Cocoa

The perennial Christmas gift gets a luscious face-lift in this impressive cake. We guarantee that it won't get shuffled around, and no one will make any jokes about it. Store the cake in the refrigerate for up to three weeks before giving. Wrap it in some red or green cellophane, and present it in a decorative box (a hatbox is fun) tied with a big, bright bow.

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

Offer nuts, candy sprinkles and any other sundae toppings.

This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101009"Orange-Almond Cake with Chocolate Icing</epi:recipeLink>.

This recipe was created to for <epi:recipelink id="12414">Chocolate Ganache Tartlets with Sweet Cherries</epi:recipelink>.

A small slice of this delightfully dense chocolate cake goes a long way.

Chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and chocolate mousse team up with fruit in this incredible dessert. Begin making the cake one day ahead. Enjoy the extra mousse later.

"Many of my friends are chocolate lovers, and this recipe seems to do the trick every time," writes Ann Bolger of East Lansing, Michigan.

Great to give as gifts in pretty boxes or tins or to have on hand for unexpected company.

Panforte — a cross between a cake and a candy — is a classic Italian Christmas treat. It's a very dense, rich confection loaded with nuts, dried fruit, and spices (hence its name, which means "strong bread"). This recipe yields much more than you'll need for the party, but it keeps so well that you'll have delicious leftovers long after the holiday season. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling)

This cake is good sprinkled with powdered sugar or topped with vanilla frosting.

During World War II, chocolate was too valuable to be used for baking. As a result, brownies, which had been a favorite since around the turn of the century, were made less often. With the return to prosperity in the 1950s, this much-loved dessert came back into vogue--and became more popular than ever. Our rich and dense brownies are studded with peanuts and chocolate chips, and are partnered with a rich milk chocolate and peanut butter sauce. They're terrific served with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter-vanilla swirl or peanut butter ice cream. Serve the brownies slightly warm or at room temperature.

In this recipe there will be extra mousse and pecan crisps (the recipes will not work if reduced). Both elements are delicious on their own.

This frosting goes with the recipe for Incredible Melted Ice-Cream Cake