Dried Fruit

These dessert packages are fun to make and a clever way to serve strudel. Try either tart dried cherries or the sweeter dried Bing - both available at specialty foods stores and most supermarkets.

This version of clafouti is like a custard.

This duck recipe is unusually light and delicate.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

"When we visit our daughter at Amherst College in Massachusetts, my husband and I stay at The Lord Jeffery Inn," says Caroline I. Cameron of Washington, D.C.."The granola at breakfast is terrific. I would be grateful if you could get the recipe from their chef so that I can surprise my husband by making the granola at home." This granola can also be enjoyed as a snack with the addition of chocolate chips. You could sprinkle it over ice cream, too.

This recipe was created to accompany Crown Roast of Lamb . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These caramel-dipped fruits look like jewels and add another layer of elegance to the gingerbread roulade.

Apple cider vinegar makes the crust extra flaky. Offer eggnog ice cream (or vanilla ice cream sprinkled with nutmeg) alongside.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 30 min

Pastel de tres leches is a traditional Nicaraguan Celebration Cake usually reserved for the holiday season. In this recipe we preserve the traditional presentation, and add some typical American holiday flavors. The cake is composed of four components: Sponge Cake, Rum Milk Syrup, Meringue, and Cranberry Compote.