Frozen Fruit

In the winter, Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) fruit, like the kind sold by Cascadian Farm, is often a superior alternative to fresh fruit shipped to the US. IQF raspberries are terrific in these soft, puffy yeast rolls—a fun twist on a cinnamon bun.

Blueberry muffins with flax seeds incorporate homemade flax seed meal, gluten-free flour, and an apple puree.

These crêpes are like free-form blintzes, with thick and creamy Greek-style yogurt standing in for the cheese filling and a quick topping made with preserves and frozen raspberries.

Although coconut water is low in sugar, it imparts a lovely sweetness to this dairy-free smoothie.

These flaky little pies may be the ultimate grab-and-go dessert.

This is a terrific cross between a tart and a cake; it has a crisp, delicate crust as well as a cakey filling made with nutty browned butter and vanilla bean. Pastry chef Katherine Thompson serves it all year-round with different toppings, but for the holidays, she loves to pile on fresh cranberries.

Jacques Pépin on a French classic: "Pâtes de fruits, or fruit jellies, are very popular around the holidays—and usually expensive."

This elegant, low-fat panna cotta requires only five ingredients: cranberries, sugar, gelatin, water and buttermilk (instead of the usual cream).

These muffins are easy to make: Simply mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine them. Since the baking powder, which lightens the muffins, is activated by moisture, get the batter into the oven immediately. For soft edges, use liners; for crisp edges, use a well-greased, unlined pan. You can easily replace the blueberries with other kinds of fresh fruit, such as raspberries or peaches (chopped into small pieces). In the off-season I used IQF (individually quick-frozen) fruit; there's no need to thaw.

Cranberries usually appear on the holiday table as a condiment, but here they flavor a delicious cake, topped with a crumbly, buttery oat streusel.

This fluffy, nutty breakfast is a playful, delicious mash-up of French toast and PB&J. Instead of peanut butter, it’s made with almond butter.

Peter Ireland serves this delicately spiced, sweet-tart fruit compote with seared foie gras. Here he pairs it with incredibly tender corn cakes.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten served this effervescent sour-cherry cocktail for his guests at a pig roast. He added yuzu juice (from the bumpy-skinned Japanese citrus fruit) for a citrus kick; a mix of tangerine and lime juices nearly matches yuzu's flavor.

Adding fresh ricotta to the batter makes these pancakes incredibly moist and light.