Make Ahead

I like to mix up several kinds of apples for great-tasting applesauce. I prefer it coarse, so I cook it for a short time and then mash it only slightly.

Farmers' markets offer the widest selection of fresh baby potatoes, but if you can't find golf-ball-size versions of any of the varieties in this recipe, simply purchase large potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

Tahini, a creamy sesame seed paste, adds a new twist to the dressing for the salad.

Executive editor Barbara Fairchild has a reputation as the staff chocoholic, so it's no surprise that her kitchen gift for the holidays is a big batch of brownies. A tried-and-true recipe from her mother, these treats are rich and very moist.

"My Aunt Rose, a consummate baker, perfected this pound cake, which for years has graced the table of every family gathering," says Barbara Chazan of New York, New York.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The fudge in the following recipe, with its unusually creamy texture, is too soft to serve at room temperature. It must be served chilled.