Gourmet

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr

English Christmas "pudding" is really a dense, moist spiced cake. This gingerbread version is flavored with orange marmalade and topped with a traditional hard sauce — butter and sugar mixed with brandy.

If most of the coconut sauces you've encountered have been heavy and cloying, this one — light and frothy, with delicate flavor — will be a delicious surprise. It would also be perfect for spicing up poached skinless boneless chicken. This recipe is an accompaniment for Pistachio Sea Bass with Crab Salad and Coconut Sauce .

These biscotti are equally delicious made with roasted almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts in place of the cashews.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 40 min

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Barquettes are small, boat-shaped pastry shells that can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients.

Having the lamb boned makes it easier to serve at the table — you won't have to struggle with trying to slice around the bone.

Though it's not essential to make both sauces for these wings, we think the contrast between the rich peanut sauce and the light-yet-spicy gai yang — a classic Thai sauce for poultry — is a flavor combination that shouldn't be missed.

Frijoles Negros Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 40 min

If they are available, purchase dry-packed scallops, which exude less liquid.