Baking

We liked this particular recipe with Lindt or Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate, which is around 50 percent cocoa solids. We tested the ganache with chocolate containing a higher percentage, and found the flavor too intense and the consistency less velvety. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 5 hr

To make the toasted coconut for the meringue, spread flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake on the center rack of a 350°F oven, stirring often around the edges, until light golden, about ten minutes.

These biscotti are equally delicious made with roasted almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts in place of the cashews.

This is a simple, delicious dessert that also makes a warming and special brunch dish or breakfast. Although many baked-apple recipes are on the lean side (my mother always ate them when she was dieting), my version is luxurious yet still homey. I stuff the apples with a mix of brown sugar, dried fruit, and nuts, then bake them in a sauce of apple cider, maple syrup, and plenty of butter, which cooks down to a rich, thick glaze. I like to use Cortlands here because of their good squat shape and their complex fruity flavor, but any firm, tart baking apple will do.

Jamie Davies and her late husband, Jack, were pioneers in the California wine industry. In 1965 they purchased and restored Schramsberg, a vineyard estate established in 1862, and they soon began producing the first American sparkling wine. When Davies thinks about comforting desserts, she remembers her childhood in Pasadena. "I was about eight when I started making upside-down cakes with my older sister, Dallas. We’d come home after school and mix up the recipe; I loved the sensual pleasure of making the batter. We'd put the cake in the oven, then go play croquet with our friends. Then we’d all come in and eat it up. We thought we had died and gone to heaven." The easy upside-downer here has wonderful spice flavors. Using canned pineapple chunks keeps the preparation simple.

"The crisp little pieces of turkey skin called 'cracklings' were another annual Thanksgiving treat of mine. They reminded me of bacon, and I could never get enough. My buttermilk corn bread—which is sweet and savory, moist inside and crunchy outside—puts some real bacon into the feast." Start preparing this one day ahead.

Apples sautéed with brown sugar and cinnamon top this almond-flavored cheesecake. Bake it at least one day in advance. For best results, use Philadelphia-brand cream cheese.

Barquettes are small, boat-shaped pastry shells that can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients.

Make these a day ahead to give the caramel time to soften and the custards time to set.

Serve with additional honey, if desired.

This recipe is among those that reach a new level when made with sea salt and high-quality, European-style butter (like Plugrá). Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

To sweeten the whipped cream topping, simply add a little honey instead of sugar.

"I tried a fabulous fig and fennel bread at Clarke's restaurant while I was in London," writes Nancy Shrier of Rydal, Pennsylvania. "I'd love to have the recipe." Do as the restaurant does and serve this slightly sweet bread with unsalted butter or with a variety of cheeses.

"My boyfriend just introduced me to Ledbetters', a breakfast restaurant in nearby New Milford," writes Lawren Hubal of Monroe, Connecticut. "Every morning, owners Julie and David Ledbetter make scones, and the lemon-poppy seed ones are out of this world. I'd love to make those scones at home."

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 9 hr