Raisin

The "crumble" in this case is a buttery shortbread topping.

The compote is a mixture of spiced fresh and dried fruits that are cooked in white grape juice and white wine. Any leftovers are great over ice cream or with plain yogurt for breakfast. Prepare the compote and flans at least one day before you plan to serve them.

Tastier than coleslaw and healthier, too. Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd. Can be made ahead? Yes. The day before. Cover and refrigerate.
Can be frozen? No.
Can be doubled and tripled? Yes
Good for leftovers? Yes. Covered and refrigerated, it will keep 4 to 5 days.

Polenta stands in for flour with delicious results in this Venetian dessert.

This lightly sweet brioche is the coffee cake of Alsace (where it is also known by its German name, kugelhopf). It can be baked in an eight- or nine-cup crown-shaped kouglof (or kugelhopf) mold, a fluted ring mold, or a tube or Bundt pan. While the cake is best on the same day it is baked, leftovers are delicious toasted.

A far is a custardy pudding cake, similar to a clafouti but with a dense, smooth, flan-like texture. This one, studded with brandy-soaked prunes and raisins, is the signature pastry of Brittany, served for breakfast as well as dessert.

Evelyn Herring of Laguna Woods, California, writes: "My mother was raised in Scotland and learned to cook at a time when quality ingredients were hard to come by. She had to be imaginative, often substituting ingredients and improvising recipes. My own cooking has become Americanized over the years, but I still rely on her recipes. They're easy and always taste as good as the first time I tried them." Crushed gingersnap cookies, marmalade, and raisins set this pie apart from the American version.

Lauren Beal of San Rafael, California, writes: "When it comes to making dinner, my husband, Stuart, and I have the perfect system. He's in charge of our backyard garden, and I'm in charge of cooking with what he harvests—things like basil, onions, lemons, and even apples. It's our favorite way to create a meal together."

Fredricka Schwanka of Terryville, Connecticut, re-created her grandmother's recipe for these pastrylike cookies. This dough is extremely tender — if at any time during the filling process it gets too soft to work with, chill it on wax paper on a large baking sheet. You will have leftover filling, which is wonderful spread on toast or an English muffin.

Agrodolce, an Italian sweet-and-sour sauce, combines vinegar and sugar. For tender results, be sure to peel off any leathery outer layers from the shallots.