Nut

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to accompany Mocha Mousse with Kumquat Cranberry Sauce and Phyllo Crisps .

Ken Haedrich, cookbook author, says, "Since moving to New England nearly twenty years ago, I've heated the house with wood-burning stoves. And because our big Thanksgiving gatherings put oven space at a premium, I've often pressed those stoves into backup duty. That's how steamed breads—which can be cooked on top of the stoves — came to be a regular part of our feast. This steamed pumpkin bread provides another way to bring good pumpkin flavor to the meal, too. I also serve my special crescent rolls on the big day. One year, my kids let it be known that they wanted croissants on Thanksgiving, but that seemed like a bit more work than I could handle. Instead, I came up with these sesame crescents—croissant-like rolls with savory onion filling. I guess they did the trick, because nobody says much about croissants anymore. Plus, I can make the crescent rolls two weeks ahead and freeze them. That way, they don't take up any of that precious oven space." Note that this bread needs to cook in an empty 28-ounce food can (such as the kind used to hold whole tomatoes).

A small slice of this delightfully dense chocolate cake goes a long way.

This recipe makes more meringue than you'll need for 8 servings. You can pipe the extra into sticks and bake them to eat as a snack. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

For the fudgiest brownies, be sure not to overbake these, from Steffi Berne's Cookie Jar Cookbook.

This elegant dessert was inspired by Vienna's Spanische Windtorte, a giant meringue shell filled with cream and berries. The sauce is a colorful and delicious accompaniment; if there is some left over, use it on pancakes, waffles or ice cream.

This recipe was created to be used in the preparation of Almond Praline Ice Cream Cake.

This dessert tastes indulgent, but it's made with nonfat cottage cheese, nonfat cream cheese and evaporated skim milk.

The Shakers, who once had a number of active communities in New England, were known for their creative use of fresh herbs in cooking and baking. This savory yeast bread is a typical example. It is delicious freshly baked or toasted the following day.

"My favorite restaurant on the New Hampshire coast is Anthony Alberto’s Ristorante Italiano in Portsmouth," writes Holly Price of Newfields, New Hampshire. "The food there is superb. On a recent visit, I ended my meal with the frozen praline mousse cake."

One of Sicily's finest crops is the blood orange with its spicy-sweet flavor. But any variety of orange can be used in this Italian dessert.

Inspired by Vietnamese cuisine, this combination is also satisfying on its own as a meatless lunch.