Pecan

Utensils needed: Heatproof bowl; heavy-bottomed saucepan; baking sheet or platter, lightly buttered; wooden spoon.
Boiling time: 6 minutes.
Storage: Keep individually wrapped candies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week; refrigerated, up to 3 weeks.

Fuyu persimmons look like orange tomatoes and have a melon-like texture. Many farmers' markets and supermarkets carry them from October through December.

If you are looking for a cookie that's lower in calories than your favorite chocolate chip recipe, whip up a batch of these palate-pleasing bites from pastry chef Heather Norkin. They're easy to make, and almost all of the fat is the heart-friendly unsaturated kind, from the pecans.

These delightful tartlets hold just the right amount of gooey pecan filling.

We don't know who thought of it first, but making the pecan filling with maple syrup, instead of the more customary (and highly processed) corn syrup, was a stroke of genius. This pie is delicious. We added a bit of lemon juice, which prevents the sweetness from becoming cloying. Don't be concerned if the pie appears thin — this makes for a good balance between filling and pastry.

Remember icebox pies? And how the flavor of butterscotch always seems to melt extra slowly on your tongue? The lighter-than-air quality of the creamy filling, along with the crunch of the pecan topping, make every bite of this cooling pie a real treat.

Similar to monkey bread, this is a great choice for brunch. Letting the dough rest overnight allows its flavor to develop into something wonderful.

A prized Christmas sweet from Tuscany, panforte means "strong bread" — but it's more like an almost-flourless fruitcake.

Make this luscious dessert a day ahead.

Elaine O'Toole of Phoenix, Arizona, writes: "This recipe for chocolate cake is a family favorite at our celebrations all year, but especially during the holidays. It's so rich that my sons eat small squares of it as if they were brownies. And since it can be made ahead, it's a great dessert to take to a party."

Instead of relying on fat for flavor, this fresh side dish uses varied tastes and textures to impress guests: crisp, peppery arugula; tart, crunchy pomegranate seeds; and rich, slightly sweet pecans. It's nutritious, too, with pecans contributing monosaturated fat (the good kind) and pomegranates providing a good dose of fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants.

We've made one of America's most famous holiday desserts — pecan pie—even more delicious by adding an unctuous layer of moist caramel, a touch of bittersweet chocolate (to cut the sweetness), and some finely shaved nuts on top.

Judi Kerr of Mendham, New Jersey, writes: "I'm a professional chocolate taster. I know it sounds like a dream job, but I get so much chocolate at work that I tend to avoid sweets when I'm at home. At the end of most days, I actually look forward to cooking dinner and making something hearty, like my chicken and white bean chili. On the occasions when my husband and I entertain, I often go back to my southern roots and make my grandmother's spirited pecan pie. The filling for this pie contains no corn syrup, which gives it a rich, dense texture.

These rich cookies, a little like freestanding brownies, are the creation of Chris Gargone, the talented pastry chef of Remi, one of New York's most popular Italian restaurants. Before you start, a word of caution: chews are addictive.

Spear fruit with skewers and dip it into the butterscotch, then dip into the nuts and crème fraîche.