Pecan

This recipe yields about 3/4 cup ice cream per person if serving 8 to 10. If you want to make a larger quantity, we recommend making 2 batches rather than simply doubling the recipe.

Delicious in romaine salad or on their own, these pecans are boiled in a spicy sauce, then deep-fried.

There will be more pecan pesto than you need for the beans, but it keeps well and can also be used on pasta, as a sandwich spread, or in potato salad.

A great cocktail snack to have on hand, these will keep for a week before serving.

Posole is a thick, hearty stew typically containing corn and pork that originated in Jalisco, Mexico. Since I wanted to make this recipe vegetarian anyway, I decided to take it in an entirely new direction. The dried cherries may seem a little odd at first, but they lend a pleasant sweet-tartness to the dish while the pecans take it a bit deeper into the South. In the United States, we call the dried posole "hominy."

(Baked in a Tart Pan) For people who find even my less sweet Pecan Pie too sweet, or who are hopeless chocolate lovers, this is the answer. Cocoa perfectly tempers the sweetness of the filling and adds a full chocolate flavor that goes so well with pecans. If correctly baked, the filling, when cut, is soft and slightly molten. The surface of the pie is unusually appealing. Unlike the regular pecan pie where you can see clearly the shape of each nut, this filling cloaks the nuts with a dark milk-chocolaty glisten so you can just make out their shape.

There are generally two kinds of wheat berries available at natural foods stores and Middle Eastern markets: hard (high-protein) and soft (low-protein). Though either will work fine, we prefer the chewiness of the hard variety for this particular recipe. If you can find only soft wheat berries, subtract 10 minutes from the cooking time.

A chocolate-caramel cake is perfect for a child's birthday party. Serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

These easy refrigerator cookies are great to have on hand. Chill or freeze the dough, then just slice some off and bake when you want cookies.

Named for the "muddy" Mississippi River, this is a dark and rich chocolate cake.

Begin making these one day ahead. The dough is much easier to roll out when chilled, and the buns hold their shape better when formed with cold dough.

Dark brown sugar gives these buttery treats an extra-rich taste.

The vinegar in this gravy gives it an appealing tartness. Round off the meal with cranberry sauce and steamed broccoli. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Don't let these cool — they're best served straight from the oven.