Raisin

I leave the roots on the leeks until after cooking, so they don't fall apart. Just wash and trim beforehand.

Coconut, lemon rind, and raisins are a bright surprise. "A lot of people buy my cookbook just to get this recipe," says Mrs. Wilkes.

All the appeal of traditional mincemeat pie—without all of the traditional work.

The sweetness and creaminess of this cheese celebrate the breaking of the traditional Russian dairy-free fast that precedes Easter and provide a nice contrast to the salty meats and bold flavors of the rest of the holiday menu.

This is like a light-textured cheesecake. It needs to chill overnight, so plan ahead.

Founded in Boston in the nineteenth century, Schrafft's shops soon became renowned for the quality of their candies, ice creams, and especially their cookies. Eventually they opened several stores in New York City, but according to food writer and food historian Judith Jones, true Schrafft's cookie aficionados believed that the Boston version of their oatmeal cookies was superior, and so they would travel to Boston by train to buy them. This recipe is based on the original Schrafft's formula but I've added some dark brown sugar for the rich color and flavor that it imparts. This is a soft, pleasantly chewy cookie, with plenty of raisins and nuts.

Capirotada The cheese in this recipe melts into the pudding and contributes more texture than flavor.

Every year for nearly twenty years Gourmet's production director baked this cake for our mailroom manager on his birthday. Suffice it to say that this delectable dessert has stood the test of time.

One of our editors, who was raised in the Midwest, was eager to share her grandmother's recipe for fruit cookies. Although this cookie doesn't look particularly Christmasy, it's apparently a venerable family tradition.

Lowcountry cooking is full of ideas that seem foreign to outsiders. This sweet and spicy chutney is the perfect foil for salty country ham. Ground together, the two form a paste for memorable appetizers.

Barm brack is a dark and fruity yeast-raised cake (barm means "yeast"; brack means "speckled"). Tea brack is the much more common baking powder version.