Baking

Maple syrup is one of New England's unique gifts to the culinary world. The natural sweetener is a wonderful complement to all kinds of ingredients but is especially good when teamed with pears, which are plentiful in fall. Here they're partnered in a cobbler, an old-fashioned dessert of fruit baked with a biscuit topping. Make sure to pass whipped cream flavored with the delicate syrup.

Apple orchards of all kinds can be found throughout the middle of the United States. Interestingly, Red Delicious apples are a heartland original, first discovered in 1872 in Peru, Iowa. They are celebrated here (with their sweeter yellow cousin, the Golden Delicious) in a double-crust pie that's truly a "Delicious" closing to the Thanksgiving feast.

Leftovers are great for breakfast.

Adding sour cream to the filling richens the custard and makes it a bit less sweet, allowing the flavor of the pumpkin to come through in this dessert. Any extra pie dough can be cut into pumpkin shapes for a festive garnish on top.

These mini-biscuits freeze well — but don't be surprised if they disappear before you can wrap any up.

The following is a variation of a wonderful Viennese cake called a Rehrücken, or "saddle of venison" (so named because of the shape of the pan used to bake it in-not, fortunately, because of its flavor). Almonds make a good substitute for the hazelnuts.

One of our food editors has made wedding cakes for family and friends and, in fact, made her own, based on the following recipe. The techniques involved are straightforward, although the endeavor takes a bit of planning, the proper equipment, and sufficient freezer and/or refrigerator space. Once you have all the components ready to go, allow 3 to 4 hours for assembling the cake, depending on your level of experience.

Pears and walnuts are often seen growing side by side in wine-country orchards. They make ideal partners in this delicate, old-fashioned dessert.

The prepared poppy seed filling is available in the kosher food section of most supermarkets across the country.

Using orange juice instead of water in the crust enhances the fruit flavors in the filling. To prevent the dough from sticking, lightly flour the work surface and the dough, sprinkling with more flour as needed; also, roll just to the edges of the dough, not over them, rotating the dough often.

The bûche de Noël, or Christmas log, was created in the late nineteenth century by Parisian pastry chefs, who were inspired by the real logs that burned on hearths throughout the night on Christmas Eve. Our version can be decorated with Candied Cranberries or fresh currants.

Maple syrup isn't exclusive to New England; Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin produce it, too. And walnuts — a perfect partner for maple syrup — are harvested throughout Missouri. The sweet syrup and crunchy nuts team up here in an old-fashioned pound cake.

The chef bakes individual tarts in small cast-iron pans, but he suggests that the home cook make one large tart. He serves each tart with a scoop of his own vanilla-bean ice cream and a "barber pole" of dark and white chocolates.

The cookie dough needs to chill overnight, so start this recipe a day ahead.

To make the fortunes for these cookies, cut 3- by 1/2-inch strips of paper and write or type your own fortunes with non-toxic ink. Because you must work quickly to shape the cookies, it's best to make them one at a time. Using more than one baking sheet is also helpful because you won't have to waste time waiting for the baking sheet to cool. A liquid measuring cup or deep heavy bowl is a good tool for shaping the cookies.