Electric Mixer

Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves team up with cocoa in meringues that are layered with chocolate cream. Serve these pastries the same day they are made for a crisp texture, or make them a day ahead for a soft and chewy texture.

Pack the fruit and sauce separately, and keep the sauce chilled.

Almond "Pound Cake" Panque is apparently a phonetic spelling of "pound cake," though it really isn't very similar. The texture is somewhat more like a sponge cake. My recipe is an adaption of one by Mària Concepción Portillo de Carballido.

An impressive-looking layer cake with great flavor—and lots of room for candles.

When showing me his straightforward technique for making this traditional dessert, chef Cesare Giaccone (at Da Cesare restaurant in Albaretto della Torre) credited a parish priest in a nearby hamlet for giving him new understanding of zabaglione. Whether that meant pointers or inspiration was hard to tell, but knowing that this ambrosia has such a godly source allows me to enjoy it even more!

This softly set ice cream isn't churned, so you don't need an ice cream maker.

As these little chocolate-dipped cookies bake, they fall and spread somewhat, so they won't be as tall as when first piped onto the baking sheets.

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

Adapted from Pierre Gagnaire The French, who invented soufflés, understand that the whole point is that everything that rises falls. Soufflés should not be overcooked; they should be slightly creamy in the middle.

Salt and pepper are predominant flavors in these sophisticated cookies (they're too spicy for children). Try pairing them with a tangy sorbet.

Can be made in 45 minutes or less.

English Christmas "pudding" is really a dense, moist spiced cake. This gingerbread version is flavored with orange marmalade and topped with a traditional hard sauce — butter and sugar mixed with brandy.

To make the toasted coconut for the meringue, spread flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake on the center rack of a 350°F oven, stirring often around the edges, until light golden, about ten minutes.

These biscotti are equally delicious made with roasted almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts in place of the cashews.

Jamie Davies and her late husband, Jack, were pioneers in the California wine industry. In 1965 they purchased and restored Schramsberg, a vineyard estate established in 1862, and they soon began producing the first American sparkling wine. When Davies thinks about comforting desserts, she remembers her childhood in Pasadena. "I was about eight when I started making upside-down cakes with my older sister, Dallas. We’d come home after school and mix up the recipe; I loved the sensual pleasure of making the batter. We'd put the cake in the oven, then go play croquet with our friends. Then we’d all come in and eat it up. We thought we had died and gone to heaven." The easy upside-downer here has wonderful spice flavors. Using canned pineapple chunks keeps the preparation simple.