Dried Fruit

The unusual combination of mushrooms and dried apricots makes for a delicious and earthy soda bread.

Hoisin sauce is sold at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.

These are great with maple syrup, honey, marmalade, or even cottage cheese.

This dish, or some form thereof, can be found in most Scandinavian countries. The apples and prunes are usually stuffed inside the pork roast, but here we've put them in the sauce.

Here is a colorful dressing that is baked alongside—rather than inside—the turkey.

Pomegranate seeds are a colorful, tangy garnish for this salad. The season for pomegranates comes to an end by mid-February, so plan ahead and buy one now (they keep for several weeks in the refrigerator). Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

When I was a little girl, my Aunt Lisl always made butter cookies at Hanukkah time. We decorated them. The cookies were stored in her garage in airtight containers. Sometimes we got to take some of them home. Other times, we just nibbled on them at her house. One of the best things about cooking with relatives is that it's a great time to ask for family stories. While we baked, Aunt Lisl told wonderful tales of my father's boyhood in Germany.

A sweet snack, full of chewy dried cherries and apricots, to nibble or wrap as a gift.

Serve this warm over pancakes or waffles.

The fennel seeds add a nice dimension to these tender scones.

Marge Dawson of Ivoryton, Connecticut, writes: "My daughter and I went to Thali, an Indian restaurant in New Canaan, Connecticut, and had a superb meal. I have never been a fan of rice pudding, but their version was out of this world. Is there any chance you could get the recipe?"

Brandied whipped cream adds the perfect finishing touch to this moist, luscious cake. Leftovers are terrific with coffee the next day.

Venison is best served rare to medium, as it is a very lean meat that toughens and develops a strong flavor if overcooked. The following recipe may also be made with a 2 1/2-pound beef fillet.

The name Indian pudding comes from the addition of cornmeal here — early colonists called most everything made with corn "Indian." Originally the pudding was cooked in a pot over the open hearth and was very dense. This is a lighter version baked in a modern oven, but we kept the traditional step of pouring milk or cream over the top of the pudding before cooking it.

Sophistication in a snap. Purchased puff pastry takes most of the work out of making this beautiful tart.