Pecan

These chocolate chip cookies have nuts and cocoa nibs, which give them an earthy crunch. Be sure to chill the dough before you scoop it out so the cookies will keep their shape as they bake.

This moist cake combines the fruits, nuts, and spices from the New World that the Spanish conquistadores discovered in 1508. Chocolate was part of this Mesoamerican tableau. Brown sugar and ginger arrived much later, but this cake pays homage to the riches of the original jungles and river valleys.

Blending Fair Trade coffee with Fair Trade cocoa allows us to support those who serve the world coffee and chocolate. It also helps us celebrate the classic European flavor combination of coffee and chocolate, mixed here as you might find them in an Italian café, with tangy mascarpone cheese and lemon. To make the cookie crumbs for the crust, see the recipe for Chocolate Sugar Dough (page 132) or buy plain cookies (like Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chessman). Toss about twenty cookies of either type in the blender, pulse two or three times, and you will have dark chocolate cookie crumbs. You’ll need a cheesecake or springform pan, and most grocery store versions of this work fine. When the cake is baked and chilled, release the latch, slice, and serve. Be sure to clean your knife with a warm wet towel for each slice.

This tart combines the pleasures of a rich chocolate custard with the crunchy appeal of a chocolate chip cookie. As with most pies and tarts, you have two steps: the crust and the filling. Collect the ingredients for both the crust dough and the filling, but make the dough first. As it chills, prepare the filling.

No apologies here. These are dense and decadent. You’ll want to use a strong dark chocolate—something that stands up to the richness of great butter, fresh eggs, and a lot of sugar.

Don’t be scared off by the use of sugar in this highly aromatic one-dish meal. It just heightens the flavors of the spices, onions, and pecans.

With their assertive flavors, the dried cherries, pecans, and mushrooms in this dish pair well with poultry or game. You can also use this recipe to make a vegetarian stuffing for baked winter squash, such as butternut.

Combined with the tang of balsamic vinegar and the crunch of pecans, these roasted brussels sprouts will win over even the most sprout-phobic.

Crunchy pecans and a mildly tart dressing enhance juicy, sweet pears topped with tangy goat cheese.

As the apples bake, their juice combines with brown sugar and orange juice to create a light caramel sauce.

Keep a big can of pears in the pantry, and you can enjoy this simple, spicy crisp any time.

Gina: These delicious waffles are crispy, full of flavor, and loaded with crunchy pecans. You can serve them the traditional way, with syrup and butter, or jazz them up with sautéed bananas and/or fresh strawberry sauce. Either way, it’s an unforgettable way to begin the day.

Gina: I don’t know if any of you have an appetizer before breakfast, but that’s what we sometimes do in our house, and it sure is fun. ’Course, when we do, the only appetizer we make is Nana’s Caramel Pecan Rolls. Nana was my godmother, who lived across the street from us while we were growing up. Nana is one of the best cooks in our family, and one of our most cherished matriarchs. She took care of me from the time I was six months old until I started school. Later, Nana took care of Shelbi when she was a baby. Nana always made the best caramel pecan rolls, and when we didn’t want to make them ourselves, we’d call her and request a batch for a special Sunday breakfast. After making these, you’ll know why.

Gina: With a spicy, nutty crumb topping and sweet peaches baked right in, this irresistible crumb cake is a favorite for sleep-late brunches (a good option when you have house guests and everyone had a little bit too much fun the night before). The cake is easy enough to stir together the morning of the brunch, or the night before. To continue the decadence, consider serving peach Bellinis (peach purée with champagne), along with plenty of eggs, bacon, hash browns, etc.

Gina: Just about every church cookbook and family recipe box throughout the South has its own version of this dark, rich chocolate cake named for the “muddy” Mississippi River. In our version, we add coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor, and throw in a handful of mini–chocolate chips, creating a sinfully “muddy” bottom that’s fun to drag your fork through. Then we top the whole thing off with mini-marshmallows and a river of icing. This is one Mississippi cake you’ll be happy to drown in!