COOK'S CORNER CELEBRATE SPRING WITH MEMORABLE FARE.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

With spring in the air, here are some ideas to mix and match for upcoming festivities.

Cannoli - Italian pastries featuring deep-fried crisp pastry shells or tubes - can be stuffed with ricotta/mascarpone or assorted cream fillings (mocha cream with mini chocolate chips is good) for delicious eating. Some commercial varieties feature mini chocolate chips, a variety of nuts, candied fruit peels and such.

For ease, pick up the premade shells at an Italian market. You can make the filling a day in advance and keep refrigerated. A word of caution - be sure to stuff the shells just before serving so they don't get soggy.

If ham is on your menu for Easter or other springtime gatherings, a couple of favorite effortless glazes are included.

When you need a fabulous cookie, opt for the chocolate version here, one I tried recently, from ``Big Fat Cookies,'' by Elinor Klivans. It's a winner. I made the cookies smaller (using an automatic-release scoop) than the author did - and baked them about nine minutes, which was half the amount of time called for in the recipe. Depending on the size you prefer, you'll have to adjust the baking time accordingly. The cookies came out crisp - and divine. Chocophiles will be in heaven.

If you're looking for a knock-out dessert to impress, give our tried- and-true Coconut Pineapple Macadamia Cheesecake a whirl. It's a longtime restaurant replica favorite of one sampled at the Cheesecake Factory. It would be a good addition to the Easter parade dessert table - or at other spring and summer affairs.

CANNOLI

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla OR 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

3 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange peel

1/3 cup finely chopped semisweet OR bittersweet chocolate

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios (optional)

6 cannoli shells (3-ounce package)

In a food processor, combine ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar and vanilla. Process until mixture is as smooth as possible.

By hand, stir in orange peel, chocolate and nuts until blended.

Using a knife or a pastry bag fitted with an open-star tip, stuff or pipe some of cheese mixture into each side of the cannoli shells. Sprinkle tops of shells with additional sifted powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

NOTE: The ricotta mixture can be prepared in advance, covered and refrigerated; to prevent shells from getting soggy, stuff just before serving.

Adapted from ``The 5 in 10 Dessert Cookbook,'' by Natalie Haughton.

APRICOT HAM GLAZE

1 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons (OR more to taste) Dijon mustard

Combine preserves and mustard in a 2-cup glass measuring cup, mixing well. Heat a minute or two in a microwave oven, if necessary, to blend thoroughly. Spoon some on top of ham at beginning of baking time and then during last 30 minutes. Brush any excess over ham slices on a serving platter. Makes 1 cup glaze.

PEACHY HAM GLAZE

1/2 cup peach preserves

2 tablespoons chili sauce

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish 

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Combine preserves, chili sauce, horseradish and mustard. Spread glaze over ham 30 minutes before end of cooking time. Makes about 2/3 cup glaze.

TOTALLY CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened (for about 30 minutes)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large cold egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put 2/3 cup (4 ounces) chocolate chips in a heatproof container or top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler). Stir chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Remove from water and set aside.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in melted chocolate chips until blended. Add egg and vanilla, mixing until blended, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture, mixing just until it is incorporated. By hand, mix in remaining 2 cups chocolate chips.

Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 3 inches apart.

Bake cookies on middle rack of a preheated 325-degree oven, one sheet at a time, about 18 minutes, until they crack slightly on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. (If the toothpick penetrates a chocolate chip, test another spot.) Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The outsides of the cookies will become crisp as the cookies cool. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Makes 12 cookies.

NOTE: Add 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, if desired.

From ``Big Fat Cookies,'' by Elinor Klivans.

COCONUT PINEAPPLE MACADAMIA CHEESECAKE

3 1/2 cups flaked coconut

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks, well-drained and coarsely chopped

1 cup dry roasted unsalted macadamia nuts

Whipped cream for garnish

Butter bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Press 2 cups flaked coconut on bottom of pan; set aside.

In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream and vanilla until smooth and fluffy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups coconut, pineapple pieces and nuts. Spoon evenly over coconut crust.

Bake in preheated 450-degree oven 15 minutes; reduce oven to 350 degrees and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until almost set. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until well chilled. Garnish slices with whipped cream, if desired, before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Can you help?

If you have recipes that can help this reader, please send them along to us at the address below to share in a future column.

I'm looking for a recipe like the Herb Tuna that's available at Gelson's market in the refrigerated service deli section. Does anyone have something very similar or the same?

- Rosemary Lewis

North Hollywood