Beverages

A sophisticated dessert that is great on its own, mixed with sweet berries or used as a topping for ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Serve this elegant first course with Champagne or sparkling wine. The recipe makes a few extra pancakes for those who want seconds.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Elderflowers, with their subtle, honeyed sweetness, are often paired with gooseberries in English cookery. In this particular recipe pink gooseberries are best; the green ones are too tart.

For centuries, the French have been braising duck as a way to tenderize it, whether the duck was wild or tame (use only farm-raised duck in the recipe below). The slight bitterness of turnips nicely offsets the flavorful meat rich but simple sauce. The appropriate wine choice here would be French-splurge a bit for the season and pour a good Burgundy or Chablis with this.

This traditional New Orleans drink was apparently first developed during Prohibition at the famous eatery Antoine's. Customers were able to enjoy alcohol in a Cognac-laced coffee disguised in a pedestal coffee cup especially designed by the chef.

Also good with pound cake or waffles.

Mulled wine is also known as vin chaud and glühwein. In the past, the drink was usually served in a pewter mug and often heated with a red-hot poker.

Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 30 min

Paper clips are useful for tightly sealing these simple appetizer packages. Foil is a good substitute for the parchment. (Paper clips are not necessary with foil; just crimp the edges to seal tightly.) Be sure to discard any mussels that do not open.

While the birth of the Brandy Alexander cocktail may be obscured in the history of mixology, the creation of the like-named pie can be traced to right around December 1933, when Prohibition was repealed. Americans could once again enjoy a legal drink. That apparently inspired some creative cooks to flavor recipes once again with wines and liqueurs, and the forerunner of this pie was born. We've replaced the traditional graham cracker crust with one made of chocolate wafer cookies, and we've added white chocolate to the rich brandy and crème de cacao filling.