Nut

It's so easy to make these processor-quick biscuits ahead if you like. Then reheat, split and fill them with ice cream and berries just before serving.

(GERMINUS) Sardinia has many interestingly named sweets, and these cookies called germinus are the most famous of all. They are flatter and chewier than classic meringues and get a crisp accent from the nuts.

Any combination of nuts will work nicely in this winter tart.

When our executive food editor was a little girl, she liked the Christmas cookies at her best friend Allyson's house better than any others. Mrs. Kolbert, whose recipe this is, was apparently the author of much goodness in this world, as it was she who first introduced Allyson's parents to each other.

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

In the forties and fifties, before the widespread popularity of fortune cookies, countless Chinese meals were brought to a close with traditional almond cakes like these. The customary all-lard base of this once very popular sweet is here lightened with vegetable shortening. 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.

In the 1600s, "flapjack" referred to a thick pancake that was cooked on a skillet and turned by being tossed (flapped). By the 1930s, it had come to mean a biscuit like this, made from rolled oats, syrup and butter--sort of the granola bars of their day. They're the perfect thing to have with a cup of tea or coffee.

This dish comes together quickly, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner. Just add some steamed rice or sauté baby potatoes and a tossed green salad

"When we visit our daughter at Amherst College in Massachusetts, my husband and I stay at The Lord Jeffery Inn," says Caroline I. Cameron of Washington, D.C.."The granola at breakfast is terrific. I would be grateful if you could get the recipe from their chef so that I can surprise my husband by making the granola at home." This granola can also be enjoyed as a snack with the addition of chocolate chips. You could sprinkle it over ice cream, too.

These cookies have a wonderful texture; chewy yet crunchy-just like a candy bar.

You can make this up to three days ahead; be sure to start at least one day in advance.