Nut

This recipe produces a slightly dry, chunky charoset. If you prefer a more moist version, add extra wine, a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.

Coarsely chopped coriander seeds add a lovely floral note to this nutty Middle Eastern grain.

This slight variation on traditional Ashkenazi charoset calls for deep-frying the walnuts and coating them with sugar. The nuts stay crispier in the final product and have a pleasant, toasty flavor.

In this easy dish, a little bit of almondy custard dresses up fresh fruit, making it special for company while preserving its pure goodness.

These delightful tartlets hold just the right amount of gooey pecan filling.

Australian crystallized ginger is especially moist; it's sold at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores.

You'd never guess such a sensational main course was so easy to prepare. Roasting and then quickly broiling the duck results in tender meat with crisp, golden-brown skin — and no messy stovetop to clean.

These tartlets use a crust that's especially easy to make: It gets pressed into the pan, rather than rolled out.

Joe Miller of Glasgow, Montana, writes: "Though this recipe was introduced to me by a college friend from Anchorage, it originated — generations ago — in Charlotte, North Carolina. Today, it is a Miller family tradition." Featuring the crunch of toffee, the creaminess of chocolate (a combination of milk and bittersweet), and a finishing sprinkle of walnuts, this sweet snack has all the bases covered.

This chai is a knockout on its own, but gin adds subtle flavors that complement the chai's complexity. (Needless to say, since Kashmir is predominantly Muslim, alcohol would not be added there.) Nuts in a cocktail seemed a little odd at first, and it's fine to strain them out before serving, but most of us found them addictive.

These crumbly cookies are extremely easy to make, and they improve with time. We recommend baking them a couple of days ahead — if you can resist the temptation to eat them immediately.

Remember icebox pies? And how the flavor of butterscotch always seems to melt extra slowly on your tongue? The lighter-than-air quality of the creamy filling, along with the crunch of the pecan topping, make every bite of this cooling pie a real treat.

Galette des Rois
You can bake this cake to celebrate Epiphany, as they've done in parts of France since the Middle Ages, and bury a trinket (called a fève, after the fava bean that was originally used) in its filling. Whoever finds it will be king or queen for the day. Serving a dessert this buttery, flaky, and downright delicious, however, doesn't require a holiday (or a hidden surprise).

We don't know who thought of it first, but making the pecan filling with maple syrup, instead of the more customary (and highly processed) corn syrup, was a stroke of genius. This pie is delicious. We added a bit of lemon juice, which prevents the sweetness from becoming cloying. Don't be concerned if the pie appears thin — this makes for a good balance between filling and pastry.

Apricot season is short, but our love for the fruit endures. Pan-roasting canned apricots revives their tartness. Combined with frangipane filling, they make for one sweet dream in the middle of winter.

For variety, dip half of the biscotti in melted white chocolate and the other half in dark chocolate. Or, drizzle the melted chocolate over the biscotti instead.

Lewis Rossman of Half Moon Bay, California, writes: "I'm a chef, and Mediterranean is probably the best way to describe the kind of cooking I do at my restaurant, Cetrella. There's an emphasis on seafood, plus several dishes inspired by places I've visited like Provence and Catalonia. This is one of my favorite recipes from the menu. It also happens to be the thing I make at home all the time."

The richness of almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, and pistachios embodies the generosity of the season. A kiss of honey and brown sugar adds a sweet touch.

Begin making the orange cream filling one day before serving the tart.