American

"On our way to and from the Washington coast, we often stop at a small restaurant in Montesano called Savory Faire," says Thelma Laird of Fox Island, Washington. "They serve outstanding cinnamon rolls and imaginative sandwiches, but the recipe I'd most like to have is the one for pecan squares."

"When I was growing up, my mother would bake at least 20 different kinds of cookies each Christmas, but this is one of our favorites," writes Helen McKnight of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. "My father gave the cookie its name, which he said meant 'pecan fingers' in some foreign language. The name stuck, and I still smile when I make them."

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

"Imagine my surprise when, while waiting at a beauty salon, I opened an October 1994 issue of gourmet and noticed 'Gwen Bradford’s Ranger Cookies," begins Bonnie Donalson of San Diego, California. "'Impostor!' I cried. With all due respect to Ms. Bradford, as I am sure her cookies are delicious, it's hardly worth the trouble of baking cookies if you leave out the chocolate chips. I have a friend who literally fights with her husband over my ranger cookies. Others start hinting in October for their traditional bag of Christmas rangers."

These bran muffins bake up moist and chewy. They're so good that my in-laws, Reed and Nancy, make a batch every couple of days for snacking. This is another recipe that shows how buttermilk works to tenderize and lighten many baked goods. Bran retains much of its natural oil and can quickly turn rancid, so always store it in the refrigerator or freezer. I like to use unprocessed sugar crystals (don't confuse this with brown sugar) to complement the bran's whole grain taste. Each muffin has over 2 grams of fiber.

"I make a variety of candies for holiday gifts, and I always include these," writes Chloe Chapman of Portland, Oregon. "A friend of mine from the South, says that the filling tastes just like penuche, a creamy fudge-like candy made with brown sugar and butter." For proper texture, it’s important to cool the candy mixture to 112°F (but no cooler).

This recipe was created for my ten-year-old friend and cooking student, Evan Chender, who used it for his Thanksgiving feast one year. Fresh ginger really spices up the sweet, meltingly tender yams.

This recipe is perfect for Christmas Day breakfast since it can be completely assembled the night before and then baked in one batch in the oven.

Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr (includes making stock)

An elegant finale to the meal; the cake has a light texture, and the filling provides great pumpkin flavor with a hint of orange. Pour a late-harvest Sémillon with dessert.

Summer's luscious cherries topped with oats, almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon.

It's hard to get consensus on the definition of scrod. According to well-known Boston chef Jasper White, most New Englanders would agree that it's baby cod weighing under two pounds. However, some say that baby haddock and pollack are acceptable. Others contend that the kind of fish isn't important, but the manner of preparation is: If it's not broiled with the breadcrumbs, it's just baby cod. The Parker House hotel in Boston claims to have invented the dish. Here's our rendition; we serve it with broiled tomatoes.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Two New Orleans favorites — catfish and pecans — team up in this terrific dish from Upperline Restaurant.

Chilies add a southwestern twist to this traditional chowder.

If making these cupcakes for a large crowd, do not double the recipe but make multiple batches.