Dairy

This harkens to those beloved jam-filled cookies that have been favorites in cookie jars for generations. This savory twist embellishes the dough with Parmesan cheese, the jam in question made with tomato and tart cherries. The jam recipe makes more than is needed for this batch of cookies, but it's not practical to make in smaller quantities. Extra will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Spread it on turkey or ham sandwiches, slather it on chicken breasts before baking, or serve as an accompaniment to cheese. You can use dried cranberries in place of the dried tart cherries, if you like. For a short-cut version, you could nix making the jam here and simply use prepared plum or fig jam, or another minimally sweet jam.

It's the crispy fried skin that makes wings a diet no-go. Using chicken tenders keeps 'em healthy.

Opting for top round beef keeps our sliders on the leaner side, with only 4 g sat fat apiece.

Packing these puppies full of veggies gives them a wallop of low-cal flavor, leaving plenty of room for queso.

We subbed baked chips for fried. Same flavor, less fat.

These mini-taters keep portion size in check, so you can enjoy cheesy, bacony goodness without thinking twice.

Quickly cooking shredded butternut squash with butter and sage turns it into an almost-instant sauce for a very autumnal pasta dinner.

With a bag of frozen kale in your freezer, this elegant dish comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Pull the eggs off the heat when they still look a little loose; carryover cooking will do the rest.

Don't worry about getting too much color on your pears—they will gain more caramel flavor the darker they go. This unusual dessert is a play on flavors—savory alongside sweet—and textures.

This twist on pasta carbonara is sweet from leeks and rich thanks to cream (in place of eggs).

Rösti is a large potato pancake made famous by the Swiss. This version omits the speck, but feel free to add a slice under the cheese. Chilling parboiled potatoes makes the grating step easier.

Tasty, and healthy, too: Coconut water is high in potassium and other electrolytes. And Flaxseeds are a good source of beneficial omega-3s.

For the ultimate nachos, layer tortilla chips with beer-braised carnitas, black beans, and shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack. Bake until the cheese is melty, then serve it with all your favorite toppings.

These dumplings are delicious with pomodoro sauce, or try them with brown butter and sage.

"I love to give tangy, sweet pineapple the Mexican-corn treatment by sprinkling it with salty Cotija cheese and dusting it with cayenne pepper." —Chris Morocco, associate food editor

Frittatas are excellent served warm or at room temperature, which means that this meatless main is a perfect do-ahead dish.

We get a little weak-kneed with delight around cakes, particularly cakes whimsically shaped to look like something else—in this case, a Yule log. Made famous in France as Bûches de Noël, these sheet cakes, filled, rolled, and frosted to look like the trunks of trees, complete with the stumps of sawed off branches, provide creative cooks the very real opportunity to play with their food. Want a few woodsy meringue mushrooms made from meringue to continue the conceit? Why not? No offense to the French, but we think this Italian version, brushed with an espresso syrup, filled with whipped cream lightened mascarpone cheese, and encased in a serious chocolate ganache, which lends itself well to sculpting, is just about the best we've ever had. Buttercream frosting is good—we know only too well from licking many bowls of it clean—but ganache is easier to make and even better to eat! Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for A Christmas Classic. Menu also includes Herb-Crusted Beef Rib Roast with Potatoes, Carrots, and Pinot Noir Jus and Green Beans with Caramelized Pecans .

These spicy molasses cookies were a popular nineteenth-century New Orleans street food. For years, grocery stores throughout the United States have been selling them prepackaged, and often topped with white or pink icing.