TextEdit's "Open Recent" menu command: how to increase # of files listed?

In TextEdit (v. 1.6, in OS 10.6.5), under the "File" menu, there is a command called "Open Recent >" which when chosen lists the ten most recently opened TextEdit files. Select one from the list, and it re-opens.

I find this functionality very useful, but I also wish that more than just ten recent files were listed. I would much prefer 15, 20, even 25 recent files in the list.

Is there any way to increase the number of "recent" files listed under "File>Open Recent>..." in TextEdit?

There doesn't seem to be any option for changing the default number in TextEdit's "Preferences."

Other applications also have a similar functionality, and in some cases the default is more than ten, in some cases less. But a few other applications give the user the ability to alter the number of files listed. Yet not all. So, my second question is: Is there a universal way to alter the number of "recent" files listed in:

• All Apple applications
• All third-party applications
• The Finder?

Mostly I'm interested in solving the TextEdit problem, but I might as well ask this secondary question while I'm at it.