Baking

Hazelnuts are teamed with strawberries and rhubarb in this rustic tart. Vanilla ice cream is a must for serving.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

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.

Tina Thompson of Orlando, Florida, writes: "Food and nostalgia are closely related in my mind. When I miss my dad, I make an extra-buttery grilled-cheese sandwich just the way he would every Saturday for lunch. When I miss my college roommate Jenny, I splurge on a new ethnic food to remind me of adventures during our junior year abroad in London. Inspired by my great food experiences there, I attended a small cooking school stateside so that I could come up with some fantastic meals of my own."

This recipe, given to me by my aunt, was given to her by her mother. Everyone agrees that it is absolutely delicious. The contrast between a sweet cake and a slightly spicy apple filling is piquant and delightful. The cake layers resemble large sugar cookies.

Also try this with scrambled eggs, omelets or a big bowl of chili.

When I was a little girl, my Aunt Lisl always made butter cookies at Hanukkah time. We decorated them. The cookies were stored in her garage in airtight containers. Sometimes we got to take some of them home. Other times, we just nibbled on them at her house. One of the best things about cooking with relatives is that it's a great time to ask for family stories. While we baked, Aunt Lisl told wonderful tales of my father's boyhood in Germany.

This recipe is an accompaniment for <epi:recipelink id="107772">Candied Kumquat and Ricotta Tart</epi:recipelink> . Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

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

This torte has a crisp top that shatters when cut and a fudgy tart cherry center.

We like serving these chewy, moist almond cakes, which are based on the financier, a French pastry, in individual gratin dishes, but the batter can also be baked in a 9-inch glass pie plate for 30 to 35 minutes.

May be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

This batter is particularly well suited to the blender. Avoid overmixing, and you'll have a lovely soft cake. Please note when buying molasses that blackstrap has a much stronger taste than the regular kind.

There's just a hint of chocolate in these.