British

Resist the temptation to use soft-ripe pears in this recipe as they will disintegrate during cooking and produce too much liquid.

In England, these crisp raisin-flecked treats are called Madeira biscuits-biscuit being the British word for cookie, and a glass of Madeira being a favorite accompaniment for this particular type.

An updated version of Scottish shortbread.

This recipe was created to accompany Spiced Beef in Mini Yorkshire Puddings with Mustard Dressing.

Cranachan is Scotland's traditional harvest-time pudding, a blend of Crowdie (an artisanal cottage cheese), cream, toasted oats, berries, whisky, and honey. Here, it's updated with crème fraîche (instead of the Crowdie), toasted hazelnuts, and grated chocolate, and served parfait-style in individual goblets. To allow the flavors to meld, assemble the parfaits ahead of time and chill them overnight before serving.

This summery trifle is simple to make since it calls for a purchased pound cake. Begin preparing the trifle one day ahead.

This dark, moist cake gets its deep flavor from blackstrap molasses, which may not sound appealing on its own but is wonderful in this cake.

This dessert is simple and delicious, especially when made with very ripe strawberries and thick Devonshire cream. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 3 hr

These pretty mixtures of bread and sweetened berries are inspired by the classic English dessert called summer pudding. Begin preparing them one day before serving so that the bread will absorb the delicious juices.

English Christmas "pudding" is really a dense, moist spiced cake. This gingerbread version is flavored with orange marmalade and topped with a traditional hard sauce — butter and sugar mixed with brandy.

"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.

I hadn't expected to find an entry on meat loaf in Alan Davidson's magisterial Oxford Companion to Food (1999). Indeed, I only looked it up there so I could say that meat loaf was a great and ubiquitous dish that everyone snubbed. Meat loaf, I intended to say, is a kind of joke.... Alan Davidson let me down. He had plenty to say about meat loaf..."a dish whose visibility is considerably higher in real life, especially in N. America and Britain, than in cookery books."

At Inverlochy Castle, this dish is served with spinach and sautéed mushrooms, and tender asparagus tips are scattered over the fillets as a final garnish.

Sarabeth Levine makes her scones at Sarabeth's in New York, with only one tablespoon of sugar, so they aren't oversweet. The dough is very sticky, but resist the temptation to knead in more flour — the stickiness means the scones will be tender. Partner them with jam or whipped cream for a real treat.