Christmas

Bright ribbons of cranberry puree swirled through a creamy white cheesecake create a pretty contrast. Begin the cake a day ahead.

This stuffing is perfect for the Roast Turkey with Herb Butter and Caramelized Onion-Balsamic Gravy

Recipe tester Lena Cederham Birnbaum created this candy, which is really a cross between two confections. Its creamy texture is similar to that of a peanut butter cup; in appearance it resembles chocolate bark. Pack it in decorative boxes and tie with ribbons. It's too soft to eat at room temperature, so serve it chilled.

This nucato is related to the delicious nougat noir ("black nougat") still made in the southern French town of Sisteron. But here, there is an additional pleasant surprise when you taste it: the perfumed bite of spices. This is a perfect treat for Christmastime.

Offer these with cocktails before dinner, or sprinkle them over holiday salads.

Dried cherries and apricots highlight this impressive version of a southern classic.

At Òran Mór, the ice cream comes in profiteroles surrounded by the sauce, but this lovely duo tastes terrific without that added touch, too.

Just four ingredients add up to a rich and delicious side dish. Once the potatoes are sliced, the gratin comes together quickly and then bakes unattended for about an hour and 15 minutes.

This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Butternut is one of my favorite squashes. We often bake a small butternut squash (about 1 pound) at home; we split it lengthwise, seed it, score the flesh with a knife, sprinkle on a little salt, and bake, skin side down, for 1 hour in a 400-degree oven. Excellent in soup and pureed, butternut squash is always welcome at our table. This gratin is quite rich and should be reserved for special occasions, like Thanksgiving.

California orange groves inspired this version of the cake shaped like a Yule log.

These cookies owe their whimsical moniker to a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

Candied, or crystallized, ginger is peeled fresh ginger root that has been cooked in a sugar syrup and coated with sugar.

Working on this book has taken us new places, and also back to explore taste memories from the past and from travel. Sometimes we've stumbled on childhood tastes, and sometimes we've gone looking for them. This dark gingerbread is from scribbled notes I found in an old cookbook of my mother's. I don't know where she got the recipe, but I do know that she made it regularly, especially in winter, when its rich, warm scent would draw us into the kitchen at dinnertime. Serve it as a snack or for dessert.