Snack

These tempting appetizers look like they’re difficult to make... but they’re not. They feature a spinach, onion and cheese filling simply rolled up in flaky puff pastry and sliced into pinwheels.

Want to impress your guests? Then whip up a batch of these delectable puff-pastry wrapped shrimp stuffed with a mix of cheese, bacon and parsley. They’re superb!

Easy to prepare, but oh so elegant...these tempting appetizers feature asparagus spears individually wrapped with prosciutto, garlic & herb cheese and flaky puff pastry.

Company coming? Here’s an easy and elegant breakfast or brunch idea that your guests will really enjoy. It features puff pastry shells filled with egg, cheese, bacon and chopped chives!

Easy Marzipan, in some form or another, has been in existence for almost a thousand years—likely even longer. Its history is long and convoluted, but in One Thousand and One Nights there is mention of almond paste eaten as a treat, and by the 15th century it was widely documented as a popular indulgence. In fact, according to our hero, food science savant Harold McGee, Leo da Vinci even got into the marzipan-sculpting game (and lamented the philistines who unhesitatingly devoured his little works of art). These days it's mostly associated with rock-hard models of fruit, but if you've ever tried those and aren't a fan, we urge you to make a batch of your own. Fresh marzipan has a lovely delicate flavor and light texture, and is wonderful dipped in dark chocolate. Of course, if you want to get all arts-n-craftsy on what is basically delicious modeling clay, be our guest. (Leo would approve.)

Worth It If you're anything like us, the first thing you think of when you hear "Turkish delight" is Edmund, the jerky younger brother from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe who's plied with Turkish delight by the evil White Queen. We never really had this candy growing up, and so it has a bit of a magical association. How could something be so good that it would cause you to betray your family? Well, to be fair, the queen's Turkish delight was actually magical—we can't promise the same for this. But we can promise a delightfully soft and chewy sweet that's better than any store-bought version you've encountered. Rosewater is the traditional flavoring, and is available at many specialty and gourmet stores, but feel free to replace it with the same amount of whatever pure extract you like, such as orange or vanilla. Do note that this recipe requires expert timing (don't worry: that doesn't mean you have to be fast as lightning)—read it through a couple of times before you start! It's not a difficult recipe, but if you don't have a good idea of how everything gets put together before you begin, it's easy to bamboozle yourself in the middle. Be a good Scout and be prepared!

Moderate This is one of those candies we'll forget about for a while, and then when we eat one, we say to ourselves, "Hot dang! That's really good." It can be easy to forget sometimes, in this crazy mixed-up world, how pleasurable a simple combination like caramel, chocolate, and salt can be. If you've never had a real chocolate caramel, we'll spare you the attempt at describing the experience of eating one—just go ahead, make this, and find out for yourself. (Hint: it starts with a D and ends with an Elightful.) When we're feeling extra fancy, we like to reduce butter to 2 1/4 tablespoons and add 1 teaspoon black truffle oil. Yum!

As a rule, every dough you make should contain salt—it complements the sweetness in your filling—and this buttery shortbread is no exception. Using salt in the crust and the filling helps create balance among the sweet, the bitter (from the lemon peel), and the acidic notes (from the fresh lemon juice).

Adding salt to this classic sauce lets you taste the rich complexity of the caramel, not just the sweetness. To save time, feel free to replace the almonds and butter with 1/2 cup store-bought roasted almond butter (with no added sugar). Just stir in the salt and almond extract and it's recipe-ready.

Here, a coarse sea salt like fleur de sel or sel gris plays a few important roles: It tempers and cuts the richness of the nuts and butter, it adds a concentrated crunch— and it makes the brittle look divine. Break this vibrant green pistachio brittle on top of ice cream or crumble it over rice pudding. Or, do what we do, and eat it straight off the baking sheet.

Finishing your cookies with a delicate, flaky salt like Maldon brings out the chocolate flavor and tempers the sweetness, creating the ultimate sweet and salty snack.

Delicate, crumbly little thumbprints that are the perfect combination of sweet and savory—a cheese plate wrapped into one crunchy little morsel.

WHO: Midge lives in Boston and is a journalist specializing in travel. She says, "Cooking, especially baking, is my way of winding down after a long day." WHAT: A rich pudding that has just the right balance of bitter and sweet. HOW: Starting the water bath with cool water, rather than hot, cooks the pudding very gently, giving it the most incredibly silken, glossy structure. WHY WE LOVE IT: Puddings thickened with cornstarch make great comfort food, but Midge's luxurious caramel custard, which uses egg yolks as its only setting agent, elevates pudding to dinner party fare. As with any egg-enriched custard, the key is careful tempering. As for the caramel, be sure to brown it as far as your nerves allow. Midge says: "So far, one of the best parts about living in Boston is my proximity to Toscanini's burnt caramel ice cream. I'm not even that into ice cream, but this flavor, with its slight bitter edge to cut the richness, is cracklike. I attempted to capture it in a pudding, and after incinerating a lot of sugar, I think I finally got it."

Southerners are especially clever about using up breads, raisins, and other dried fruits going stale. This frugal bread pudding—elegant enough for a party—is a case in point. The bread to use is firm-textured white bread (a.k.a. farm-style bread). I think raisin bread would be equally delicious though I've never tried it. And if I do, I'll omit the raisins or use half the amount called for. Tip: Only top-quality bourbon or sour mash whiskey will do for the sauce. Cheap brands lack flavor.

"Hey. Hey. I'm Frank, the Conch Salad Man. I'll sell you the world's best conch salad!" He was holding a huge white pickle bucket brimming with his conch salad. With no more explanation than that, he reached in and gave me a paper cup full. I tipped back a mixture of finely diced conch, tomatoes, red onions, Scotch bonnets, bell peppers, celery, citrus juices and herbs. The flavors of the sea were in there, too. Living in Key West was my culinary university; I never needed more formal training. The place was filled with honest, in-your-face flavors that came from the Cuban, Bahamian and African-American residents and wanderers who passed through. I didn't move to Key West to re-invent the cuisine—I came to find a home. In the process, I found a path to both. In this recipe, you will taste the foundation of each.

Pico de gallo, also known as salsa Mexicana, has become a common sight on tables in the U.S. and it's easy to see why. The mixture of raw, chopped ingredients improves just about any meal with its lively acidity, lip-tingling heat, and crisp texture. This version is a riff on the classic that swaps lemon for lime to great effect. Whenever I take a bite I have a heretical thought: This is so delicious that maybe we Mexicans should use only lemons!

Do you love apple pie, but feel stuck in a classic-pie rut at Thanksgiving? Bake outside the box this year with the Italian version, known as crostata. Unlike typical American pie pastry, crostata pastry is similar to cookie dough, so instead of being flaky, it bakes up like a crisp, chewy sugar cookie. Drizzle slices with warm spiced caramel sauce, and you just might count yourself among the crostata converts. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of our Gourmet Modern Menu for Thanksgiving for 2 or 20. Menu also includes: Citrus-Sage Roast Turkey with Gravy (whole turkey or breast ); Roasted Butternut Squash Ribbons with Arugula, Pancetta, and Hazelnut Salad; Mashed Potato and Cauliflower Gratin; Cabernet-Cranberry Sauce with Figs; and Challah, Sausage, and Dried Cherry Stuffing .

Kids and adults alike will get a kick out of these "red-veined eyeball" toasts. The great thing about the boo-schetta is that a platter full of them not only looks eerie but also tastes delicious—a claim you can’t always make when striving for themed party food. Whatever you do, don't blink! These cheese-topped toasts will disappear before your very eyes. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Halloween: Spooky Snacks. Menu also includes Scary Barbecue Snack Mix and Chocolate-Covered Pumpkin Cheesecake Pops.

If suave and hipster-hot is your idea of a dessert, you've just found it. These chile-ginger-mint jellies are an almost academic study in the contrasting sensations of hot and cool. The Chinese consider ginger to be hot—it's the source of heat in hot and sour soup—but Americans tend to view ginger more as a fresh, zinging accent of flavor. Add some fresh chile to the ginger and you introduce a new dimension of complexity that's counterbalanced by the cooling aspect of mint. The result? Your taste buds are rewarded with the dynamic duo of fiery hot and icy cold, all in one bite. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Fiery Fare. Menu also includes Spicy Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce and Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Grilled Chicken.

You can count on snack mix to be the first thing to disappear at a party. Salty, cheesy, crunchy (and with an optional kick of heat)—this addicting combo is a flavor-packed blend of popcorn, tortilla chips, and corn nuts gently scented with tangy barbecue sauce and Spanish smoked paprika. It's the perfect savory balance to an evening's worth of Halloween sweets. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Halloween: Spooky Snacks. Menu also includes Mozzarella and Roasted Red Pepper Boo-schetta and Chocolate-Covered Pumpkin Cheesecake Pops.