Pudding

This English-style steamed pudding is a bit lighter than the typical rendition — with no candied fruit — and it looks pretty surrounded with holly leaves.

Definitely not Ye Olde English Classic, but very delicious and very contemporary. Using store-bought sponge cake (ask for it at your supermarket bakery) or pound cakes simplifies assembly.

Called om Ali, which means "mother of Ali," this slightly sticky and unusual dessert flavored with orange flower water is currently the most popular pudding in Egypt. In the villages it is made with bread, while in the cities a more sophisticated version is made with phyllo pastry. Orange flower water is a flavoring extract available at liquor stores and in the liquor or specialty foods section of some supermarkets nationwide.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

This dessert has a silky texture and intense flavors. Begin preparing it a day ahead.

Chai tea spices — ginger, cinnamon, cardamom — flavor this delicious pudding.

Port wine and balsamic vinegar deepen the fresh fruit flavors in the cherry sauce. Be sure to get started at least one day ahead; the panna cotta custards must chill for 24 hours before serving.

As quick as packaged pudding, but twice as rich and flavorful.

From the Rainforest Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Making bread pudding is a good way to use up day-old bread. Gary Rhodes creates this sensational version of the classic English dessert with cream, milk and egg yolks, so it is ultra-rich.