Rhubarb

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

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

Any extras are great cold for breakfast. As an alternative to the vanilla ice cream, top with sour cream or lowfat yogurt for a lighter interpretation.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 3/4 hr See how to roll out dough.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This jelly is a delicious alternative to the traditional mint jelly served as an accompaniment to roasted meats such as lamb or turkey.

Millefoglie con Crema alla Grappa e Rabarbaro Millefoglie is the Italian version of the French pastry mille-feuille (meaning "thousand leaves"), which is then layered with fruit and cream, napoleon-style. We like Julia brand grappa best for this particular recipe — it's slightly sweeter and has a more well-rounded flavor than other grappas we've tasted. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

The size of tapioca pearls varies widely. What one brand calls "small," another brand might term "large," so don't pay much attention to the label. Instead, look for pearls that are 1/8 to 3/16 inch in diameter for making this dessert.

Cooking rhubarb to the right consistency is trickier than you might think — it changes from barely tender to falling apart in a matter of seconds. Watch it carefully while it's poaching. In this recipe you’ll need to boil the rhubarb syrup to the "soft-ball stage." To determine this, just drop a small amount of syrup into a cup of cold water. If you can form it into a sticky lump that flattens when pressed, it has reached the right consistency. This technique is especially useful with small amounts of syrup, from which it can be difficult to obtain an accurate temperature reading with a thermometer.

Serve the ham with baked sweet potatoes and buttered baby peas. Finish with wedges of sponge cake topped with fudge sauce.

These bright cheesecake bars feature spring’s favorite flavor duo and a Triscuit cracker crust.

Sweet and creamy meets crunchy and tart.

Think of your favorite granola packed full of nuts and surrounding a layer of sweet-tart rhubarb jam and you’ve got these bars. 

Galettes were invented to make amateur bakers feel like pros.

Vodka in the dough hydrates the flour without developing gluten, which makes for an especially pliable dough and tender crust.

Fregola, a small, toasted Sardinian pasta, is classic with clams, and cockles make a great sub for Italy’s tiny vongole veraci.

This simple process works for practically any fruit; gauge how much sugar to use based on the fruit’s sweetness, and try cardamom or ginger in place of cinnamon.