Nut

To ensure you get moist, beautiful-looking apricots, avoid those sold in boxes and bags that you can’t see through. If you buy Turkish apricots, keep in mind that they’re usually sold pitted but whole and, unlike most California apricots, will need to be halved horizontally.

The sophisticated chocolates are deceptively easy to make and are particularly nice with coffee (and Cognac) after a special meal.

"My mother makes the most delicious chocolate caramel graham crackers," writes Barbara Walt Gustin of Kalamazoo, Michigan. "Everyone who tries them goes wild. They're so easy to make that the recipe gets passed on and on." Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 hr

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

It wouldn't be Christmas without some red and green on the table.

Dulce de leche is a soft milk-caramel confection that is yet again one of the year's top flavors. If you don't have time to make the sauce, look for it with the ice cream toppings at the market. Note that the baked cheesecake must be chilled overnight before serving.

Made with heavy cream and gelatin instead of eggs, this no-bake cheesecake has the silky texture of panna cotta. Begin preparing it at least one day ahead.

Even lean, mean depression-era macaroni and cheese was comforting, a tribute to the twin powers of carbohydrates and melted cheese, which are just as irresistible now as they were then. Some fans love the crunchy crust while others crave the creamy center. This lush and ultra-tangy millennium mac and cheese aims to please adherents of both schools of thought.

Antoinette Muto of Los Angeles, California, writes: "My business partner and I own a company that makes costumes for the film industry. When we are involved in a huge project — as we were with Minority Report and X2 — we work very long days, and sometimes even on weekends. So I don't have much time to cook or even to go out for lunch or dinner. That's when my no-fiddling cooking style comes in handy. I cut corners when I can — without sacrificing flavor." A food processor makes mixing the dough for these rich cookies a breeze.

The radicchio is seasoned in the style of a Sicilian agrodolce ("acid-sweet") dish, which typically combines a vegetable with raisins, pine nuts, vinegar, and a sweetener.

This cake has a crunchy pecan-brown sugar topping and a layer of pears in the middle.

This rich side dish could easily stand on its own as an elegant meatless main course.

We can thank Vic Bergeron — owner of Trader Vic's restaurant, in San Francisco — for bringing rumaki into mainstream dining culture. He claimed that this delicious hors d'oeuvre came from Hawaii, with Chinese roots and a Japanese name. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

These sweet and spicy nuts — which go great with drinks — would make a nice hostess gift.

The polenta can be made a day ahead and reheated in the oven.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

To set a festive mood, serve these with mimosas made with icy-cold Prosecco and freshly squeezed tangerine juice.

Marsha also uses this versatile sauce (based on the Spanish sauce called romesco) as a pasta sauce, as a dip and on garlic toasts as an hors d'oeuvre.