Electric Mixer

This updated version of France's Christmas classic features orange mousse in a chocolate sponge cake roll and a decadent garnish of chocolate truffles. Kumquats and festive greenery add even more glamour.

Much richer than the average cookie, these treats start with a brownie crust, which gets filled with a luxurious mocha cheesecake mixture. The whole thing is finished off with a sour cream topping and then cut into bars. Be sure to bake the crust and filling a day before serving the bars.

This is the chocolate lover's dream dessert: rich, creamy and intensely flavored.

Christmas cookie baking starts Thanksgiving weekend for one food editor. Together with her mother, she makes family favorites like the buttery balls below.

Plums replace pineapple in a terrific rendition of a favorite dessert.

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

Perfect for the holiday season. Cranberries add tang to the filling of these colorful sandwich cookies. You will have some small unsandwiched cookies, too.

This almost flourless cake is easy to prepare.

Like the cake layers, the frosting is made in two separate batches; each batch yields about eight cups. Ivy is for decoration only; please remove ivy before cutting cakes.

Celery root gives the potatoes an intriguing new taste; mascarpone cheese provides the ultimate in creaminess.

This recipe originally accompanied Strawberry Basket Cake .

Eggs provide the leavening in this spiced cake, and melted butter keeps it tender.