This chicken is incredibly crispy and intensely flavorful, making it an exciting alternative to milder roast chicken recipes. Weighting the chicken ensures that each piece is of the same thickness, so they cook quickly and evenly. The weight also causes the fat under the skin to render, melting out and leaving the skin deliciously crisp. When you buy the chicken for this recipe, ask your butcher to remove the back and breast bones and halve the bird so that there is a drumstick and wing on each side.

Spiced rum is a sweetened version of the popular spirit flavored with such spices as vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This sauce would also be sublime served over ice cream. This recipe is an accompaniment for [Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce](/recipes/recipe_views/views/105700).

Moroccan-Style Chicken Phyllo Rolls / Photo by MIKKEL VANG
These rolls are based loosely on _b'stilla_ — a phyllo-crusted "pie" of shredded chicken that's been simmered with Moroccan spices and then mixed with egg and nuts. The egg lends the filling an almost custard-like richness.

Classic Date Bars / Scott Peterson

A wonderful cookie to bake with kids. Have them cut out their own snowflake stencils, then let the powdered sugar fly. Lace doilies also work well as stencils.

Juana Vázquez-Gómez of Redondo Beach, California, writes: "Growing up in Cuernavaca, just outside Mexico City, I remember my grandmother cooking elaborate Mexican meals every day. My mother continued that tradition, but not in such an all-consuming manner. For her it was a great joy to plan a menu and then invite people to help with the preparation. "The women in my life taught me the beauty of a good meal. I still use many of their recipes today, but unlike my grandmother I don't spend an entire day in the kitchen. Fortunately, my husband and kids like to cook, so I've found a balance between my grandmother's time-intensive recipes and my mother's practicality. " Juana serves these fritters for dessert, but they make a great breakfast dish, too.

_Costillas de Cordero con Salsa de Nuez y Chipotle_ The lamb is first coated with a dry rub of chile seeds and spices, and then roasted.

This dessert is as impressive as it is simple. And any number of variations would be equally tempting. Try using a mixture of apples and pears, substituting ground ginger for the cinnamon, or sprinkling the warm tart with finely chopped pecans.