Pear

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A flavorful filling in an elegant dessert.

Serve grapes, apples and figs alongside.

Resist the temptation to use soft-ripe pears in this recipe as they will disintegrate during cooking and produce too much liquid.

On the gift card that she encloses with these preserves, food editor Kristine Kidd tells her friends to spread the pear butter on toast, French toast or pancakes or to heat it and spoon it over vanilla ice cream. If you want to omit the canning process, go ahead: The butter can be stored in the refrigerator up to two weeks.

Because the more traditional dark fruitcakes aren't really to her liking, senior editor Sarah Belk created this one, filled with her favorite nuts and dried fruits. To make these gifts even more festive, she suggest decorating the glazed cakes with additional dried fruits and nuts.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Riesling gives the dressing a delicate flavor. Crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts are sharp-crunchy contrasts with appeal.

(BUDINO DI RISO CON PERE E LIMONE) Since this recipe contains no milk or egg, it has a lighter texture and fewer calories than standard rice pudding.

Poires au Four avec Sabayon de Sauternes Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr

This spice-scented compote makes a great accompaniment to the New York cheesecake.

Poaching time for pears will vary, depending on their firmness.

Mascarpone gives a tangy contrast to the sweetness of pears that have been poached in vanilla-scented white wine.

"One evening my husband took me to a marvelous restaurant, Al Biernat's, in nearby Dallas," says Janice E. Bryant of Irving, Texas."I had an innovative salad—greens tossed with grilled pear slices, walnuts, blue cheese and a terrific vinaigrette."

Betty Caldwell was Gourmet's production director for many years. She has an avid interest in cooking and gave us this recipe, which became an instant holiday classic.