Almond

Every holiday deserves a really special dessert. And this classic French creation — a large ring of airy choux pastry filled with the richest praline pastry cream — does the season proud. If you think it resembles a bicycle wheel, you're right: It's named after an 1891 bicycle race that ran from Paris to Brest and back again, and was the precursor of the Tour de France.

This recipe makes a lot of dough. If you don't need all of it, freeze the extra. For impromptu entertaining, you can slice the still-frozen dough into cookies and pop them in the oven for a quick dessert.

The delicate, refreshing flavor of fresh mint leaves infuses the cream used to make the peppermint filling. You'll need a stand mixer to make the pastry.

A dream-come-true holiday dessert: so easy to assemble, yet so very impressive (and delicious, too).

Once you've soaked the chiles for 2 hours, this mole comes together in 45 minutes.

These golden-brown cookies sprinkled with flaky sea salt contrast nicely with the sweetness of the glaze on the blancmange .

Que delicioso! A Spanish makeover for this simple pudding creates an elegant dessert for any fiesta.

Every bite of this simple, crisp salad literally bursts with flavor. With each bite, you get a splash of juice and the crunch of nuts.

For this one, you will need six 4 1/2-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms.

Despite their name, Champagne grapes aren't used to make the sparkling wine. Legend has it that the grapes were so named because the tiny clusters of fruit resemble the bubbles in a glass of Champagne. What to drink: A crisp, ripe white. Try: Icon 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, House of Nobilo, Marlborough, New Zealand ($20).

These are unusually light, with a crunchy filling. A dollop of thick, tangy Greek yogurt is a nice finishing touch.

A scoop of ice cream, a spoonful of whipped cream, or a dollop of crème fraîche would be great with this.

This soup looks thick but doesn't taste at all heavy. In fact, it has an almost billowy texture, but with enough substance to still be satisfying. The addition of just a small amount of toasted almonds adds some crunch to the equation.

If you buy fresh game hens, ask the butcher to cut them in half for you. To halve frozen thawed game hens, first cut out the back bones using poultry shears, then cut hens in half.

These icebox cookies are perfect for a party because the dough can be made ahead and chilled or frozen until you are ready to slice and bake.

This dip is our version of a Catalan sauce that has many variations and tastes great with almost any type of grilled meat or fish. It's worth the extra trouble to use hazelnuts (which need peeling), as well as almonds. Even though 2 tablespoons of hazelnuts seems a small amount, they round out the flavor of the sauce.