Fall Foods

Cathal Armstrong tells of how a family friend came over for lunch one day and marveled at the apple pie his mother, Angela, had made. When her husband, Gerry, asserted that it must have been the apples he grew that made the pie taste so good, the friend said, "Angela, you tell him pastry like that doesn't grow on trees." Since puff pastry can be tricky to prepare, this version of Angela's pie uses a high-quality, store-bought puff pastry.

Halved acorn squash make perfect single-serving bowls. These make a great vegetarian main course for any winter holiday, but they're also a festive accompaniment to turkey, ham or roast goose.

This gluten-free pumpkin bread has a wonderfully crunchy top and deliciously spiced and moist crumb. It's perfect with coffee during the autumn months.

In this supereasy one-pot recipe, all you do is set chicken on top of a mix of squash, apples and sage and roast it.

"To step into Los Angeles's Big Sugar Bakeshop is to enter a confectionery alt-universe," F&W proclaimed about Mary Odson and Lisa Ritter's innovative bakery in 2008. Cathy Odson, Mary's sister, reinvents apple pie as a bar with a nutty, streusel-like topping and a crisp, buttery shortbread crust. It's America's iconic dessert, transformed into an even more indulgent snack.

Sweet potatoes grow in abundance in Alabama, where sculptor Sandi Stevens' family eats them year-round. This casserole is a Stevens favorite: silky pureed sweet potatoes topped with a sweet and crunchy pecan-cornflake topping. If you don't have pecans or cornflakes on hand, Stevens says the topping can be made with whatever nut or cereal is in the cupboard.

This holiday inspired oatmeal cookie has dried sweet cranberries and perfect for your next gathering.

To make chopping macadamia nuts easy, Greg Patent suggests, put them in a resealable plastic bag and breaking them up with a rolling pin.

Goat cheese fans will love the tang that the cheese adds to this sweet and luscious gratin, with its crispy topping.

Legendary chef Jacques Pepin sears pork shoulder to make a terrific crust, then braises it slowly with stock, wine, chestnuts and sweet potatoes until it's meltingly tender.

This shrub (a sweet vinegar-based syrup) from F&W's Kay Chun is sweet and zippy and as good for a party as it is for a hangover.

Serve with grilled chicken (or leftover turkey) for a festive, healthy dish.

Chicken quarters roasted with golden squash and sage are nice for a chilly autumn evening. To help the squash to brown evenly, be sure to spoon off the fat from the roasting pan after removing the breasts. This is a case where less is more: A thin layer of fat will brown the vegetable better than a quarter-inch of it.

F&W's Kay Chun uses hearty mustard greens to make this crunchy, bright and tangy salad.

This healthy and delicious gratin is low on dairy, thanks to a combination of sweet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes, which create the perfect creamy texture.

This dessert uses all of our favorite fall ingredients.

These chewy treats are like caramel apples in candy form, combining the tangy-sweet flavor of cider with buttery caramel. To create your own spin on them, use a flavored apple cider or add different spices, like ground ginger or black pepper.