Electric Mixer

Sweet potatoes have been cultivated in the South since at least the 1700s. A touch of cardamom gives this dish modern flair.

Spritz cookies-from the German Spritzen, meaning "to squirt"- are formed into fanciful shapes when the dough is piped through a cookie press. One food editor still uses her aunt Carol's old metal spritzer to make these delicate cookie.

Here we take two of the best treats from days gone by and combine them in one dessert. The cookies are also superb on their own.

Some fresh ginger adds zip to this bakeshop classic. It has the perfect balance of sweetness and spice.

Come September, I prepare this cake often, taking advantage of whatever clusters of grapes I can find on our vines after harvesting. At Chanteduc, we grow a mixture of Grenache, Syrah, and Morvèdre grapes, each of which contributes its own personality to the wine and to this cake. I love the rustic crunch that seeded grapes impart, and so I also recommend trying Zinfandel, Cornith, and Cabenet grapes. For seedless grapes, try Red Flame. The original recipe was given to me by Rolando Beramendi at Italy's fine Tuscan estate Capezzna, where this intriguing not-too-sweet cake appears frequently at the table during the fall harvest. Note that the cake is prepared with half butter and half olive oil, producing an unusually light and moist cake.

"These cookies have been baked by my mother, by me, and now by my daughters at Christmastime," writes Suzanne Perry of Columbus, Ohio. "The recipe was given to my mother by a Swedish friend." Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

A berry dessert that's a great finish to the spiced chicken breast meal.

Sifting powdered sugar over the cooled cookies adds a festive touch. (It would also be an easy kitchen project for the kids.)

Mini pound cakes are not only delicious but a perfect dessert for picnics or box lunches. For a more formal look, pur
e some blueberries with a little sugar and serve the sauce over the cakes. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 10 hr (includes soaking raisins)

Perfect for celebrations, the elegant torte has a filling of strawberries and chocolate ganache, which is also used as the frosting.

Watch everyone’s eyes open wide when you serve this big four-layer cake.