Food Processor

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 10 1/2 hr Look for sugar pumpkins and cheese pumpkins — we find they make the tastiest purée for pies, tarts, and cakes.

This Moroccan-style dipping sauce would also be delicious on grilled chicken or fish. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr

In this dessert, two fillings — a dark mocha ganache and a white chocolate ganache — are swirled together with a small knife for a dramatic effect.

Terrific with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt.

Here's a tangy condiment that's great with roast turkey, beef or leg of lamb.

In 1917, a society grande dame asked Julius Keller, maître d’ of the Casino restaurant in New York, to surprise her with a new dish. Keller presented clams baked on the half shell, topped with minced bell pepper, herb butter and bacon. By the twenties, Clams Casino, as Keller called it, was ubiquitous on restaurant menus. Here is a lightened version with great lively flavors.

A spoonful of this classic compound butter, known as maître d'hôtel butter, makes an instant sauce for anything from grilled steak to sautéed chicken to steamed vegetables. It can also be stirred into soups and stews.

Pour a nice Gamay to enjoy alongside.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

These oat biscuits—similar to shortbread cookies—are wonderful with seasonal grapes and a good-quality triple-cr
me cheese. Triple-crème is a soft, creamy cow's-milk cheese (with at least 75 percent milk fat) that has a luscious, mild flavor. Because of its natural sweetness, it's perfect with dessert; Pierre Robert, Explorateur, Le Chevrot, or Chaource are all excellent choices.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Fried Clams .

Serve this slightly warm or at room temperature. Either way, it's fantastic with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

This dense, moist chocolate cake, made with dried pears, is stunning when decorated with gold leaf. Of course, you can always simply top it with chocolate curls.

Old-time taste in a hurry. Serve in deep bowls with ice cream or whipping cream.