Nut

Because broccoli thrives in cooler weather, this is a terrific winter variation on the classic green beans almondine.

Here, a classic Spanish pairing gets reinvented as a bite-size cheese course. We're particularly enamored of the added textural contrast provided by the sliced almonds.

Unlike traditional fruitcakes, which are usually soaked in liquor and can be prepared weeks in advance, this version is best eaten within five days of baking.

This traditional Italian nougat is typically made with almonds, but we've substituted pistachios for their bright color and delicate flavor. Torrone can vary from firm to soft, but this one has a nice, subtle chew. Flavorless sheets of edible wafer paper keep the strips from sticking to one another.

Love a cookie with crunch? These thin, crisp butter cookies are for you—each one is topped with crumbled almond praline, and its flavor plays on the time-tested combination of caramel and salt.

The transformation of butter, sugar, and salt into toffee is culinary alchemy at its best. This version is studded with cocktail peanuts and a decadent layer of bittersweet chocolate.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Carole Bloom's book The Essential Baker. One of my favorite treats when I was growing up was malted milk balls. I couldn't seem to get enough of them. I vividly remember biting through the crunchy exterior of milk chocolate to find the malt ball inside. Yum! I still love the flavor of malt and believe it goes well with milk chocolate. This cheesecake is inspired by those malted milk balls I loved as a child. It's dense and creamy, with a crunchy cookie crust and a deep malt flavor. As with other cheesecakes, this one has to be made in advance of serving because it needs hours to cool and chill. But it also freezes beautifully, so you can make it well in advance of when you plan to serve it.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from James Peterson's book Cooking. Cakes like this carrot cake or banana bread are different than most cakes in that they call for oil, rather than butter. While the oil doesn't contribute much flavor, especially if you use vegetable oil, it does allow you to serve the cakes cold without them hardening, as they would if they were made with butter. Grate the carrot on the finest holes of a box grater that won't turn it to mush, or use the finest grater attachment on your food processor.

This sweet and savory stuffing can be made two weeks ahead and frozen. Defrost it in the refrigerator the night before Thanksgiving.

These thin chocolate cookies taste just like the very top layer of a brownie. SERVING SUGGESTION: With milk.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Delicious after dinner with coffee.

Dried fruit, nuts, and oil-cured olives make this fruitcake something special.

Any combination of dried fruit and nuts will work here, so choose your favorites or just use what you have in your cupboard. For a sweeter treat, swap in semisweet chocolate chips in place of bittersweet.

Dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend that traditionally has hazelnuts or chickpeas as a base. In this version, pistachios are used instead.

Here we've taken pecan pie above and beyond its usual corn-syrupy incarnation. A layer of bittersweet chocolate adds richness to the dessert while simultaneously balancing its sweetness. And an abundance of pecans makes for a supremely satisfying filling.

Since sautéing orzo in butter gives it a nutty taste and toasting almonds makes them buttery, it should be no surprise that the two ingredients are perfectly complementary in this pilaf.

The natural nuttiness of Brussels sprouts is greatly enhanced by the addition of pine nuts, and sautéing the sprouts deepens that flavor. Tossing them with al dente fettuccine will make you wonder how anyone could dislike them.

With its warm, gooey goodness, this dessert will bring bananas Foster to mind. You'll have some sauce left over, which will be handy because, we assure you, you'll be in the mood to have this again the next night—if not sooner.

Caramel and tart Granny Smiths that turn almost saucy breathe new style into upside-down cake; toasted walnuts, ground with sugar and mixed into the batter, lend moistness, and their flavor is teased out with spices and a nip of almond extract.