DAY Recipe

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

Makes 24 to 36.

INGREDIENTS
24to 36 pieces assorted fresh and dried fruits (such as fresh cranberries, whole strawberries, orange segments with membranes intact, kumquats, dried [...]

Caffelatte is what Italians of all ages have for breakfast at home. For small children it is a cupful of warm milk lightly stained with coffee, the ratio of coffee to milk increasing with one’s years. It is often accompanied by some store-bought biscuits, but not in my assistant Nadia’s family. She lives on her [...]

INGREDIENTS
for the crock-pot
1 (5 1/2lb) hen
2 cups juicy juice cherry juice
3 tablespoons jamaican allspice
1 cup green dried apples
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 prunes
for the sauce
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup prunes
2 cups juicy juice cherry juice
1 tablespoon jamaican allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 cup roasted sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

Prepare hen to be cooked (make sure to wash and remove anything you don’t want to eat, but leave the skin on).
Stuff approximately half of the fruit required for the crock pot inside the hen, and place in crock [...]

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
6seckel pears (or Forelle pears, quartered lengthwise*)
6lady apples , halved crosswise*
3whole star anise
3 tablespoons sugar
CINNAMON CUSTARD
1beaten egg
2/3 cup milk
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 dash ground cinnamon (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet cook apple cider over low heat just to boiling.
Carefully add pears, apples, and star anise to the hot liquid.
Sprinkle sugar over fruit.
Cook fruit mixture, covered, for 5 minutes or until the fruit is just tender.
To serve, using a slotted [...]

The recipe for the coconut pudding is adapted from Mexican Light Cooking by Santa Fe-based chef Kathi Long.

Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla [...]