Electric Mixer

A tahini-based dough is rolled in gold- or silver-dusted sesame seeds for eye-popping cookies that melt in the mouth. (They're just as delicious if you skip the fancy gilding.)

A nibble around the edges yields a rich and gently sweet mouthful; the center is packed with pleasantly tart plum jam.

Dainty pink cookies sandwiched together with a silky ganache look as if they belong on a restaurant's petits fours plate. In fact, the perfect little rounds can be made with a makeshift pastry bag.

These buttery, crisp tuiles are made with tea and honey — the Earl Grey lends a sophisticated note of bergamot — and taste wonderful with an afternoon cuppa.

This recipe originally accompanied five-spice gingersnaps.

With their ruby cranberries and glittering sugar edges, these cookies look labor-intensive. But they're actually a host's best friend — keep the dough in your fridge, and they can be baked and served in half an hour.

These classic rich, chewy cookies crack — or, yes, crinkle — as they bake. Hazelnuts, cocoa, and chocolate come together to make them particularly potent.

On a recent trip to San Francisco, I had dinner at Frisson. I can't stop thinking about the amazing chocolate soufflé with a creamy peanut butter center. Annie McLeir, Falmouth, MA

This recipe yields extra gingerbread — enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee.

There will be a bit of pistachio paste left over: stir it into your next batch of brownies.

It's all about the interplay between cake, syrup, and pears in this sophisticated dessert. The rosemary syrup would also be delicious in a cup of tea.

A creamy frozen eggnog mousse layered with paper-thin sheets of crisp chocolate. Be sure to make the chocolate disks and lace before making the mousse filling.

Coarsely ground black pepper lends a spicy note to this dense, moist brownie cake studded with dried cherries and chocolate chips. Cherry Preserves are thicker than cherry jam and give the Black Forest Torte more body. Look for cherry preserves in supermarkets.

A sumptuous chocolate-caramel ganache alternates with layers of cake sweetened with chestnut cream.

This versatile side dish is part of a menu chef Kent Rathbun created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

These dainty tea cakes took many of us back to our childhood. A few drops of kirsch gives them a faintly eastern European air.

Guests will go wild for these little pies. They're at once delicate and decadent, the airy puffs of crisp meringue giving way to rich, vanilla-flavored pastry cream and a sprightly mix of fresh fruit.

These luscious cranberry-studded cakes enriched with bourbon and pecans break away from traditional pumpkin pie without eliminating all those beloved ingredients that say Thanksgiving.

Soufflés often contain so much cheese it dominates the dish. Swiss cheese subtly enriches this flavorful version.

It's impossible to go wrong with layers of graham, chocolate, and marshmallow. Broiling the gooey top creates an irresistible golden crown that crackles each time the pie is sliced.