Stand Mixer

(Cream Puff Pastry)

Tropical flavors give a new spin to these traditional holiday cookies.

Coeur à la Crème is an old French concoction that is both earthy and elegant, rustic and dressy — appropriate for any occasion. It's a wonderful complement to whatever summer berries are in season. This dessert is served at The Inn to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. It can be made in less than five minutes and never fails to knock em' out — even more so than an elaborate cake that took two days to execute. One large (16-ounce) or four individual (4-ounce) perforated heart-shaped ceramic molds lined with cheesecloth will be needed to create this dessert. The perforated molds allow the excess liquid, or whey, to drip through the cheesecloth, leaving the delicious "heart" of the cream. Coeur à la crème molds are usually available at kitchen supply stores.

I have written about my favorite cake recipe — the Tre, Tre, Tre Cake — for Epicurious. Recently, with a rather empty larder and company coming for dinner, I played around with that recipe and came up with this delicious dessert, which I named Anarchy Cake, because with recipes, as with so many things, Italians are basically anarchists.

Use two 6-mold nonstick mini-Bundt-cake pans or giant-muffin tins for these.

Wendy Popp of Richmond, Virginia, writes: "My job as a physical therapist and my hobby, horseback riding, keep me pretty busy. But my sons — Sammy, two, and Weston, four — keep me moving the most, which has changed my cooking style. I used to be much more experimental, but now I need low-maintenance, tried-and-true recipes that will please the boys (including my husband, Jim) and impress dinner guests." This moist Bundt cake is a slight variation on a local award-winning recipe. After Wendy started making it, the dessert quickly became a family favorite.

Pastel des Tres Leches con Rompope This special-occasion cake from the state of Sinaloa is spiked with rompope, a rich Mexican eggnog liqueur. It is heated with the tres leches until the mixture is reduced to a syrup that is poured over the hot cake.

It's easier to make buttercream with a standing electric mixer, but it can be done with a handheld one.

Also great layered with some sweetened mixed berries or other fruit and presented in parfait glasses.

We wanted to make a cake that would look wonderful, taste great, but still be manageable. The layers are a basic pound cake, and the frosting is a simple cream-cheese variation. Sandwiched between the layers is store-bought jam. We know the thought of freezing your showpiece layers can be a little scary. We've tested several, however, and want to emphasize that it’s infinitely better to freeze the layers up to one month (don't refrigerate them) than to have them dry out at room temperature. Finally, you'll need some sort of base for the assembled cake. This can be anything from a very large platter to a piece of wood covered with tulle. Important: Two separate batches of the following batter are required in this recipe. You'll need twice the quantity of the batter ingredients below, but do not double when mixing the ingredients.

We recommend tempering the chocolate used for coating the patties, as it will result in glossier, firmer shells. Experiment with your favorite cookie cutters to create original patty shapes.

Though similar in texture to a flourless chocolate cake, the addition of poppy seeds makes this torte delightfully different.

A luscious ending to a superb dinner. This three-layer cake has a whipped cream frosting that's spiked with brandy and molasses.