Nut

Like the Devil’s Food Cake recipe, this recipe is oil based, so it can easily be mixed by hand. Cake flour is used here, but not all grocery stores carry it. If necessary, you can substitute all-purpose flour—just use 1/4 cup less and be very careful not to overmix the batter. Also, you’ll notice that this is a raisinless carrot cake; that’s a personal preference. If you want to add raisins to yours, go ahead and add 1 cup. You can also omit the pecans, particularly if nut allergies are a concern.

These cupcakes have a lighter consistency than the other cakes in this chapter. Whereas the other cakes could almost double as bread, there’s no mistaking these as cake. Citrus Cream Cheese Icing (page 146) and the “Sassy” Cinnamon variation on the Vanilla Icing (page 136) are scrumptious toppings. Use the cream cheese combination for a brunch dessert or the sweeter cinnamon icing to dress them up for an autumn evening. The brown sugar and mix of spices in the batter augment the woodsy sweetness of the pecans. For a slight variation, peel and dice a sweet apple and add it to the batter before baking.

Sweet and salty, crunchy and soft, this bark has all the yin-and-yang attributes of a scrumptious dessert. The peanut brittle in this recipe is also great as a stand-alone or dipped in dark chocolate. With its salty sweetness, this bark makes the perfect snack for a World Series or Super Bowl party.

The health benefits of dark chocolate, almonds, and dried fruit make this a great option to serve as a snack or to give as a gift to a health-conscious friend. In a box or tin beautifully tied with ribbon, the flourless bark can also make a welcome Passover hostess gift, which can be served immediately or nibbled on all week long. The dried cranberries add a delicious chewiness to this otherwise solid bark. All sorts of dried fruits and nuts can be used, but when buying the dried fruit, especially cranberries, be sure to pick an unsweetened variety. The added sugar can change the taste of the fruit and also alter the tempered chocolate.

Many countries, including Greece and Russia, have variations on these crumbly, sandy, nut-rich cookies. Whatever their origin, the treats are nearly always rolled twice in confectioners’ sugar after baking, which is why there’s so little sugar in the dough.

Instant espresso powder gives these drop cookies grown-up appeal. If you’d rather not remove the hazelnut skins yourself, as described below, look for blanched nuts at specialty shops, then toast them (see page 365).

Gelatin thickens this creamy no-bake pie filling, making it easier to slice once it sets. To create an even crust, press the crumbs with the bottom of a dry measuring cup and your fingers, working from the center to the edge of the pan and then up the sides.

In this Italian-style free-form tart, thinly sliced fresh figs and a tender almond filling are encased in a buttery crust. If you can’t find fresh figs, use ripe plums, pitted and thinly sliced.

A cast-iron skillet is a rustic oven-to-table option, but you can also bake the buckle in a nine-inch square cake pan or in a two-quart shallow baking dish.

Pistachios and lamb are often paired in Greek cooking. Tomatoes, artichokes, and parsley—other common ingredients—combine to create a flavorful accompaniment.

When cooking stuffed chops and roasts, it is important to check the internal temperature of the stuffing to determine doneness. To accompany the pork, use a good-quality store-bought chutney, and serve a simple green salad on the side.

Here, peanuts lend a golden, crisp crust to chicken breasts—and because the dish is baked, there’s no need for a frying pan. Other nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, can be used instead. Blanched asparagus, tossed with butter and lemon zest, rounds out the dish.

The combination of raisins, pine nuts, and chard is typical in Sicilian cooking; here it is used in a robust pasta dish, along with crumbled sweet Italian sausage. Running a paring knife down the center of the sausage is the easiest way to remove the casing.