Pecan

A creamy frozen eggnog mousse layered with paper-thin sheets of crisp chocolate. Be sure to make the chocolate disks and lace before making the mousse filling.

This versatile side dish is part of a menu chef Kent Rathbun created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

These luscious cranberry-studded cakes enriched with bourbon and pecans break away from traditional pumpkin pie without eliminating all those beloved ingredients that say Thanksgiving.

If you find it difficult to get excited about Brussels sprouts, then it's likely you've never sampled baby ones. The tiny sprouts—less than an inch across—lack the bitterness of their full-grown counterparts. Paired with buttered pecans, they may just become your new Thanksgiving favorite.

A favorite from the '70s, pumpkin cheesecake is even more fun as a crumbly, nutty bar.

As with tomatoes, the profusion of heirloom varieties of potatoes at farmers' markets has helped us rediscover them as a seasonal ingredient in a rainbow of flavors, colors, and textures. This recipe is the perfect vehicle for trying any number of them. Nutty, creamy La Ratte fingerlings are a favorite of French chefs. German Butterballs, as their name suggests, are soft and buttery. For even cooking, choose potatoes that are about the same size.

What to drink: Serve a splurge-worthy aged rum in a snifter, to sip like brandy.

The famous coffee flavors both the brownies and their ganache topping. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is prized for its bold, clean flavor, but good espresso beans and strong brewed espresso work well, too.

Baked creminis bursting with a buttery pecan and garlic stuffing make for eye candy just waiting to be devoured.

Look for the panko at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.

Using roast chicken from the grocery store makes this recipe super-easy. Improv: Add sweet and crunchy accents by mixing a few chopped toasted pecans and some dried cranberries into the chicken salad. Instead of rolls, use crusty French bread or thick slices of sourdough bread.

Prolific cookbook author James McNair has been chief judge of Sutter Home Winery's burger cook-off since it began in Napa in 1990. One of his books, Build a Better Burger, includes every winning recipe. Some past winners — and McNair's Louisiana roots — inspired the burger here.

Though they're the kind of thing you tell yourself you're making for kids, the way these sweet and slightly salty cookies go a little chewy when they absorb the ice cream will definitely inspire mature palates as well. This recipe is also delightfully devoid of fuss; you simply make one big sandwich and then cut it into small pieces.

Who can resist rich chocolate with roasted pecans and butter-rum caramel? Melting the chocolate in stages insures that it will set. If you wish, the alcohol can be omitted.

We are happy to announce that Nicholas Leighton has won our January 2006 "Cook the Cover" contest with his delicious variation on our Butterscotch Chiffon Pie. Nicholas Leighton explains his variation:
I loved the silky butterscotch chiffon pie on January's cover, but in our house we have a rule that every dessert must contain chocolate! You'll agree that the luscious butterscotch chiffon filling and tasty pecan topping is absolutely delicious with this bittersweet chocolate cookie crust, which rolls out like a dream and unmolds from a tart shell perfectly every time. The original recipe was great, but with a chocolate cookie crust it's sublime!

We are happy to announce that Megan Gill-Kopp has won our September Cook the Cover contest with her delicious recipe for Mexican Turtle Chocolate Mink. I have made some simple changes to create a Mexican twist to Gourmet's Chocolate Mink recipe. I have added cinnamon to the chocolate batter. In addition, I have topped the dessert with a Mexican caramel, cajeta, and toasted pecans. Living in San Diego has opened my eyes, and taste buds, to the wonderful flavors of Mexican cuisine. I couldn't help adding some of those flavors to this recipe. Editors' Note: Cajeta (goat's milk caramel) is available at many supermarkets, some Latino markets and specialty foods shops, and from amazon.com.

Somehow, the addition of oatmeal to these chewy, gooey cookies makes me feel like they must be good for me! They certainly taste good, and that's usually my yardstick for making cookies — or anything else, for that matter.