Graham Cracker

At the inn, the cake is decorated with Frangelico-flavored whipped cream and garnished with chocolate-covered almonds. Begin preparing the dessert a day ahead.

We've added a topping of walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds to a southern favorite.

Prepare this sensational cake one day before you plan to serve it.

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

Chill the pie for at least six hours before serving — or make it up to two days ahead.

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

"Last spring I went to New Orleans for the Crescent City Classic, an annual road race. One night I had dinner at Andrew Jaeger's House of Seafood in the French Quarter," says Gina Squires of St. Louis, Missouri. "The coconut cream pie was great." A toasted coconut topping adds texture and flavor to this old-fashioned dessert.

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.

This tart is a great last-minute dessert for just about any meal, and it's quite possible you have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. Grind your own crumbs if you've got whole graham crackers on hand.

Before grilling the pineapple, be sure to preheat your grill rack and then clean it with a metal brush to remove any bits of previously grilled food, which can give an off flavor to the pineapple. This recipe makes great use of the Börner V-slicer*. Other adjustable-blade slicers also work well, but if you don't have one, you can use a sharp 10-inch chef's knife. The smooth-sided tart in our photo was made in a springform pan, but since the crust is very delicate, it's much easier and less likely to break when made in a round tart pan with a removable bottom as called for in the recipe below. Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Spectacular but easy, thanks to purchased ice cream and sorbet. The meringue is browned in the broiler, like a baked Alaska, just before serving.

The classic dessert reimagined as a soft and chewy cookie with a buttery, brown-sugar-sweetened graham cracker dough and a silky lime custard filling.