Raisin

The name Indian pudding comes from the addition of cornmeal here — early colonists called most everything made with corn "Indian." Originally the pudding was cooked in a pot over the open hearth and was very dense. This is a lighter version baked in a modern oven, but we kept the traditional step of pouring milk or cream over the top of the pudding before cooking it.

Also good with pound cake or waffles.

In this beautiful main course, served at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia, a mixture of dried apricots, raisins, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach is the surprise filling.

This is the Rolls-Royce of bran muffin recipes. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A healthy take on an old favorite.

This version of the much maligned Christmas classic is deliciously lacking in candied cherries, giant mixed nuts and citron, but it is filled with bits of marzipan and lots of appealing dried fruit. Baking the cakes in disposable aluminum loaf pans (available at supermarkets) or in decorative cardboard loaf pans (available at some cookware stores or by mail order) makes gift giving easy; just wrap each cake in its pan in cellophane, and add a colorful ribbon.

This version of clafouti is like a custard.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The colonists planted around 150 varieties of apples in New England, many of which can still be found today. Apples show up most often in a double-crust pie, but the crisp is also a superb showcase. Nothing more than fruit baked with crumbly nut, flour, sugar and butter topping, it's as simple to make as it is delicious.

Often called black cakes, spice cakes flavored with molasses are a perennial on the southern dessert buffet.

Here's a sophisticated but easy desert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.