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planning tip

If you have bananas that are overripe and you don’t have time to bake, pop them unpeeled into the freezer. Later, thaw the bananas for use in a recipe.

lemon coconut tapioca pudding

This creamy (yet vegan) dessert can follow a meal from just about any cuisine: Caribbean, Indian, Mediterranean, West African, Asian, North American.…

SERVES 4

TIME: 25 MINUTES

¼ cup quick-cooking tapioca

¼ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons sugar

1 14-ounce can of coconut milk

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Place the tapioca, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan, stir in ½ cup of cool water, and set aside for 5 minutes. Then stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer on high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the lemon peel. Pour into dessert dishes and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

serving & menu ideas

Just before serving, top with sliced fresh fruit—our favorite is mango. Ripe, fresh mango can’t be beat, but good canned mango is available, too. Strawberries, peaches, cherries, or pineapple are also delicious as a topping.

new england squash pie

This pie is lighter in flavor and texture than its pumpkin cousins. If you’ve got a pie shell waiting, it’s a snap to get this treat into the oven.

SERVES 8

HANDS-ON TIME: 10 MINUTES

BAKING TIME: 30 TO 40 MINUTES

1 11-ounce package of frozen cooked winter squash

1¼ cups milk

3 eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves

1 unbaked 9- or 10-inch pie shell (thawed, if frozen)

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Warm the squash in a microwave oven or in a pot on top of the stove. Place it in a blender or mixing bowl with the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and spices and whirl, or whisk by hand, until smooth.

Place the pie shell on a baking tray and pour the filling into it. (Purchased pie crusts vary in depth, so if you have too much filling for your crust, put the extra in a custard cup or ramekin and follow the directions in the note below.)

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the the filling is set but there is still a little jiggle in the center. Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

INGREDIENT NOTES Good frozen pie shells, including wheat-free ones, are available in natural foods stores and large supermarkets.

For custard instead of pie, bake the filling in unbuttered custard cups set in a hot water bath. Depending on the size of your cups, this recipe will make 4 to 8 custards. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until just set. Cool at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.

butterscotch icebox cookies

This cookie dough can be kept in the freezer for up to at least two months, so whenever you want warm, freshly baked cookies (with none of the additives found in commercially prepared frozen cookie dough), just slice it and pop it in the oven.

YIELDS ABOUT 6 DOZEN COOKIES

HANDS-ON TIME: 15 MINUTES

FREEZING TIME: AT LEAST 1 HOUR

BAKING TIME: 8 TO 12 MINUTES PER BATCH

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups unbleached white flour

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Mix in the flour until well blended.

Divide the dough into 3 parts. Shape each third into a log about 1½ inches in diameter and 8 inches long. Wrap the logs with waxed paper or plastic wrap and place in the freezer until firm, at least 1 hour. (If the dough will be stored for more than a day, place the wrapped logs in a sealed freezer bag, label, and date.)

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°. With a sharp knife, slice the logs into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Place 1 inch apart on an unoiled baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until the cookies retain a slight indentation when