Berry

Have fun with this variation on an old favorite.

Here's a colorful and creative pie: Apricots, which flourish in California, Hawaiian pineapple and Oregon cranberries come together in a filling that offers a terrific balance of the exotic and the traditional. It's good with vanilla ice cream.

Fools are traditionally prepared with pureed fruit mixed with whipped cream, or egg custard, or a combination of the two. (The term fool probably comes from the French fouler, meaning "to crush.") They seem to be especially successful when made with sharply flavored garden produce like rhubarb, gooseberries, and black currants, which still have enough bite to be interesting when blended with cream. But strawberries, which are much easier to find, also work quite nicely. Strawberry fool is best when the fruit is mashed rather than pureed, resulting in a more appealing texture. Serve it with cookies.

A winner in the Bon Appétit Recipes Sweepstakes, a reader poll conducted in honor of our 50th anniversary.

There's no easier dessert than fresh fruit. But for something a little more spirited, we topped it with some store-bought lemon curd lightened with yogurt and flavored with crème de cassis. This simple dessert is a snap to prepare.

This simple, delicious treat is excellent spread over scones or toast and comes together in practically no time at all.

Popsicle molds are sold at some drugstores and department stores.

A trifle with a few twists: a white chocolate pudding and layers of dark chocolate cream and apricot puree.

Ginger, curry powder and Chinese five-spice powder turn up in this northwestern version of a classic holiday relish.

Cake-making equipment and ingredients can be found at cake and candy supply stores. Be sure to use cake flour, not all purpose flour, and begin preparing the cake two days ahead. Buy one 1-ounce bottle of gel base color in the shade called Bakers Rose to tint both the frosting and the fondant a pale pink. Plastic drinking straws are used to support the middle and top tiers. Buy the straight—not bendable—kind.

Here, the classic cranberry sauce becomes a salsa. The traditional ingredients — cranberries and orange — are enhanced with decidedly untraditional ones, such as a poblano chili and cilantro.

Festive and pretty, this do-ahead dessert is a boon for busy hosts.

Arlene sometimes uses sliced apricots, peaches or whole strawberries instead of plums for an equally delicious topping.