Dried Fruit

In this beautiful main course, served at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia, a mixture of dried apricots, raisins, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach is the surprise filling.

This dessert traditionally should have twelve different fruits to represent the Apostles. But as long as you have a good variety, it will be delicious.

These irresistible treats are filled with dried apricots, figs and cherries as well as dates and walnuts, and are topped with a cream cheese frosting.

This is the Rolls-Royce of bran muffin recipes. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This zesty soup is based on a chicken and curry stew popular in the South. The origin of its name is unclear, but according to one account, it was brought to Savannah in the early 1800s by a sea captain who traveled the spice route from India.

Grating the carrots in a processor makes this one-dish meal really easy to assemble.

A healthy take on an old favorite.

This Italian version of fruitcake is dense, chewy and candy-like. Wrap it in brightly colored cellophane for giving.

Freezing the rugelach before baking helps the cookies maintain their shape. For gift giving, layer them between sheets of waxed paper and arrange in tins lined with colorful cellophane or tissue paper.

This type of dish is common in England, where all desserts are called puddings.

This version of the much maligned Christmas classic is deliciously lacking in candied cherries, giant mixed nuts and citron, but it is filled with bits of marzipan and lots of appealing dried fruit. Baking the cakes in disposable aluminum loaf pans (available at supermarkets) or in decorative cardboard loaf pans (available at some cookware stores or by mail order) makes gift giving easy; just wrap each cake in its pan in cellophane, and add a colorful ribbon.