Brandy

Brown sugar, almonds and oats combine for a crunchy topping in this lovely dessert. A touch of kirsch, a clear cherry brandy, enhances the fruit.

Only 1/3 cup of flour is used in this recipe, so the cake has a deliciously dense texture.

Chocolate and cherry — the flavors of Germany's famous Black Forest torte — combine in this moist, fudgy cake. Baked in a metal bowl and covered with whipped cream, it resembles a snowball (boule-de-neige). Begin making this at least one day ahead.

We've combined two holiday heavy hitters — chestnut stuffing and sausage stuffing — into one delicious dish. We call for bacon in addition to fresh pork to bring in a bit of smokiness.

Pork, always a favorite in the Midwest and the South, gained popularity early in the century. Immigrants from pork-loving countries such as Germany and Poland were crowding the cities and finding that fresh pork, a luxury back home, was abundant and affordable. Recipes of the time called for pan-frying chops, covering them with apples and baking them for an hour or so. But that would leave today’s pork, which is less fatty, very dry. Here, brining is the trick for making pork chops flavorful and juicy.

This recipe originally accompanied Prune Kumquat Sticky Pudding with Amagnac Toffee Sauce .

Perfect for the Fourth of July. If you like, garnish the sundaes with maraschino cherries, small American flags and edible sugar stars.

This ice cream is served with a hazelnut torte at Die Quadriga in the Hotel Brandenburger Hof.

If you can't find the Gala variety, use Rome Beauty or Granny Smith apples.

This traditional New Orleans drink was apparently first developed during Prohibition at the famous eatery Antoine's. Customers were able to enjoy alcohol in a Cognac-laced coffee disguised in a pedestal coffee cup especially designed by the chef.

Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 30 min

While the birth of the Brandy Alexander cocktail may be obscured in the history of mixology, the creation of the like-named pie can be traced to right around December 1933, when Prohibition was repealed. Americans could once again enjoy a legal drink. That apparently inspired some creative cooks to flavor recipes once again with wines and liqueurs, and the forerunner of this pie was born. We've replaced the traditional graham cracker crust with one made of chocolate wafer cookies, and we've added white chocolate to the rich brandy and crème de cacao filling.