Nut

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(BISCOTTI ALL'ARANCIO E MANDORLE) While all Italian cookies are referred to as biscotti, these are really "biscotti," which means they are baked twice. True biscotti are made in many different flavor combinations in many different parts of the country. These delicate ones come from the region of Lazio, where Rome is located. The secret to the cookies' lightness is not to use too much flour and to freeze the dough before forming it into logs.

The traditional b'stilla is an enormous pigeon or chicken pie wrapped in golden paper-thin pastry leaves. However, we made individual pies for ease of serving. The idea of meat mixed with spices and encased in pastry was brought to Morocco by Arabs from the Middle East; the delicate pastry sheets, it is thought, came specifically from Persia. Spices play a big part in Moroccan cooking. This legendary spice mixture is translated as "top of the shop."

Here's an excellent new use for maple syrup. These bar cookies are very sweet and deliciously sticky.

Chocolate lovers will be in heaven when they taste these ultra-moist treats. The marbled topping works on most bar cookies.

This dessert, prominent in the window of virtually every Paris pastry shop, is a true classic. The puff pastry rounds are usually filled with an almond mixture, but my version features hazelnuts and chocolate. Purchased pastry makes it approachable for the modern cook. Since it reheats nicely, the Pithiviers can be made ahead.

Can be made in 45 minutes or less.

This Italian version of fruitcake is dense, chewy and candy-like. Wrap it in brightly colored cellophane for giving.

Red pears are first choice here, but any ripe, firm pears would be delicious. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fresh or frozen cherries can be used in this classic French dessert, which combines characteristics of pudding and custard and, in this case, has a nice almond flavor.

Freezing the rugelach before baking helps the cookies maintain their shape. For gift giving, layer them between sheets of waxed paper and arrange in tins lined with colorful cellophane or tissue paper.

Here's a delicious recipe from chef Edwin Goto at The Lodge at Koele on the island of Lanai in Hawaii. In an homage to spring, the rich-tasting risotto is served on a bed of oven-roasted asparagus.