Orange

Brunch drinks get updated with this take on the traditional duo of orange juice and champagne. Note that freshly squeezed orange juice is not the best choice here, as its intense taste can overwhelm the other juices. Topping the drink with a boysenberry "floater" creates a vibrant color contrast.

The egg makes these a little less delicate (and less likely to break) than traditional lace cookies. Arrange them in a decorative box or tin lined with festive tissue paper, then secure the package with a fancy bow.

Pretty ice cream treats, decorated five different ways. Turn the freezer to the coldest setting for best results. Pack the left-over ice cream into a container and freeze it to enjoy after the bonbons are gone. Begin this recipe at least a day ahead (and you can start up to a week ahead). Once you¸ve mastered the technique here, create bonbons of your own using other homemade ice creams or your favorite purchased ones.

Eggs provide the leavening in this spiced cake, and melted butter keeps it tender.

Lane Crowther, a contributing editor at Bon Appétit, says, "Every year, I try to get my tradition-bound family to eat something new at Thanksgiving. This year, I'm hoping everyone will accept this dish in place of yams with marshmallows. It will take a lot of convincing, but I think they'll be pleasantly surprised. The orange juice gives the acorn squash a nice sweetness. Besides, Asian ingredients have become such an important part of American cooking lately that I thought it would be nice to fuse Pacific Rim flavors with a classic of the American table in autumn."

This recipe is an accompaniment for Toasted Coconut Dacquoise with Orange Pineapple Ice Cream .

Similar in texture to lemon bars, these have a shortbread cookie base and a delightful tropical fruit filling.

At the restaurant, they use Champagne in the salad dressing. We've simplified it with white wine vinegar, but if you've got a bottle of the bubbly open, feel free to substitute.

Malouines At the restaurant, these cookies are about the size of a dime. We found them much easier to work with, however, if we made them a little bigger.

In this version of the classic holiday dessert, a croissant bread pudding is steamed in the oven instead of on the stove top. Ignite the finished product in front of the guests for maximum effect.

Juana Vázquez-Gómez of Redondo Beach, California, writes: "Growing up in Cuernavaca, just outside Mexico City, I remember my grandmother cooking elaborate Mexican meals every day. My mother continued that tradition, but not in such an all-consuming manner. For her it was a great joy to plan a menu and then invite people to help with the preparation. "The women in my life taught me the beauty of a good meal. I still use many of their recipes today, but unlike my grandmother I don't spend an entire day in the kitchen. Fortunately, my husband and kids like to cook, so I've found a balance between my grandmother's time-intensive recipes and my mother's practicality. " Juana serves these fritters for dessert, but they make a great breakfast dish, too.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

In Cuba, this dish is traditionally served on New Year's Day. In this tradition, as in the Hawaiian luau, the pig is usually covered with banana leaves and cooked over a coal fire in a pit that's dug in the backyard. Because this method is not easy to do at home, the recipe below uses a small suckling pig that will fit in the oven, yet deliver the same delicious flavor. Ask your butcher to split the pig for you. Don't be afraid to give this recipe a try — cooking a whole small pig is like cooking a whole turkey.

This classic uncooked relish gets an aromatic edge from cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.