Almond

I'm still telling my friends about the cherry-almond coffee cake from the White Rose Inn in Emporia, Kansas. I had it for breakfast in the morning, then requested it again with my tea the same afternoon. Virginia Doser Corona Del Mar, California

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

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You'll find all the flavors of a traditional Linzertorte — a hazelnut, spice and raspberry jam tart — in this delicious cake. The top is covered with a piped frosting that imitates the lattice crust of the classic dessert. One ingredient that is a definite departure from the original is the Chinese five-spice powder; it adds a lovely nuance.

Cheesecakes have been popular in Britain for five hundred years. Our version has a shortbread crust, butterscotch topping and a filling laced with Scotch whisky.

"One thing I cannot get out of my head" said Ben Moskovitz, owner of Star Bakery in Oak Park, Michigan. "Was the food better growing up in Czechoslovakia or were the people hungrier there? My mother made a honey cake for the holiday, and it was so delicious. Honey was too expensive for us, so my mother burned the sugar to make it brown. Here I use pure honey, but I still think my mother's cake was better and I know I am wrong. The taste of hers is still in my mouth." Mr. Moskovitz's European honey cake follows, with a few of my American additions. Other European Jewish bakers interviewed for this book also bake with white rye flour and cake flour when we would use all-purpose flour. I have included both choices.

Chewy, candy-like caramel cookies enhanced with orange and crystallized ginger. The leftover orange sugar syrup is a delicious sweetener for hot tea.

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

Here's a flourless chocolate cake with a light, soufflé-like texture. Serve it with some coffee ice cream.

This almost flourless cake is easy to prepare.

The cake has an appealing, somewhat coarse texture; drizzled with a honey-lemon syrup, the dessert is reminiscent of baklava. Both matzo meal and the more finely ground matzo cake meal are used here.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min