Nut

(Panna Cotta con Salsa di Fragole al Vin Santo) As tiramisù became the Italian restaurant dessert of the 1980s, so did panna cotta take over in the 1990s. The original recipe for "cooked cream" comes from Piedmont, but Tuscans have appropriated it. Their version of the eggless custard is often topped with honey and pine nuts, since the Tuscan city of Pisa is Europe's largest producer of pinoli. This recipe incorporates those ingredients into the custard, then tops it off with a delicious strawberry sauce laced with Vin Santo, the cherished dessert wine of the region. Begin making this one day ahead.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 10 hr (includes soaking raisins)

Perfect for celebrations, the elegant torte has a filling of strawberries and chocolate ganache, which is also used as the frosting.

My children like to visit my Aunt Lisl's daughter-in-law, Dorothy, the way I used to visit Aunt Lisl. Dorothy doesn't make butter cookies, but she does make brownies which she serves at Hanukkah and every Friday night, a perfect ending to a meat meal. The children help make the brownies and then take a few extra home in aluminum foil. They love them—without the nuts.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 5 hr

With boiled potatoes and grilled vegetables, you have an easy dinner. Lemon sole or red snapper could be substituted for grouper. The sauce—our take on a Spanish classic—can also be used as a dip for vegetables or to spread on grilled bread.

A sweet snack, full of chewy dried cherries and apricots, to nibble or wrap as a gift.

"This is the cake I bake for most family events," writes Mary Charlotte McCall of Tallahassee, Florida. "I started making it years ago because my three new stepdaughters liked it so much. It's always a hit at big parties, club meetings and kid-related events."

In this recipe we slowly "double-cook" the quince, which prevents the fruit from crystallizing and heightens the pinkish- orange color it turns when cooked.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For an extra burst of orange flavor, mix some unsalted butter with grated orange peel to accompany these homespun biscuits.

Toasted walnuts and oven-roasted onion add great flavor to this lovely winter salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.