• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line two large cookie sheets with parchment.
• Crumble almond paste into food processor with knife blade attached.
• Add sugar and process until paste has texture of fine meal; transfer to large bowl.
• Add egg white and honey.
• With mixer at low speed, beat until dough is blended.
• Increase speed to medium-high and beat until very smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Spoon batter into pastry bag fitted with ½-inch round tip.
• Pipe 1¼-inch rounds, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Brush cookies lightly with water and cover completely with pine nuts, pressing gently to make nuts stick.
• Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway through.
• Slide parchment paper onto wire racks and let cookies cool on parchment paper.
• Repeat with remaining dough and pine nuts.
• Store pignoli in airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

10 Servings

• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1 cup water and ½ cup sugar to boiling over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
• Set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, from 1 or 2 lemons, grate 2 teaspoons peel and squeeze ¼ cup juice.
• In food processor with knife blade attached, blend 1 pound hulled strawberries and 1½ cups raspberries until pureed.
• With back of spoon, press puree through sieve into medium bowl; discard seeds.
• Stir sugar syrup and lemon juice and peel into berry puree.
• Pour into 9-inch square metal baking pan.
• Cover, freeze, and scrape to serve, as directed in box Granita Know-How.

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly grease large cookie sheet.
• In small bowl, beat together egg whites, oil, coffee, and vanilla.
• In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nuts, and cherries until well mixed.
• Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients and stir until combined.
• Shape dough into two 12” by 1” logs; place both on prepared cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
• Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool logs on cookie sheet on wire rack 10 minutes.
• Transfer 1 log to cutting board.
• Cut diagonally into scant-½-inch-thick slices.
• Lay slices out flat on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Repeat with remaining log, using second cookie sheet if necessary.
• Bake until dry, 20 minutes, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway though baking if using two sheets.
• Using wide metal spatula, transfer biscotti to rack to cool.
• Store biscotti in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse hazelnuts with sugar, cocoa, chocolate, and salt until ground.
• Add egg whites and vanilla; process until well blended.
• (Mixture will be tacky.
• )
• Drop batter by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart, on cookie sheets.
• Bake 10 minutes or until tops look dry, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking.
• Cool completely on cookie sheets on wire racks.
• Store in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
• In food processor with knife blade attached, process almond paste and sugar until only occasional small lumps remain.
• Add egg whites and vanilla; pulse until well combined.
• Spoon batter into decorating bag fitted with ½-inch star tip.
• Pipe batter into 3-inch-long fingers, 1 inch apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake macaroons until edges start to turn golden brown, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway through.
• Set cookie sheets on wire racks to cool.
• Repeat with remaining batter.
• In microwave-safe cup, heat chocolate in microwave oven on High until soft and shiny, 1 minute.
• Stir until smooth.
• With pastry brush, brush chocolate on half of each macaroon.
• Let stand until set or refrigerate 5 minutes to set chocolate.
• Peel cookies from parchment.
• Store macaroons, with waxed paper between layers, in tightly covered container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

• Line 13” by 9” baking pan with foil, extending foil over rim.
• Prepare Creamy Polenta as directed but use only 3½ cups boiling water and cook until mixture is very thick and indentation remains when spoon is dragged through polenta, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Stir in Parmesan and butter as directed.
• Spoon mixture into prepared pan, smoothing top.
• Refrigerate until very firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat broiler.
• Lift foil with polenta from baking pan; place on cookie sheet.
• Cut polenta into 16 triangles; separate triangles.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter or margarine and combine with ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary; brush onto polenta wedges.
• Broil 5 to 7 inches from heat source until lightly browned and heated through, about 10 minutes.
• Makes 16 side-dish servings

• In deep 4-quart microwave-safe bowl or casserole, combine 2 cups low-fat (1%) milk, 1½ cups cornmeal, and 1 teaspoon salt until blended.
• Stir in 4½ cups boiling water.
• Cook in microwave oven on High for 12 to 15 minutes.
• After first 5 minutes of cooking, with wire whisk, stir vigorously until smooth (mixture will be lumpy at first).
• Stir two more times during cooking.
• When polenta is thick and creamy, stir in 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, and ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
• Makes 8 side-dish servings.

• Bring 4½ cups water to a boil.
• In 5-quart Dutch oven, combine remaining 2 cups cold water and salt.
• With wire whisk, gradually beat in cornmeal until smooth.
• Whisk in boiling water.
• Return to boiling over high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently with wooden spoon, until mixture is very thick, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Stir Parmesan and butter into polenta until butter has melted.
• Serve immediately.

3 Cups Or 4 Side-Dish Servings

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• In large jelly-roll pan, toss 1¼ pounds thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, 1 thinly sliced garlic clove, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
• Spread evenly to make a single layer.
• Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once, until sprouts are browned.
• In medium bowl, toss sprouts with 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and ¼ cup coarsely grated Parmesan.

4 side-dish servings

• Pierce 1 small spaghetti squash (2½ pounds) all over.
• On plate, microwave squash on High for 14 minutes or until tender; let cool.
• Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds.
• With fork, scrape squash lengthwise; place strands in medium bowl.
• Pit and chop ¼ cup Kalamata olives; add to bowl along with 3 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino-Romano, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar.