Dried Fruit

"When I lived in South Africa, rum and raisin chocolate bars were a special treat," says Beth Peterson of Phoenix, Arizona. "I created this brownie recipe based on that combination of flavors, and perfected it with the help of friends and colleagues who sampled the brownies at each stage of development. These have a grown-up taste with the right balance of sweetness and rum." Try these warm with vanilla ice cream.

This fluffy Lady Baltimore cake is layered with toasted pecans, dried figs, raisins, and frosted in a thick, luscious Swiss meringue.

Begin preparing the dessert a day ahead.

These cookies are perfect with a cup of tea.

This simple apple salad got its name from the luxurious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Invented in 1896 not by a chef but by the maître d'hôtel Oscar Tschirky, the Waldorf salad was an instant success. As often happens, many variations evolved—some with raisins, some with chopped nuts. This one has green apples and red seedless grapes.

Pear wedges are tossed with brown butter (easily made by melting butter, then keeping it on the heat until golden and nutty) for an especially comforting treat.

Toast a slice of this bread, and serve it with butter or cream cheese for breakfast.

This stuffing is based on ingredients prevalent throughout the Midwest. Michigan dried cherries are often used to accent dishes in that state, while prunes, raisins and dried currants are often found in many sweet and savory recipes from Ohio and Indiana. Using only three tablespoons of butter for ten servings makes this dish low in fat, too.

Since this exotic dish has a very flavorful sauce, serve it with couscous or rice.