Electric Mixer

"A friend gave me this great cookie recipe from the Netherlands," writes Marie Rizzio of Traverse City, Michigan. "The dough can be made ahead and frozen."

Whether you use store-bought applesauce or make your own, this lovely, moist cake will make it hard to stop after one piece. It's very important to beat the eggs and sugar until they are thick, as this, along with the baking powder, is what gets the cake to rise nicely. This cake makes a great gift — it can be made ahead, cooled, glazed, then frozen.

This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101026"Cod with Miso Glaze and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes</epi:recipeLink>.<br><br> Here's an inventive use for the horseradish that most people know as a sushi condiment.

"The strawberry cream cake recipe from "A Swedish Midsummer Party" in your June 1997 issue reminded me of a dessert my grandmother, who was of Swedish descent, used to make," says Jill M. Kuhn of Sherman Oaks, California. An electric carving knife makes slicing this dessert a breeze.

Lemon peel gives these real lemon tang and makes them an ideal accompaniment to the epi:recipeLink="101752"Lemon Sorbet with Blackberry Sauce</epi:recipeLink>.

This is one of the many types of apple cake popular throughout central Europe. I have seen apple cakes, a traditional Rosh Hashannah dessert, served on Sabbath and holiday tables from Israel to Australia.

Pumpkin and apricot are a winning combination in this cake; it's topped with a spiced cream cheese frosting. For decoration, place several dried apricots between sheets of plastic wrap, and using a rolling pin, roll to flatten. With scissors, cut out leaf shapes from the apricots, and arrange them on top of the cake.

Some cooks may prefer the convenience of substituting dried egg whites for the fresh ones called for in the following recipe. (This will eliminate having to find a use for the yolks.) Dried egg whites are increasingly available in supermarkets or by mail order. Here, you will need 1/4 cup dried egg whites, reconstituted by stirring 3/4 cup lukewarm water into them as package instructions indicate.

For best results when making this dessert, first mix one can of cream of coconut in a blender until smooth, then measure as called for here.

Mashed potatoes give this spectacular bread a moist texture.

Some cinnamon and pepper give these wonderful cookies a south-of-the-border flavor.

This cool indulgence is actually made with light cream cheese and low-fat sour cream. Begin preparing it the day before your party.

Don't worry if you can't wait for this yummy cake to cool - it's also delicious warm.