Pistachio

This crisp and creamy dessert pairs pistachio praline meringues with lemon buttercream. The unique praline is also used to garnish the sides of the cake. Assemble it a day before serving to allow the buttercream to set and the flavors to come out.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Turkey will take a little longer to cook when it is stuffed and must be perfectly balanced on your spit. It is wise to tie it securely once you have achieved perfect balance with it. The stuffing will take the place of a starch dish and cut down on the preparations for the dinner. Allow 1 cup of stuffing for each pound of turkey.

Antalya is known for its oranges. Wherever they are grown in abundance, the blossoms are distilled into orange flower water. This fragrant liquid flavors the syrup that is drizzled over these nut-filled spiral phyllo pastries. The name comes from their shape and the notion that some people's idea of heaven is listening to nightingales. Serve them with strawberries and whipped cream for an elegant presentation. Orange flower water is a flavoring extract which is available at liquor stores and in the liquor or specialty foods sections of some supermarkets nationwide.

"I like to keep sweets on hand during the holidays just in case someone drops in," says Laurie Schielock of Miami, Florida. "My sister Susan's truffle recipe is indispensable this time of year. The chocolate treats have a rich, smooth texture, they keep well, and they're perfect with a glass of Champagne." Flavor the chocolate mixture with some grated orange peel or espresso powder, if you like.

For a curved tuile-like shape, these cookies may be draped over a rolling pin after their second baking, while they are still warm. If the cookies become too brittle to form on the rolling pin, return baking sheets to oven for a few seconds to allow the cookies to soften.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

To help this crisp live up to its name, we devised a little trick: Squeeze the topping by handfuls to compact it, then crumble chunks of it over the filling. The chunks rest on top of the fruit instead of sinking into it.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Almonds, pistachios, raisins, ginger and a touch of tea team up in a luscious sauce.

(Ghotab) After trying several kinds, we concluded that Iranian and Turkish pistachios* have the best flavor. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 4 hr

The pleasingly chewy biscotti are coated on one end with white chocolate. In our test kitchen, imported white chocolate, such as Perugina or Lindt, yielded the best results.

Use to frost White Chocolate Easter Cake with Strawberries

A big finish for a big celebration dinner.