Dried Apricot

Ellen Schwab, Bethesda, Md.
"I created this cookie, which combines my two favorite flavors — hazelnut and chocolate — just for this contest."

For Golden Pumpkin adn Apricot Layer Cake Try any extra puree with biscuits or waffles.

Be sure to order an uncut wheel of Brie ahead of time from a cheese shop or specialty foods store. The entire wheel is baked with a flavorful chutney; any leftover chutney is great with curries or roasts.

The pastry for this tart is very light and crisp. For best results, handle it as little as possible and keep it cool. You will need a 12 1/2- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom, available at cookware shops and by mail order from Bridge Kitchenware, tel. (800) 274-3435 or (212) 838-1901.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Rich with chocolate and dried apricots, this dessert is a stately yeast-risen cake that requires no kneading and very little attention. When you set it aside in a warm place, it does much of the work by itself. A large bundt or angel food pan can replace the traditional ornate mold.

A hearty sweet and savory stew that's a perfect seasonal meal when teamed up with crusty bread and a green salad.

This can be prepared one day ahead, making the seder day much easier. Serve steamed broccoli on the side.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr (includes cooling)

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr

Use two 6-mold nonstick mini-Bundt-cake pans or giant-muffin tins for these.

What to drink: Fess Parker 2000 Late Harvest Muscat Canelli, Santa Barbara County, or another sweet dessert wine with orange and honey flavors.

These clafoutis-like puddings are best served warm. This dessert can be made using a 9-inch pie plate instead of the gratin dishes.

Call them galettes sucrees, mandelbrot, or biscotti — I love these Moroccan cookies, made by Rosette Toledano of Netanya, who, as her daughter says, "puts her heart in her cooking."