Apple

Served with small scoops of ice cream and a pink-hued syrup, this fruit-filled dessert delivers a glorious finale to a special dinner. Strudel dough looks more difficult to make than it really is. The secret is using bread flour, a high-gluten flour, which allows you to stretch a small amount of dough over a large surface.

This recipe yields extra gingerbread — enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee.

Cooking a pot of rice is much easier than tearing up and toasting bread for stuffing. Assembling the side dish a day ahead saves time, too.

Here's a grown-up spin on the caramel apple — in tart form.

The cornbread needs to dry overnight, so start this at least one day ahead.

This stuffing pairs perfectly with roast turkey.

According to lore, the original mole was served with turkey that had been fattened with hazelnuts. In this variation, which doesn't include chocolate, hazelnuts are featured in the sauce.

Adding the cranberries in three stages, along with crumbled nuts, results in a wonderful conserve with layers of texture and flavor. The turbinado sugar imparts subtle caramel undertones.

This dish is the vegetable incarnation of mulled wine—the cabbage and onions soak up all the flavor of the red wine and spices, becoming incredibly aromatic.

Long, slow cooking is the key to these tender, juicy birds, braised in an autumnal mix of apples, cider, and caramelized onion. If pheasant is hard to come by, you can substitute chicken.

White bread is perfect for bread pudding—as long as it's hand-formed and (preferably) unsliced, like the old-fashioned white here.

You may want to double this recipe—the apple-walnut topping and whipped cream make these cakes disappear fast.

From the menu at Vongerichten's TriBeCa restaurant, 66.

Gemma Sanita Sciabica of Modesto, California, writes: "My husband's family produces olive oil, and I'm the company's recipe developer. We often hear from customers who love our oil but complain that they don't have the time to cook. Their comments inspired me to share my favorite recipes, which show just how simple great Italian food can be."

Chef-owner Shawn McClain of Custom House restaurant in Chicago created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. He recommends using a creamy, mild blue cheese like Fourme d'Ambert.