Shown: 7-inch cake and individual size.
Photo courtesy Financier Pâtisserie.

Financier Pâtisserie will send a beautiful seasonal cake to you, your holiday host, or anyone you’d like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving.

Beautifully crafted in the French tradition, the cakes are available in 7-inch or 9-inch sizes for $22.50 and $32.50, respectively. Choose from:

• Pumpkin Cheesecake with a cookie crust
• Pecan Caramel Aux Poires, a pecan crust topped with crémeux caramel (similar to crème brûlée), poached pears, chocolate génoise, vanilla bavarian and a caramel glaze (shown in photo)
• Chocolate Mousse Cake with Chai Crème Brûlée, a macaron crust topped with chocolate ganache, thin layers of chocolate cake, chai crème brûlée and a light chocolate mousseOrder online at FinancierPastries.com.

  See our Cake Glossary for more beautiful cakes.

A toddy is a warm cocktail made with spirits or sherry, boiling water, sugar and spices. Warm alcoholic beverages such as glögg, mulled wine and toddies originated in Northern Europe to help with the winter chill. Learn more about them, including recipes.

• Head over to the Spiced Cider recipe. There’s also a reduced-calorie version.
• For a cocktail cousin, take a look at the Spice Night Cocktail, a chilled cocktail made with rum, apple juice and maple syrup.
• See all of our drink recipes in our Cocktails Section.

Serve guests hot spiced cider, “virgin” or
spiked. Photo courtesy National Honey Board.

Only a grinch could resist these chocolate
cherries. Photo by Katharine Pollak | The
Nibble.

To quote Al Jolson,* “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

John & Kira’s makes the best chocolate cherry bonbons.

Even if you don’t think they’re better, they’re as good as the artisan chocolate cherries you currently enjoy. For example, we’re also quite fond of chocolate cherry bonbons filled with real kirschwasser (cherry eau de vie), but they’re hard to find in the U.S.

And neither they, nor any other chocolate cherry, is as beautiful as John & Kira’s hand-colored bonbons.

These are not the conventional cherry cordial—a maraschino cherry wrapped in fondant (that turns into a drippy sugar syrup) and enrobed in chocolate.

Instead, the center is a 62% Valrhona dark chocolate ganache, mixed with dried tart cherries and a hint of brandy.

Beautifully gift-boxed, you can place your gift order at JohnAndKiras.com.

*America’s most famous, highest-paid entertainer of the 1930s.

They’re actually “bread flakes” rather than bread crumbs. Panko is made in small flakes, not ground into crumbs like traditional bread crumbs. The flakes provide a crisper, crunchier coating and an airier texture.

Use them to coat fried chicken, crab cakes, fried zucchini, mozzarella sticks and all of your favorites. You can even sprinkle them on ice cream for crunch.

You can find panko in the Asian products section of many supermarkets; at all Asian food markets; and online.

Boxes of panko also make creative stocking stuffers for people who love fried food. The panko from Sushi Chef, in a smart black, white and red box, is particularly giftworthy.

Panko-crusted pork. Photo by
Parkerman & Christie | Wikimedia.

The best dessert this year! Photo by
Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

That’s because the recipe and the visual presentation are simply divine.

Rectangular shells of butter pastry are lined with a perfect caramel, then topped to overflowing with the tastiest, fresh-roasted nuts.

There are nuts to suit every palate: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios or walnuts. Or, have them all in the mixed nuts version shown in the photo.

Then drizzle a tiny bit more caramel over the nuts; bake and sell to grateful customers.

These elegant desserts will dazzle at a dinner party or tea party, make a memorable gift, or treat you to a sublime pastry experience. And for only $6 per nut box!

Each nut box could easily be shared by two people—but don’t even think of asking for half of ours.

• Sink your teeth into the full review.
• Find more of our favorite pastries.
• Discover new types of pastry in our beautiful Pastry Glossary.