Baking

A flavorful filling in an elegant dessert.

These cookies are rolled in confectioners' sugar while warm, which gives them a thin buttery frosting.

(TORTA DI RISO CON COMPOSTA DI CILIEGE E ALBICOCCHE) This flourless dessert is popular, especially on the Po River plain. The texture is more like that of a rice pudding than that of a cake. The compote is a refreshing partner. For a treat, uncork a semisweet Lambrusco.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling)

If you don't have apple brandy, simply substitute apple cider. In addition to the crystallized ginger, the cinnamon sugar sprinkled on the crust adds a lovely essence. To serve this very special pie, I suggest topping each slice with a bit of cheddar cheese.

Cylindrical cookie presses are a fast and convenient way to make uniform intricate shapes. If you prefer something other than a wreath-shaped cookie, change the disk of your press and decorate as desired with colored sugars, nuts, or dragées to create Christmas trees, snowflakes, or poinsettias. The possibilities are endless.

Thyme adds a holiday touch to these light, buttery biscuits.

Root vegetables were often used to lend sweetness to eighteenth-century cakes and puddings. The carrot cake layers in this recipe are sandwiched with marmalade and iced with a cream cheese frosting.