Pastries

For best results, use fresh ricotta, which is sold at Italian delis and specialty cheese shops. Avoid packaged brands that include gelatin and preservatives, as these can be watery and have a grainy texture. Prepared cannoli shells are sold at Italian markets.

In this recipe, the word biscuit refers to a savory cracker.

These savory rugelach are made with a cream-cheese-based dough, which softens very quickly. If the dough becomes tricky to work with, chill it until firm, then continue with the recipe.

Toni Cascio of Owings Mills, Maryland, writes: "Cooking and traveling are two of my greatest pleasures. I went to Ireland several years ago and had such marvelous scones that I just had to re-create them at home." This is a great scone recipe, and it works even without the butterscotch chips. One cup of dried berries, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, or dried cherries can be substituted, if you like.

These drop biscuits are as tender as they are easy; since the dough isn't rolled out, there's no chance of overworking it. <p> This recipe is an accompaniment for <epi:recipeLink id"230464">Turkey Sloppy Joes on Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits</epi:recipeLink>.

A few blocks from Seattle's Pike Place Market, Cascadia is an occasion-worthy restaurant that celebrates regional ingredients with impeccable taste. Same goes for the dessert menu: No flights of fusion fancy here or innovation for novelty's sake, just suavely executed renditions of old favorites that feel new. You can freeze any extra unfilled cream puffs for another use.

(Savory Stuffed Pastries)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Thyme adds a holiday touch to these light, buttery biscuits.

These light, tender, and delicious scones are a breeze to make with the aid of a food processor.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

To make the lacy fried pastries called rosettes, you will need a rosette iron, which comes with decoratively shaped attachments such as stars and flowers. The pastries are made by dipping the rosette iron into the batter and then into hot oil.

The amount of water necessary to make pastry dough is likely to change slightly from time to time, depending on variables such as humidity and the moisture content of butter and even, believe it or not, flour. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

It's hard to believe that there are only three tablespoons of butter in these biscuits, which are flaky and very tender. Malted milk powder is an interesting addition to the dough.