You know the scene in “Elf” where Buddy transforms a midtown Manhattan department store into a winter wonderland with nothing more than scissors, printer paper and some strategically placed ...

1/2 cup fresh Meyer (or Eureka) lemon juice. 1 tablespoon lemon zest. 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature. 1 cup heavy cream ...

Now that sugar is cheap and jam has become quotidian, it’s lost its aura of specialness. But that doesn’t make it any less thrilling to eat.