Coconut and Berry Bark: Bark is incredibly easy to prepare: Simply melt chocolate, spread it on a baking sheet, and add whatever dried fruit, nuts, or other toppings you’d like. Plus, kids will love to help decorate it!

Apple-Cranberry Crisp: A hint of orange livens up this homey crisp. Choose an apple variety like Gala that will hold its shape when baked. Serve with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Jeweled Fruit Salad: Serve this colorful salad on its own, or as a topping for ice cream or frozen yogurt. To make the mint chiffonade, stack three mint leaves, roll them tightly, and slice thinly crosswise.

Ginger-Poached Pears With Raspberry Sauce: A ruby-red raspberry sauce partners perfectly with this gorgeous fruit. Poach the pears the day before serving; this way they will be thoroughly chilled and have time to soak up more flavor from the poaching liquid.

Chocolate-Pumpkin Swirl Cake: This easy-to-prepare loaf cake has something for everyone—a little bit of pumpkin and a little bit of chocolate with a dash of spicy, rich gingerbread.