Electric Mixer

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

This dense, moist chocolate cake, made with dried pears, is stunning when decorated with gold leaf. Of course, you can always simply top it with chocolate curls.

One of our editors, who was raised in the Midwest, was eager to share her grandmother's recipe for fruit cookies. Although this cookie doesn't look particularly Christmasy, it's apparently a venerable family tradition.

This simple, delicious recipe mixes hot and cold, sweet and tart. It's from a high-school cooking class of thirty years ago. If there is a problem with eggs in your region, do not prepare this dessert.

An inventive take on a classic.

If you enjoy spicy food, pass some hot pepper sauce to sprinkle on top of this light, soufflé-like omelet.

The following recipe was inspired by pissaladière, the Niçoise tart that features a similar topping.

Perfect for an elegant dinner party, this sophisticated dessert is a snap to make.

Executive chef Bridget Batson of Hawthorne Lane serves this dessert with homemade caramel sauce (you can use purchased if you like). If you're running short of time, omit the homemade ice cream and mix chopped peanut brittle into your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Soufflés are a British favorite. This recipe combines pieces of toffee in a creamy soufflé, with chocolate sauce on the side.

Coffee Semifreddo "Drowned" in Coffee We have served this dessert at Pó for six years and it is consistently my favorite—a kind of adult milkshake. Be careful to use decaf for the bathing liquid, or your guests may be up yakking all night.

A dollop of softly whipped fresh cream alongside a piece of pie is one of life's perfect things. If you want the cream to hold up for hours, the optional Cobasan will make it possible, with no compromise of flavor or texture. If you prefer an unsweetened counterpoint to a sweeter pastry, leave out the sugar.