Orange

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For an extra burst of orange flavor, mix some unsalted butter with grated orange peel to accompany these homespun biscuits.

Filled Tricornered Cookies

Pies are probably the most popular dessert in Lancaster. Brown sugar and sweet potato are among the many ingredients used in fillings.

Great with grilled chicken, tuna, salmon, swordfish or shrimp.

An appealing appetizer salad from The Great House at Villa Madeleine, St. Croix.

The perennial Christmas gift gets a luscious face-lift in this impressive cake. We guarantee that it won't get shuffled around, and no one will make any jokes about it. Store the cake in the refrigerate for up to three weeks before giving. Wrap it in some red or green cellophane, and present it in a decorative box (a hatbox is fun) tied with a big, bright bow.

This delicate cake can be prepared a day before serving. Try this easy orange sauce over ice cream, too.

Serve this saucy dish with steamed rice or crusty French bread.

It's unusual to butter and flour the pan when making a chiffon cake, but we liked the delicate crust that resulted. Because we did it this way, the cake must be cooled, inverted, on a rack, not on a bottle (the usual procedure for chiffons), or it will fall right out of the pan! Don't be tempted to substitute lemon juice for orange juice in the recipe, as the cake will not be as tender.

When the use of chocolate became common in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, chocolaterías opened in Madrid, serving hot chocolate to weary voyagers and the homeless. In Spain, the warming elixir is distinguished by the addition of spice, but especially by its rich, frothy texture, achieved by heating and beating it several times. Traditionally, a wooden hand mill called a molinillo is used, but a whisk works as well.

A full-bodied Merlot would go well with this impressive Mediterranean-style dish. For an appetizer, offer melba toast spread with blue cheese; pass hot crusty bread with the shanks; and complete the supper with a simple green salad. Afterward, break out a lemon meringue pie from the bakery.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr