Candy

To prevent fingerprints or smudges, wear thin cotton gloves* while handling the eggs.

These caramel-dipped fruits look like jewels and add another layer of elegance to the gingerbread roulade.

This recipe originally accompanied Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze .

Pasteli There are many variations of sesame honey candy from around the Mediterranean and the Middle East — some are hard and crunchy; others, like this Greek version, are chewy. This pasteli is sticky, but using a nonstick bakeware liner such as a Silpat pad will help you unmold the candy with ease. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 days

This recipe involves tempering, in which the chocolate is melted — and if necessary, cooled — to a temperature of just below body heat. Tempering chocolate helps to ensure that it will be glossy and stay firm at room temperature.

Jews from Persia (present-day Iran) are especially proud of Queen Esther's role in the holiday of Purim. A favorite dish of Iranian children is halvah, which they eat after they break the fast of Esther, observed on Adar 13. At nursery school, Merissa learned this recipe for halvah from an Iranian teacher. In between tastes, the children played with Esther and Ahasuerus marionettes they had made with the help of their teacher.

Covered with a cracked sugar crust, this cake is fragrant with butter — yet it uses far less than most cakes. And although it's made with yeast, the rising time is brief. I love this cake at any time of day, with raspberries, with fruit compotes of all kinds, and in place of shortcake with strawberries and cream.

Gianduia is a classic Italian combination of chocolate and hazelnuts. If you can't find foil candy cups, buy twice as many paper ones and use two (one inside the other) per candy. (Doubling the paper cups makes a sturdier form.) Arrange the confections in holiday tins, or place on decorative trays, wrap in cellophane and tie with gold ribbons.

Sugared flower petals are easy decorations for cakes, tarts, and cupcakes; they're just a little time-consuming. Be certain to use only nontoxic and organic (pesticide-free) flowers, such as bachelor's button, nasturtium, calendula, chamomile, violet, snapdragon, and Johnny-jump-ups.

Sephardim enjoy these confections on special occasions, especially Rosh Hashannah and Passover. Almost any fruit can be used in this process, but hard fruits require cooking and dried ones soaking. Although fruit is naturally sweet, the sugar in this recipe contributes additional sweetness and also intensifies the flavors, contributes body (so that the paste can be cut into shapes), and acts as a preservative.

This recipe was created to accompany Praline Pecan Tarts .

The candy gets its name from the popular German cake flavored with chocolate and cherries. Place the fudge in paper candy cups, and present it in pretty boxes tied with silk ribbon and holly sprigs.

White chocolate can be finicky to work with. We tried making this "leather" with different brands of white chocolate but achieved the most consistently good results with Callebaut and Baker's Premium White. You will need to repeat this recipe 4 times to make enough leather for 8 Tepee Birthday Cakes-do not try to save time by making one big batch.