Electric Mixer

"I've had some unforgettable meals during my travels," writes Chris Forney of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, "but I've never felt compelled to request a recipe from Bon Appétit until now. While in Charleston, South Carolina, recently, my wife and I ate at the Peninsula Grill. I can't stop thinking about the coconut cake I had for dessert there." This impressive-looking cake will delight coconut-lovers. The filling needs to chill overnight, so be sure to begin preparing this dessert a day ahead of time.

Similar in texture to lemon bars, these have a shortbread cookie base and a delightful tropical fruit filling.

Hazelnut butter gives the cookies a deep, rich flavor. Look for it in natural foods stores. Before measuring the hazelnut butter, stir gently with a fork to mix in any oil that has separated from the butter.

"On the last night of a holiday in Costa Rica, my sweetheart and I had a candlelit dinner at Café Mundo in downtown San José," writes Elizabeth Florence of New York City. "We dined on the front porch of a Victorian house surrounded by tropical flowers. The chocolate cake we had that evening was just incredible. Would chef and owner Ray Johnson part with his recipe?" Serve this with coffee ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. Beaten eggs make this cake lighter in texture than most other flourless chocolate cakes.

Here's a simple way to make a scrumptious coconut cake: Take a boxed cake mix, add Coco Lòpez and top with flaked coconut.

Begin making this cake one day in advance.

At The Lakefront restaurant, this sensational dessert is served with bittersweet chocolate sauce or a simple dusting of cocoa powder and a few fresh strawberries.

A classic chocolate layer cake with a new-fashioned, thick, and rich frosting. This treat can be made up to two days ahead.

A layer of white chocolate-peppermint icing is sandwiched between the chewy brownie cake and a thick chocolate ganache glaze. To make this treat, you'll need an eight-inch square metal cake pan and parchment paper, sold at cookware stores and well-stocked supermarkets. For convenience, prepare the dessert a day ahead.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes chilling and freezing)

Juana Vázquez-Gómez of Redondo Beach, California, writes: "Growing up in Cuernavaca, just outside Mexico City, I remember my grandmother cooking elaborate Mexican meals every day. My mother continued that tradition, but not in such an all-consuming manner. For her it was a great joy to plan a menu and then invite people to help with the preparation. "The women in my life taught me the beauty of a good meal. I still use many of their recipes today, but unlike my grandmother I don't spend an entire day in the kitchen. Fortunately, my husband and kids like to cook, so I've found a balance between my grandmother's time-intensive recipes and my mother's practicality. " Juana serves these fritters for dessert, but they make a great breakfast dish, too.

The following recipe makes 120 cookies. Any excess raw dough may be kept, frozen, 3 weeks. You'll find these delicate wafers so delicious that they'll disappear in no time.

We asked pastry chef Michael Laiskonis if we could compare two versions of the custard in his tart: one made with fresh pumpkin, the other made with canned, which he likes for its reliable consistency. When we tested the two tarts, we were surprised to find that we also preferred the custard made with canned pumpkin — but the choice is yours.