Dried Fruit

Rum and spices-classic Caribbean ingredients-also happen to be the classic ingredients in the traditional English steamed pudding. This lovely version of the Christmas dessert is from the Grand View Beach Hotel, Villa Point, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Begin preparing it at least one day before serving.

This recipe originally accompanied White Chocolate Rice Pudding with Dried Cranberry Compote .

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For Golden Pumpkin adn Apricot Layer Cake Try any extra puree with biscuits or waffles.

A sweet, buttery dessert that's a snap to make. It's excellent with tea.

(COMPOTE DE CERISES NOIRES) When in season, fresh cherries can be used in place of the frozen ones.

There will be some leftover pastry dough after rolling out the crust and decorative leaves for the pie. The scraps make delicious snacks when pieced together and baked .

Call them galettes sucrees, mandelbrot, or biscotti — I love these Moroccan cookies, made by Rosette Toledano of Netanya, who, as her daughter says, "puts her heart in her cooking."

Spooning this conserve over yogurt makes a light, sweet summer dessert.

These chewy cookies are great with ice cream, espresso or a glass of Marsala.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

The agrodolce (tart-and-sweet) flavors of vinegar and raisins used in marinating the fish are typical of Jewish-Italian cooking.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Buttermilk Ice Cream with Spiced Fruit Compote .

Sardinia, Italy Diamond-shaped papassinas are especially good with a cup of coffee. The flavor of these cookies gets even better after a few days.

"The recipes here reflect my British roots, but not necessarily my family traditions," writes Mairi Morrison of London, England. "Although my mother is from Scotland and my father is from Northern Ireland, I grew up in Los Angeles, where our weeknight meals were typically American: spaghetti, tacos, and burgers. It wasn't until I moved to Europe that I became really interested in food. Here in London my social life is centered around the table. I really like this dish because it is typically British, and perfect for a rainy winter evening in London." Make these ahead if you like (they will keep for a week in the fridge) or make them on a whim, since the recipe is so easy. Lyle's Golden Syrup is a popular British sweetener with a flavor that's similar to mild honey.

This would also make a nice dessert either on its own or over vanilla frozen yogurt.