British

This is a cross between two English classics. The Bakewell tart, named after the town in Derbyshire where it was supposedly invented by accident in the nineteenth century, is a layered jam, custard and almond treat. Burnt cream is the English cousin and forerunner of the French crème brûée. It's also known as Trinity cream, since it is thought to have originated at Cambridge's Trinity College in the eighteenth century.

An elegant first course from Club Gascon.

The classic Passover sponge cake transformed: Here it's layered with raspberry sauce, lemon custard and sliced bananas.

This satisfying British staple is an excellent use for leftover mashed potatoes. You will need two cups for this recipe; bring them to room temperature before using.

They're delicious served warm with butter, preserves or honey.

Kedgeree, an Indian-influenced British dish, dates back to the 1800s and is traditionally made with smoked whitefish. It can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Using Stilton and sharp cheddar is intended to mimic English Huntsman cheese, in which Stilton and Double Gloucester cheeses are combined. The biscuits have a crisp crust and tender texture, despite requiring no kneading, rolling or cutting.

These delicious "puddings" are a cross between a popover and a puffy pancake.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge—the cookies must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

Long ago on our honeymoon, we stayed at the Connaught Hotel in London, a bastion of comfortable English tradition. They served what I considered then, and still do, the finest of fruit crumbles. It was served very hot and had a thick golden crumb topping that was baked on top of perfectly cooked and sweetened fruit. Although the crumb topping was crisp on top, it remained pleasantly soft in the middle.

This style of tart, which has a texture reminiscent of pecan pie but is spiced with cinnamon and lemon peel and studded with raisins, is a specialty of the Borders, a southeast region that stretches from the English border to just south of Edinburgh. Many variations exist, some of them simply called "Border Tart." This one has as its namesake the village of Ecclefechan. Serve the tart at room temperature for afternoon tea or barely warm with a dollop of whipped cream and a scattering of toasted walnuts.

For this recipe you will need three mini-muffin pans, each containing twelve 1 3/4-by-1 inch cups.

Unlike American scones, the Scottish version isn't loaded with butter. The less-rich result is an excellent foil for lots of jam, butter, and whipped cream.

We like to team this with red and green cabbage coleslaw, pickled onions and carrot sticks-as well as a pint of ale. Have lemon ice cream cones for dessert.

Make two trifles to serve 30 guests, or make one and round out the dessert table with fruitcake and goodies from the bakery.

Jamie Oliver calls this "another great pan-baked recipe that is perfect for coping with lots of people without a huge deal of effort." Oliver uses plaice, a popular flatfish in England favored over flounder, but lemon sole is a good substitute. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr