64 special recipes

Handmade liqueur-filled chocolates with a kirsch or Chambord fondant center coated in semi-sweet chocolate. These molded truffles make a sophisticated homemade candy gift for holidays and special occasions.

Sauteed green beans with garlic, mint, and white vinegar topped with crumbled feta cheese and chopped walnuts. A Mediterranean-style side dish that turns frozen green beans into something special.

Great cake is an old-fashioned colonial American pound cake loaded with currants, candied citron, and rosewater. A Martha Washington-era recipe that's dense, buttery, and built for special occasions.

Asian-inspired beef filets crusted in chopped peanuts, water chestnuts, and garlic, then baked and topped with a ginger-orange "August Moon" sauce. A retro fusion main dish for special occasions.

This festive babka is a rich, buttery yeast bread studded with raisins and topped with a cinnamon-sugar crumble. Baked in a springform pan, it's a showstopper for holidays and special occasions.

Fish in a fish: a fish-shaped pastry wrapped around flaked salmon and parsley-rice filling, served with creamy shrimp-dill sauce. An impressive Russian-inspired kulebiaka style showpiece for special occasions.

Elegant shrimp poached in champagne, then tossed with sautéed mushrooms, shallots, and tomatoes in a reduced cream sauce over angel hair pasta. This luxurious 40-minute dinner is worthy of a special occasion.

Preserved blueberries in orange liqueur syrup with fresh lavender flowers, canned in a boiling water bath. Spoon over vanilla ice cream, fold into yogurt, or gift a jar to someone who deserves something truly special.

Pumpkin chocolate chip bundt cake made with sweetened pumpkin pie filling and warm cinnamon, studded with semisweet chocolate chips. A one-bowl mix and pour into a tube pan, no special pans or steps needed.

Chilled pappa al pomodoro with crab meat crostini, a Tuscan bread-and-tomato soup served cold with a lemony crab-topped baguette float. An elegant no-cook summer appetizer that turns stale bread into something special.

Easy kimchi for first-timers: salted napa cabbage fermented with green onion, garlic, ginger, and dried chile in a simple brine. No fish sauce, no special paste. Let it bubble on the counter, then chill the funky, sour, crunchy result.

Apple pie topped with halved marshmallows that brown into golden, gooey peaks under a slow second bake. Tart apples, just sugar and nutmeg, no top crust. The midcentury trick that turns weeknight apple pie into something special.

This a delightful dish is an innovative and economical way to serve a do-it-yourself-style appetizer or main-dish. It is usually presented in a special lacquered wood or china tray with the required number of compartments. It is just as effective served on a tray in small bowls or dishes

This is one of those "ooooof!" cakes. Between the chocolate ganache and the chocolate mousse filling you might break out in some butter sweats, but it is very worth it. The cake is fluffy and moist, the mousse cool and airy, and the ganache smooth and creamy. A great show off cake for special occasions. Best of all, really easy to make!

This rich flavoursome dish originates in the fertile Punjab, a state now divided between India and Pakistan. There is nothing more important to a Punjabi man's diet than bread, and meals are accompanied by flat round cornbread rotis or rich, flaky pan-fried paratha layered with ghee (clarified butter). Rice is reserved for special occasions or for rice pudding, for the only food that makes a Punjabi feel he has eaten a proper meal is his bread! You of course, can serve this dish with plain boiled rice.

Birthday are always happening year round.There are many items that you can give as gifts.But homemade gift is very special.It is tasty and nutritious gift for a kids party.