Almond

A decadent, impressive dessert that appeals to everyone's inner Boy Scout or Girl Scout. Begin preparing this a day ahead.

Serve this curry with condiments such as dried currants, sliced green onions, shredded coconut and toasted slivered almonds.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Brushed with sweet orange syrup, filled with almond cream, and covered with toasted almonds, even the most run-of-the-mill store-bought croissants are transformed into something heavenly.

The crunchy crumb topping contrasts nicely with the orange-scented sweet-potato puree. Sweet paprika adds a touch of heat.

Connie Capani of Binghamton, New York, writes:"I am 100 percent Italian, so perhaps it's no surprise that I love food: To Italians, it's like a security blanket. I learned how to make spaghetti and other Abruzzi favorites from my mother. Looking at food magazines is what got me interested in venturing out into American culinary territory. I wanted to know how to make a "gravy" that didn't include tomatoes. These days, I work only part-time as a substitute teacher, but I still don't want to be in the kitchen the whole time when my husband and I entertain. " Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

These nut meringues are also called erstesternen ("first stars"), a reference to the heavenly signs indicating the end of a fast day. They are traditionally served by German Jews at the meal following Yom Kippur.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Moroccan Lamb Kebabs.

Reminiscent of fragrant Mexican chocolate (which is spiced with cinnamon), and as fudgy as a chocolate truffle, this dessert will serve many more than six, but leftovers will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator.

Brandied whipped cream adds the perfect finishing touch to this moist, luscious cake. Leftovers are terrific with coffee the next day.

(FINANCIERS) The little rectangular almond cakes known as financiers are sold in many of the best pastry shops in Paris. Perfect financiers are about as addictive as chocolate, and I'd walk a mile or two for a good one. The finest have a firm, crusty exterior and a moist, almondy interior, tasting almost as if they were filled with almond paste. Next to the madeleine, the financier is probably the most popular little French cake, common street food for morning or afternoon snacking. The cake's name probably comes from the fact that a financier resembles a solid gold brick. Curiously, as popular as they are, financiers seldom appear in recipe books or in French literature. The secret to a good financier is in the baking: For a good crust, they must begin baking in a very hot oven. Then the temperature is reduced to keep the interior moist. Placing the molds on a thick baking sheet while they are in the oven is an important baking hint from the Left Bank pastry chef Jean-Luc Poujauran, who worked for months to perfect his financiers, which are among the best in Paris. The special tin financier molds, each measuring 2 x 4-inches (5 x 10-cm), can be found at restaurant supply shops. Small oval barquette molds or even muffin tins could also be used.

If you can't find Cabrales cheese, substitute Roquefort or Danish blue cheese.

"A friend gave me this great cookie recipe from the Netherlands," writes Marie Rizzio of Traverse City, Michigan. "The dough can be made ahead and frozen."

Developed in 1923, the boysenberry is a hybrid of the blackberry, raspberry and loganberry.

Some cooks may prefer the convenience of substituting dried egg whites for the fresh ones called for in the following recipe. (This will eliminate having to find a use for the yolks.) Dried egg whites are increasingly available in supermarkets or by mail order. Here, you will need 1/4 cup dried egg whites, reconstituted by stirring 3/4 cup lukewarm water into them as package instructions indicate.

To peel apricots, blanch about 20 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water, then slip off the peels with a paring knife.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.