Fig

Top this with dollops of chilled whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream.

This is a simple, delicious dessert that also makes a warming and special brunch dish or breakfast. Although many baked-apple recipes are on the lean side (my mother always ate them when she was dieting), my version is luxurious yet still homey. I stuff the apples with a mix of brown sugar, dried fruit, and nuts, then bake them in a sauce of apple cider, maple syrup, and plenty of butter, which cooks down to a rich, thick glaze. I like to use Cortlands here because of their good squat shape and their complex fruity flavor, but any firm, tart baking apple will do.

Dja'jeh Burd'aan b'Teen Dja'jeh Burd'aan b'Teen is particularly liked by children because of the sweet, familiar flavor of orange juice. Serve over white rice. The dish tastes even better reheated the next day, once the chicken has marinated in the juice and spices.

"I tried a fabulous fig and fennel bread at Clarke's restaurant while I was in London," writes Nancy Shrier of Rydal, Pennsylvania. "I'd love to have the recipe." Do as the restaurant does and serve this slightly sweet bread with unsalted butter or with a variety of cheeses.

The dried figs add a chewy sweetness to this delicious sauce.

This was one of those invented-while-walking-up-and-down-the-aisles-of-the-supermarket dishes; the thought process in it is a good example of how one uses taste elements to design a dish. It was a cold day and the idea of a hearty pork roast conjured up some equally substantial lentils. Then the hard salami and figs suggested themselves for salt and balancing sweetness. We figured the bulbiness of the onions would pull up all of the strong tastes in the wild palate of this recipe. Serve with lentil stew.

This recipe is a component of <epi:recieplink id="109335">Baked Figs with Honey and Whiskey Ice-Cream</epi:recieplink>.

A light texture and a sweet honey flavor make these bran muffins irresistible.

Serve this stuffing alongside your Christmas turkey, ham, goose or duck. Add an extra dose of chestnuts to your meal by offering the Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon.

By the seventies, Julia Child, through her books and television shows, had made French food accessible, and the Cuisinart, introduced in 1973, made many of the cuisine’s more complicated techniques quick and simple. As a result, pâté became increasingly popular, and remains so today.

Sweet and tart at the same time, the compote is spooned atop creamy chilled custard for a satisfying Italian dessert.

This Italian version of fruitcake is dense, chewy and candy-like. Wrap it in brightly colored cellophane for giving.

This English-style steamed pudding is a bit lighter than the typical rendition — with no candied fruit — and it looks pretty surrounded with holly leaves.

This is like a frozen mousse, which helps explain its name: semifreddo, or "half-frozen." Start preparation a day ahead.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.