Cinnamon

This tartlet is complex, but well worth the effort. It sprang from the mind of our bakery's apple-obsessed chef, Eric Wolitzky (he is from the apple heartland of upstate New York), who was attempting to wring more flavor from the traditional apple pie. We’re still huge fans of the classic, but this version—with its perfect ratio of caramel to apple to buttery crust and crunchy topping—is now our must have apple dessert. At the bakery, we put the tartlets out at noon, and they are gone by 12:30 p.m., so we feel fairly confident that people share our new obsession.

Serve with hot chocolate.

Greek-style yogurt gives the cake a rich, moist texture.

Pleasantly pungent and sweetened to taste with honey, this tea soothes and refreshes after a big meal. (We also like to brew a pot any time we feel a little under the weather.) Nibbling on the pine nuts as you sip the hot tea helps soften its strong flavors.

Many teas and herbs you savor as beverages can transform your daily beauty routine into a refreshing interlude. Here are three blends made almost entirely from tea, kitchen herbs, and pantry spices. Each blend has a suggested essential oil that will intensify the fragrance.

Potatoes help make the dough amazingly moist and tender.

These tasty (no-allergy!) nut alternatives are great to have out around the holidays. Give them to the kids in rolled-up parchment-paper cones (as shown).

When I was growing up, everyone put out bowls of toasted pecans during the holidays. To this day, the heady perfume of toasting pecans brings me back to my childhood. To capture that memory in cookie form, I made a buttery-rich, highly addictive shortbread, then decorated it with toasted pecans.

To complete the dessert buffet, bake a batch of Mexican wedding cakes (butter cookies rolled in powdered sugar).

We love the cinnamon in Mexican chocolate. For this pie, we surround a smooth chocolate-pudding filling with cinnamon—a crumbly spiced graham cracker crust below and cinnamon whipped cream on top.

This sweet-savory condiment is delicious with roasted or grilled meats.

This well-balanced stew is intense yet mellow. The prunes soak up the fragrant spices, and long, slow cooking turns the lamb fork-tender.

Purchased biscuit dough makes these dessert dumplings a snap to make.

Oven-baking this rice pudding eliminates a lot of stovetop stirring while still producing a delicious, creamy dessert.

Café au Lait Pain Perdu Perfumed with sweetened espresso and baked to an eggy, custardy consistency, this take on French toast is one of those magical dishes that work just as well for dessert as they do for breakfast.

Is there a child in this world that doesn't love applesauce? This pink-hued, cinnamon-spiked version is just the right topping for the latkes.