Chocolate

Louise Pickerel of Muskogee, Oklahoma, writes: "The hot chocolate with coffee and hazelnut liqueurs here is my version of a restaurant recipe. I call it a "chocolate bar," and it does make a nice, lighter alternative to dessert after a filling meal. It's also something good to curl up with in front of the fire." Warming and full of holiday cheer.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 5 1/4 hr

Sambuca, the anise-flavored liqueur often paired with coffee, goes equally well with chocolate — especially in these moist, cake-like, pine-nut-topped brownies.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The brownie is really more like a flourless chocolate cake. It puffs as it bakes, and falls and cracks as it cools.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fudge is a holiday favorite throughout the South — some versions are creamy and others are granular. This recipe makes a deliciously dense, grainy fudge.

The ice-cream balls are a perfect dessert for small groups.