Chocolate

The peanut butter in this dough creates a crumbly cookie.

Any combination of nuts will work nicely in this winter tart.

These cookies have a wonderful texture; chewy yet crunchy-just like a candy bar.

This recipe originally accompanied Frozen White Chocolate and Hazelnut Dacquoise .

From the Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona.

Rich, creamy, decadent—this could be the new benchmark for an American classic.

When the use of chocolate became common in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, chocolaterías opened in Madrid, serving hot chocolate to weary voyagers and the homeless. In Spain, the warming elixir is distinguished by the addition of spice, but especially by its rich, frothy texture, achieved by heating and beating it several times. Traditionally, a wooden hand mill called a molinillo is used, but a whisk works as well.

Inspired by the creamy mint-chocolate after-dinner drink, grasshopper pie was a hostess's dream: Composed of only a handful of ingredients, it took just minutes to assemble; then it could be stored in the freezer until serving time. Here is an updated rendition-with white chocolate instead of the original marshmallows-that is every bit as cool and minty as its predecessor. Those who don't want a grasshopper-green dessert can substitute clear ("white") crème de menthe for the colored liqueur.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Dark chocolate never goes out of fashion, but white chocolate was all the rage in the eighties. Foodies couldn't get enough, enjoying it in truffles, tarts and sumptuous ivory-colored mousses like this one.

This recipe originally accompanied Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate-Raspberry Frosting.

Cake making was quite a fad in the twenties. The new gas stoves were efficient, reliable and easy to operate; besides, with more women working outside the home, there wasn’t as much time to prepare multiple desserts, so fancy layer cakes were made to satisfy everyone. Marshmallows were popular in the decade, and they were used in desserts, salads and side dishes. Here they sweeten an old-fashioned frosting and decorate this easy-to-make chocolate cake.