Molasses

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A boilermaker is a classic one-two drink consisting of a shot of whiskey followed by a beer chaser. Those ingredients also come together in this all-American barbecue sauce. Use it on ribs, pork chops, chicken, even burgers (brush it on during the last ten minutes of grilling). If making ribs, brush them often during the first part of cooking with a mixture of one part cider vinegar to ten parts water and a pinch of dried crushed red pepper; that will keep them moist. This recipe makes enough for three pounds of meat or poultry and can be doubled easily.

The warm caramel flavors in cola complement the molasses and brown sugar in this cake. The remaining candied kumquats are delicious served over vanilla ice cream. For best results, use Philadelphia-brand cream cheese in the frosting.

Mascarpone cheese, with its slightly tart flavor, gets a sweet boost from honey. If you can't find mascarpone, top this with honey-sweetened sour cream or crème fraîche.

We asked pastry chef Michael Laiskonis if we could compare two versions of the custard in his tart: one made with fresh pumpkin, the other made with canned, which he likes for its reliable consistency. When we tested the two tarts, we were surprised to find that we also preferred the custard made with canned pumpkin — but the choice is yours.

For this salsa, we prefer the tang of a regular pineapple — not too ripe and not "extra sweet." Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 hr

The recipe for this moist, dark, fragrant gingerbread pays tribute to Dona Abramson and Stuart Tarabour at the Bright Food Shop, a terrific little Mexican-fusion café in Chelsea where I spent some time. This was my favorite of their desserts, and it has since become a seasonal classic at Gramercy Tavern, though I've made a few adaptations and embellished a bit. My recipe has just a touch of cloves, and instead of just the ginger and cinnamon in a typical gingerbread, I use a panoply of spices, including cardamom, nutmeg, and a lot of fresh ginger, to give the cake a racy, intriguing flavor. The most unusual thing about this recipe is that stout is substituted for the water or coffee used in most gingerbread recipes. I find it adds a lot of richness and underscores the spices. Since it is made with oil, this cake will stay moist for several days. Dress it up or simply enjoy it on its own, with coffee, tea, or a beer!

Chinese five-spice gives classic crackle cookies a delightfully warming flavor and alluring aroma.

A festive, elegant gingerbread cake infused with orange and warm spices, and capped with a glossy dark chocolate ganache.

With pounds of dried fruit and glugs of dark rum, this is a recipe for serious fruitcake fans.

No booze, no chocolate, no hard-to-find ingredients in this rendition of the classic Thanksgiving pie. 

This barbecue chicken has the crackliest, stickiest skin.

Now all we need is a cup of eggnog.

To ensure these don’t break, use a couple of layers of parchment paper or foil in the baking dish and make sure they’re completely cooled before removing them.