Food Processor

An intense dark-chocolate filling topped with sweet-tangy cream.

Breading gives skinless fillets oomph, and a quick sauté cooks them through.

Tarama (or taramasalata) is a Greek spread traditionally made with carp roe, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, milk, olive oil, and seasonings. Here, smoked salmon adds an extra dose of flavor.

Brown sugar and molasses are balanced by fresh ginger and jalapeños.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Rick Tramonto's book Fantastico! If you like hummus—and most people do—you will love this bean puree, which could be called an Italian version of the classic bean spread. For my mother, ceci beans (chickpeas) were a household staple, so they are for me, too. I keep cans in my pantry at all times because they are so versatile. You could cook your own instead of relying on canned, but for this puree I find the canned beans are just fine. And so much easier. Don't scrimp on the olive oil—you want the puree to be juicy and rich. The squeeze of lemon juice at the end will make you sing "hallelujah!"

This variation on spice cookies will beguile with its unlikely ingredients: A little curry powder provides an unplaceable base note for flat brown-sugar tuiles studded with pistachios and chocolate chunks. And these are the least fussy of cookies—just spread the batter, sprinkle with chocolate and nuts, and then break up into pieces after baking.

Golden-brown scallops are gorgeous when framed by a bright pea purée. An infusion of curry and lime juice invigorates this dish.

Here, broccoli gets turned into irresistible finger food, while silken tofu adds a creamy touch to the dairy-free dip.

It's no secret that kids go crazy for crisp, fried potatoes. Serve them these classic latkes and you'll be giving them exactly what they want.

Love a cookie with crunch? These thin, crisp butter cookies are for you—each one is topped with crumbled almond praline, and its flavor plays on the time-tested combination of caramel and salt.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Carole Bloom's book The Essential Baker. One of my favorite treats when I was growing up was malted milk balls. I couldn't seem to get enough of them. I vividly remember biting through the crunchy exterior of milk chocolate to find the malt ball inside. Yum! I still love the flavor of malt and believe it goes well with milk chocolate. This cheesecake is inspired by those malted milk balls I loved as a child. It's dense and creamy, with a crunchy cookie crust and a deep malt flavor. As with other cheesecakes, this one has to be made in advance of serving because it needs hours to cool and chill. But it also freezes beautifully, so you can make it well in advance of when you plan to serve it.

To keep the pie crust from getting soggy, brush the bottom with egg white.

Sour cherries have a short season. If you can't find fresh ones, use quick-frozen or canned sour cherries.

Pulse the food processor on and off a few times to give this spread the right texture.

Be sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas well before using.

SERVING SUGGESTION: With pre-dinner drinks or on a salumi platter.

The fragrant spices in this apple crisp are pure Christmas, and the cornmeal in the topping adds a rustic touch.

Rich and silky, with black pepper and crystallized ginger adding a little punch.