Cinnamon

These pretty little cookies are similar to the bakery staples, but made with a flaky, homey, easier version of puff pastry. A liberal sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar in between the layers gives each cookie both sweetness and a hint of spice.

The fragrant spices in this apple crisp are pure Christmas, and the cornmeal in the topping adds a rustic touch.

Dried and fresh cranberries are simmered in Port for a not-too-sweet, grown-up take on the classic.

Because they're firm and tart, Pippin or Jonathan apples would also be good here.

These classic candies (called sweetmeats by the British) look sinful but are little more than dried apricots, figs, and plums dusted with nuts, cocoa, or sugar.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Dinner After Dark: Sexy, Sumptuous Supper Soirées by Colin Cowie. A bredie is the typical slow-cooked stew of Cape Malay cuisine, which is best prepared in a heavy-bottom cast-iron pot or potjie. I've adapted it in a recipe that takes just over an hour to cook. Traditionally, this type of dish would probably have been made with just the lamb knuckles, but I've added the shoulder to provide some additional meat. The sweet and savory flavors are wholly authentic; the dish is like a curry with an extra measure of sweetness to balance the hot spice. You'll taste the delightful hint of cinnamon, which speaks unmistakably of the Orient. It's great with aromatic basmati rice, flavored with chicken stock, turmeric, garlic, and raisins.

Mama Sugar says this dish was common at Juneteenth celebrations years ago but is now seldom seen. It's a homey dessert, substantial and rich with butter and cane syrup, and it deserves a comeback.

Either bittersweet or semisweet chocolate will give great results, but bittersweet will pack more intense chocolate flavor.

In this confit, called tfaya, all the ingredients blend together, taking on a melting softness as well as the distinct notes of honey. Added to savory dishes like the couscous or even the lamb, it provides an unexpected brightness along with the sweetness.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Rick Rogers' Kingsford Complete Grilling Cookbook. Serve these mouthwatering wings to close friends who don't mind licking their fingers in public. The wings sport at least four layers of flavor—the chicken itself, a zesty spice rub, a fruity-savory glaze, and smokiness from the grill.

If there is one dish that could be considered Mexican haute cuisine, then Mole Poblano is surely it. Legend has it that the voluptuous sauce — a blend of chiles, spices, and chocolate — was created by the European Catholic nuns of Puebla to honor a visiting bishop. There are no shortcuts to making a true Mole Poblano: It takes time and patience to develop the layers of flavor that make this sauce fit for royalty. Miguel adapted the restaurant's recipe from one he learned from Diana Kennedy. At Fonda San Miguel, this mole is served with chicken and rice and as a sauce for enchiladas. It is also wonderful on roast turkey and pork.

Florence Myers of Gainesville, Missouri, writes: "In the late 1950s and early 1960s I was a counselor at an all-girls summer camp in New Hampshire. When we went on long hikes in the mountains, the camp cook, Peggy Ward, would pack up plenty of her wonderful ginger cookies. I've passed that cookie recipe on to many people, including my granddaughter. She tells me that every time she makes the cookies people ask her for the recipe." Old-fashioned flavor in a super-easy cookie.