Electric Mixer

Begin making this one day before serving.

I've always found lemon curd too sweet and heavy on its own. Folded into whipped cream, however, it makes a wonderful pie filling.

"My mother and I spent a recent afternoon shopping in Gruene, a small town not far from Austin," writes Martha Witebsky of Austin, Texas. "We loved the tender, fruity cake we had at the River House Tea Room. Would chef Carol Hill share the recipe for what she calls Hummingbird Cake?"

Strawberries marinated in a vanilla-orange syrup add a new twist to these sponge-cake shortcakes. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish : 2 1/2 hr

Do not allow the meringue to overcolor when baking — check the oven often. Chill the pie well before serving.

These ultra-rich and sophisticated chocolate tartlets are served at Bittersweet Pastry Shop.

Poppy seeds have a tendency to go rancid quickly, so be sure to use a fresh jar (and refrigerate or freeze it afterwards).

If you bake the shortbread cookies ahead, these lovely individual tarts, topped with fresh berries and glazed with jelly, can be ready in minutes. An empty eight-ounce can of crushed pineapple makes a convenient cutter for the cookies. Serve some lightly whipped cream on the side, if you like.

No cooking required for this dessert that needs to be assembled at least 24 hours—and up to three days—in advance.

One buttercream base makes two frosting flavors. Vanilla tops the orange cupcakes , and almond tops the devil's food . Be sure to use unsprayed (nontoxic) roses for decoration.

These thin cookies resemble the strip of lemon peel that's often served with a cup of espresso.

Lemon curd separates the layers of this fine-crumbed, very-special-occasion cake. Get started at least one day ahead: The frosting base and lemon curd must chill overnight before using. For the frosting, high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina) works best.

This family recipe is wonderful for dessert, breakfast or tea.