Pudding

Begin preparing this lovely dessert at least five hours before serving.

Rote Grütze "My husband and I always have the Rote Grütze at the Kempinski Hotel Atlantic when in Hamburg, Germany," says Mary Futchik of Naples, Florida. "Could you could help us get the recipe?" Consider this a cross between a spoonable pudding and a fruit soup.

Rich, refreshing and easy — the perfect finale to an elegant summer dinner.

These creamy custards feature the flavors of chai, a spiced tea that's enhanced with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and ginger.

English Christmas "pudding" is really a dense, moist spiced cake. This gingerbread version is flavored with orange marmalade and topped with a traditional hard sauce — butter and sugar mixed with brandy.

"I have never been a bread-pudding fan," writes Marie Hernandez of Chicago. "But after trying the pumpkin bread pudding at Wildfire restaurant in Oak Brook, Illinois, I think I've changed my mind. Had I know that this dessert could be so good, I would have started eating it long ago." Do as the restaurant does, and serve this with sweetened whipped cream.

John and Tori Nicholas of Indianapolis, Indiana, write: "We had such a wonderful time exploring New Orleans that my wife and I are now hopelessly hooked on the Big Easy. We play lots of Cajun music, and last week we rented the movie A Streetcar Named Desire. The best part of our trip was the chocolate bread pudding at Red Fish Grill." The sugar topping becomes crunchy when baked, creating a perfect contrast to the creamy chocolate pudding underneath.

Minus the ice cream, this delicate pudding makes a wonderfully indulgent breakfast.

This is a variant on lemon surprise pudding, in which the mixture divides on cooking to produce a sponge above the thick lemony sauce which forms below. Indeed, it is known in my house as Lemon Surprise Pudding, the surprise being that it's chocolate. Although I didn't actually eat this as a child, it is heady with reminders of childhood foods: the hazelnuts in the sponge bring back memories of Nutella, the thick, dark, fudgy sauce of chocolate spread. The proportions below are geared towards 6, but easily feed 8. It's heavenly with fridge-cold heavy cream poured over it. It is also child's play to make. Choose good cocoa and good chocolate and stick carefully to the exact measurements. (You can, though, use 1 2/3 cups flour in place of the 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/2 cup ground nuts, if you prefer increasing the amount of baking powder needed to 1 1/2 teaspoons.) Use one of those standard white soufflé dishes 8 inches in diameter, or a shallow square 12-inch pan. If you've got only a single oven, it makes sense to use the shallow dish: it will take less time to cook.

A classic Italian dessert receives a double dose of berries.

If rice pudding is getting a little too comfortable, try our version with fresh pineapple, mango, and papaya. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling)

Rich brownies are baked with a chocolate syrup that sinks to the bottom and thickens into a fudgy sauce, creating a luscious layering of textures.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

A purchased cake mix (spiked with Marsala for added zip) makes this elegant dessert a snap to prepare. For extra ease, you can assemble it the day before serving.

Parisians love chocolate, and cooks in Paris might make this with Valrhona, one of the best French brands. Begin preparing the dessert a day ahead.

This summer pudding yields 6 servings, allowing second helpings for a party of 4 or a breakfast treat for the next morning. In addition to an 8-inch square glass baking dish, you will also need another one, glass or metal, of the same size.