Cream Cheese

Bake this dessert ahead so it can chill overnight.

This recipe originally accompanied Carrot Cupcakes with Ginger-Cream Icing .

A seafood spread such as this one—especially when paired with crisp benne-seed (sesame-seed) wafers—has long been a popular cocktail nibble in South Carolina's Low Country.

Julia Shure of Albany, California, writes: "This comforting soup has both cream cheese and cheddar, which give it a rich, smooth texture. While it makes an elegant first course, the soup can also be a satisfying meal partnered with a simple salad and some crusty bread."

"I’ve been cooking since I was twelve, and my husband, Bruce, picked it up during a "Mr. Mom" phase after our second daughter was born," writes Renee Davis of Cadiz, Ohio. "We have a great time coming up with recipes together. If he concocts a dish, I’ll taste-test it, and vice versa. Some of our best (and worst) dishes have been the result of enthusiastic experimentation. I used to serve fresh fruit with a cream-cheese-and-marshmallow dip as an easy dessert after big barbecue meals, but we improved on that by adding a cookie crust and ended up with an entirely new dish." Popular with kids and adults, this dessert pizza is incredibly easy to make. Top with your favorite summer fruit.

Be sure to make this dessert at least one day ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

Pureed fresh mango gives this cheesecake a light and soft texture and subtle tropical fruit flavor.

Don't worry — you won't need a giant oven for this king-size tart. It's made in 4 quadrants, baked one at a time. And because the recipe uses packaged puff pastry, it's fairly simple to prepare.

Raspberries replace the coffee flavor in a refreshing and fruity take on tiramisù. This simple recipe can be prepared a day ahead.

Since this cheesecake needs to chill for several hours, it's easiest to bake it a day ahead of time.

We got the idea for these pancakes from The Compound Restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where hot polenta-mascarpone pancakes were the perfect finale to a delicious dinner. They also make a terrific breakfast. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

One of our staff members is addicted to the rich, mellow taste of his friend Stephanie's walnut cookies. She began making them as a young bride thirty-five years ago, and her family has never celebrated the holidays without a batch or two since.

To make graham cracker crumbs, add the crackers (broken into small pieces) to processor and blend until finely ground. For best results, use Philadelphia-brand cream cheese. Bake the cheesecake at least one day and up to two days before serving.