Cinnamon

Sometimes, in the middle of fall, usually just before Thanksgiving, it hits me: A desperate craving for pumpkin pie. One year, after a few days of my whining and hinting, pastry chef Roxana Jullapat came up with this delicious cake to shut me up. As comforting as that classic American pie but even better, Roxana’s pumpkin cake was super moist and infused with the spicy flavors of fall. And, knowing my love of all things crunchy, nutty, and salty, Roxana topped the cake with a generous layer of crispy pecan streusel. Though pumpkins have an esteemed place in our childhood memories, they actually aren’t very good to cook with—they’re often watery and usually lacking in flavor and sweetness—so we make our “pumpkin” cake with Kabocha or butternut squash instead. “Winter squash cake” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

This dish was inspired by a trip to Tunisia a few years ago. I fell in love with the Tunisian cooks’ use of spices and the bowls of harissa served with every meal. What surprised me most was the use of caraway, which I had always thought of as an Eastern European spice. For this Tunisian-flavored stew, I season the lamb shoulder overnight with caraway, coriander, chiles, cayenne, and paprika, and then braise it in an aromatic broth with cinnamon and allspice. For a traditional braise I usually deglaze with wine, but in keeping with Muslim prohibitions common in Tunisia, I refrain and substitute lemon juice, which also adds a bright, acidic note to the stew.

Great cookie recipes are to be honored and shared, passed from friend to neighbor to cousin. This recipe was passed down from one of my pastry chefs, Kimberly Sklar, who got it from her best friend’s husband’s mother, who happens to live in Cleveland.

I love a good coffee cake to serve as a snack or for breakfast, and when I needed a vegan version, this recipe is the one I turned to. My friend Leslie Cerier is an organic caterer and the author of Going Wild in the Kitchen.

Poached pears always make a lovely dessert, but what makes this extra pleasing is the addition of glazed pecans.

Think of this pie as Pumpkin Pie’s cousin. The creamy potato puree (best when made from locally grown sweet potatoes) makes for a dense, sweet pie. Like pumpkin pie, this southern staple has a deep, rich orange color that, topped with a dollop of Whipped Cream (page 193) or cinnamon ice cream, makes for a beautiful centerpiece to your holiday dessert table.

This pie allows for indulgence in a sweet treat. Blueberries pack enough flavor that you’ll never even know that traditional sugar is missing.

Around here, National Pie Day (January 23) is like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Thanksgiving rolled up into one! Every year on this holy pie day, I like to do something special. In 2009 I decided National Pie Day would be the perfect opportunity to roll out a line of sugar-free pies. Incorporating Splenda into the sugarfree pies allows you to undulge in a sweet treat while limiting your sugar intake. Sugarfree apple pies have been flying off the shelves ever since—a great way to savor apple pie minus the guilt.

If your family has a favorite kind of fruit pie, this traditional crumb topping is a great way to mix things up on top while keeping the Traditional Pastry Piecrust (page 5) on the bottom. It adds a sweetness and texture that blend wonderfully with a number of fruit pies, including Country Apple Pie (page 19), Blueberry Pie (page 27), and Peach Crumb Pie (page 43), to name just a few. This crumb topping can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for up to five days before use.

This topping uses the same base as the Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping (page 12), but adds walnuts to the mix, providing an added bit of crunch. Feel free to experiment with this recipe according to your nut preferences—walnuts can easily be swapped out for pecans, hazelnuts, or any other nut that suits your fancy. This topping is ideal for Pear Cranberry Pie (page 53).

Baking these buns in muffin tins ensures that each one will have a crisp, sugary edge, as well as a delicious, soft center.

The combination of cocoa and ground cinnamon is commonly found in Mexican chocolate and hot drinks; we’ve used it here to flavor a traditional Scottish cookie.

Hazelnuts impart an unmistakable flavor to these cookies, but feel free to substitute the same amount of almonds, pecans, or walnuts. You will need two sizes of heart-shaped cookie cutters (three inches and two inches).

The dough for these cookies can also be used to make a delicious crust for pies and tarts, such as the Key Lime Tart on page 261; try it for cheesecake, as well.

These make ideal holiday cookies when festively decorated with icing, but they are also delicious without any adornment.

This is a slight twist on applesauce cake, relying instead on a homemade pear sauce. The cake can be made a day ahead. Keep it at room temperature, then glaze it and garnish it with pear chips just before serving

If you use miniloaf pans, reduce the baking time to forty-five minutes. This bread is delightful as soon as it cools, but it’s even better the next day, when the flavors have had a chance to develop.

You can substitute an equal amount of chopped peaches or nectarines for the plums. Or use your favorite berries instead—the recipe is very versatile.