have to choose.

Coffee cakes rank among the most popular of comfort foods, welcomed at breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and as the name indicates, coffee breaks. A coffee cake batter is generally more liquid than a quick bread one and contains a bit more sugar, and as a result, the final product is lighter and moister. On the other hand, coffee cakes tend to be less sweet than butter cakes. There are many versions of kuchen, this streusel-topped sour cream type being a very popular one. It is commonly served at the meal following Yom Kippur, or Shavuot, and on Sabbath afternoons or the melaveh malcha ("accompanying the queen") party following the Sabbath. For the later occasion, spices are added to the batter and topping, reflecting those used during the havdallah ceremony signaling the end of the Sabbath.

Moroccans call their diminutive kebabs brochettes, in the French manner. The streets of Fez are dotted with little braziers of glowing charcoal over which turn wood or metal skewers heavy with tiny pieces of meat, liver, or kefta, enveloping passersby with their irresistibly enticing aromas. Many spices are used in the kefta, but so discreetly that you can hardly guess what has gone in.

This Danish dessert consists of layers of applesauce and sweet cinnamon-scented bread crumbs, veiled with whipped cream.

This breakfast-for-a-crowd crams everything good about babka into a hearty casserole: sweet custard, cinnamon, chocolate, and tender slices of bread.

Cinnamon bun fans, our time has come.

Slowly roasting purple sweet potatoes in a sticky-sweet mixture of brown sugar and spices gives them a glossy sheen that’s as stunning as it is flavorful.

This seasonal take on a Puerto Rican favorite adds pumpkin purée and a touch of warm spice for an autumnal flair.

Everything good about the classic dessert with the warming notes of a pumpkin spice latte.

Sour cream scones get treated to a cinnamon-sugar swirl and crunchy streusel crown.

This big-batch cocktail made with ginger beer, cranberry juice, fresh lime, and a spiced maple simple syrup makes the perfect low-alcohol holiday drink.

It's like eating a pumpkin-spiced cloud.

No need for a candy thermometer in this easy recipe for butterscotch hit with warming ground cinnamon and a hefty pinch of salt.

Bust out the cinnamon sticks for this simple, cozy one-pot braise—they’ll imbue the dish with a gentle warming flavor over 4 hours of hands-off cook time.

A snickerdoodle-like exterior with a surprise filling of honey-sweetened, gently spiced pistachios.

This dairy-free version of the Puerto Rican holiday classic is punched up with Jamaican aromatics.