Fruit Dessert

One of Sicily's finest crops is the blood orange with its spicy-sweet flavor. But any variety of orange can be used in this Italian dessert.

Diane Ives of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, writes: "As an epidemiologist who works with older people, I make diet and exercise an important part of my life. I try to eat as healthfully as I can during the workweek, and I stay away from processed foods — I'd rather have something simple and fresh anyway. But on the weekends, when my husband and I entertain, I love to splurge and make desserts. Since they are the first thing people remember about a great dinner, they are definitely worth the effort. The dried-fruit strudel here is a family recipe I learned from my grandfather, but I've simplified it so it can be made quickly with purchased pie crust."

In a fresh interpretation of the classic Italian dessert, we've replaced the traditional chocolate and coffee with berries and fruit liqueur. For a garnish, we like the looks of fresh berries, but we used frozen berries in the filling to keep it moist. They're also more uniform in flavor--and less expensive.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fresh cranberries are usually sold only from November through January. So freeze a few extra bags to make this anytime.

"Richardson's Canal House Inn is in a historic building on the Erie Canal, outside of Rochester, New York," says Ellen Wagner of Pittsford, New York. " All the food is great, but the apple raisin cake is especially good. It's so moist and delicious—know gourmet readers would love it. Will you request the recipe from the pastry chef?" Pastry chef Debbie Maruke glazes the cake and serves it with a caramel sauce, but we think the cake is terrific on its own.

Light, delicate, and crisp, rice-stick noodles come packaged in different sizes. However, 1 package, no matter how small, will be plenty for this recipe. If you'd like to make larger crisps for dramatic presentation, simply pull each noodle mound into a wider tangle, then fry crisps 1 at a time. This recipe is an accompaniment for pineapple ice cream. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

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

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Coffee and Turrón Ice Cream Torte with Honey-Brandy Oranges .

"My husband, Don, and I made dinners together when we were first getting to know each other," writes Lisa Pendelton of Pasadena, California. "I was surprised to discover that everything from food shopping to sharing in the kitchen came so naturally to him. We had a lot of great meals, and once he spent all day making me a bouillabaisse for my birthday. That's when I knew I could definitely marry him."

This recipe was created to prepare <epi:recipeLink ="14264">Apricot Almond Shortbreads</epi:recipeLink>.<P> You will need three mini-muffin pans, each containing twelve 1 3/4-by-1 inch cups.

If you can't find blood oranges in your supermarket, you can substitute regular navel oranges in both the tart and the Orange Caramel Sauce.