Fall

We made this flan in a 4-cup savarin mold, but a 9 × 2-inch round cake pan or a 9-inch glass pie plate can be used as well.

This recipe is versatile. You can use any firm-flesh pears or apples—or a combination; just be sure the size of the fruits you use is uniform. You can also try another dry whole spice (such as cinnamon or cloves) in place of the star anise.

Bosc pears must be very ripe; Anjou, which are juicier, can be slightly firm. Avoid enamel baking dishes, as they cause the syrup to burn.

Halving the yams before roasting greatly reduces the cooking time and allows them to develop a nice golden crust.

For a less formal but equally appealing presentation, you can spoon rather than pipe the filling into the shells.

This recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; reheat before serving.

This recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; reheat before serving.

We used acorn squash for this recipe, but other types, such as butternut or pumpkin, work as well.

Use a citrus reamer, juicer, or press to extract the pomegranate juice.