Electric Mixer

Buy steaks that are at least 1 1/4 inches thick; that way, they can be seared without getting overdone. The Mediterranean-flavored butter adds a great taste accent. Also offer mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, and drink a Burgundy or Pinot Noir.

This cake, bursting with berries, is perfect for a picnic. Dress it up for company with unsweetened whipped cream and a simple vanilla custard sauce.

"When I was a little girl, letter writing and sending packages was the only contact we had with my grandmother in Switzerland," write Barbara Fayeulle of Longmont, Colorado. "Every year, we would receive a cookie tin from her a couple of weeks before Christmas. When we would open it, the fabulous aroma of traditional Swiss Christmas cookies filled the kitchen and brought my grandmother close to me and to her son, my dad. After she passed away, Spitzbuben disappeared from our Christmas celebrations. Later, while on holiday in Switzerland, I plundered my aunt's recipe box and came upon my grandmother's recipe. What a surprise my dad received when he opened up the tin that Christmas. Spitzbuben were his favorite treat when he was growing up in Switzerland. Now I send him a huge tin of the cookies every year—to the chagrin of my mom, who watches his waistline."

This rich and comforting pudding is served at the floating restaurant Fregatten Sct. Georg III in Tivoli Gardens.

Some people claim that you must be Louisiana-born to master the art of making pralines—those special brown sugar and pecan patties. This cake takes an easier route: The pecans are simply coated in egg white and brown sugar, then roasted.

This cake was adapted by food editor Shelton Wiseman from a recipe published in our January 1945 issue.

Inspired by Dionne Lucas's recipe for roulade léontine, this easy flourless chocolate roll cake will delight your guests with its airy texture and intense chocolate flavor.

"Every meal I've had at Addie's, a small place in nearby Rockville, has been great," says Alyssa Shooshan of Potomac, Maryland. "I especially like the lime cake; in fact, it's one of my favorite desserts. I do a lot of entertaining and would love to make the cake for a party."

A rich cheesecake filling is baked in a tart crust for an elegant twist on a favorite.

This impressive dessert is the sum of many parts that can each be made several days in advance. Assemble the trifle the day before serving to allow the cake to absorb the custard and the flavors to fully develop. Active time: 2 1/2 hr Start to finish: 13 hr

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

"On a recent trip to the Napa Valley, my husband and I had lunch with friends in the Cask Room at Merryvale Vineyards in St. Helena," writes Karen G. Shughart of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. "The meal was prepared by Knickerbocker's Catering. Desserts must be their specialty, because the apricot tart with cornmeal crust was fabulous." Serve this tart with or without the sweet Apricot Sauce. Cornmeal adds texture and flavor to the crust.

There's a rich cream cheese base in this simple yet sophisticated dessert.

For the spider web that decorates this cake, melted semisweet chocolate chips work best. Don't be tempted to substitute another type of chocolate.

This stunning sweet from Spago Beverly Hills can be assembled ahead of time, then baked at the last minute. Note that the dessert needs to be frozen at various points, so plan accordingly. When preparing the meringue disks, use a six-ounce tuna fish can as a template.