Apricot

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

When buying fresh apricots, look for fruit that is plump, fragrant, and gives a little when squeezed. Poaching time depends on the ripeness of the fruit.

These sweet, tangy wings should appeal to even the pickiest kid. Eight pounds may sound like a lot, but no matter how many of these we made in our test kitchens, they always disappeared quickly. You may not have the oven space to cook the wings and the macaroni simultaneously. We found it best to do the wings first, then keep them warm under foil while baking the macaroni. Finally, because the wings tend to leave a mess to clean up, we like to make them in disposable foil roasting pans.

If you don't have a 2 3/4-inch-diameter cookie cutter, the same size tin can (with top and bottom removed) works just as well.

If you don't have a cherry pitter, use the side of a knife to crush each cherry against the work surface. Once the flesh has been separated, remove the pit. Be sure to wear an apron; cherries tend to squirt when crushed.

(COMPOSTA DI CILIEGE E ALBICOCCHE) Delicious with the Rice Pudding Cake or with biscotti or vanilla ice cream.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 3 3/4 hr

From the Spa at Doral in Miami.

A delicious dessert version of a favorite New Orleans breakfast dish. Pain perdu translates as "lost bread," but you'll find that this is simply a type of French toast.

(Crostata di Albicocche) What could be better than apricots—the best of summer—held in a tender pasta frolla, or sweet pastry? Tarts are a favorite Tuscan dessert, and in fact are so beloved that they're often eaten for breakfast and as snacks, too. If you make this later in the summer, use white peaches if you can find them, and leave the skin on; it will turn a beautiful ruby color when cooked.

Tender, biscuit-like dough is formed into a lattice atop this easy treat.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To peel apricots, blanch about 20 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water, then slip off the peels with a paring knife.

A delightful new take on shortcakes. Adding a bit of gelatin to the cream helps maintain its volume when whipped.

Here's a colorful and creative pie: Apricots, which flourish in California, Hawaiian pineapple and Oregon cranberries come together in a filling that offers a terrific balance of the exotic and the traditional. It's good with vanilla ice cream.

This fruit leather makes a satisfying energy snack and is delicious in place of chutney on a sandwich (we loved it in a ham and cheese wrap). For an easy hors d'oeuvre, spread 4 tablespoons softened mild goat cheese onto an 8-inch square of leather. Sprinkle the cheese with 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios and tightly roll up leather into a log. Chill the log and slice it into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.

Here's a terrific light version of an American summer classic.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Inspired by Florida chef Norman Van Aken's mango habanero mojo, this sauce is a wonderful accompaniment to grilled pork or chicken. Be sure to wear protective gloves while mincing the chile.