Berry

This southern version of the holiday cranberry sauce includes peaches, one of the region's favorite fruits.

This elegant dessert was inspired by Vienna's Spanische Windtorte, a giant meringue shell filled with cream and berries. The sauce is a colorful and delicious accompaniment; if there is some left over, use it on pancakes, waffles or ice cream.

The coconut tuiles (cookies) that go into this layered dessert (left) are delicate, so the recipe provides for quite a few extras to allow for breakage. Tuiles are also terrific with ice cream. The syrup gets an interesting (and delicious) kick from nontraditional dessert ingredients like black peppercorns and a jalapeño chili.

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.

(CREPES DE NOIX AUX FRAMBOISE ET FIGUES) In Provence, crepes are often served simply, embellished with sugar, jam or liqueur. Here, they get dressed up a bit more.

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

A rainbow of four purchased sorbets plus vanilla ice cream make this beauty one of the easiest desserts ever. Prepare the stunning terrine up to four days ahead.

Chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and chocolate mousse team up with fruit in this incredible dessert. Begin making the cake one day ahead. Enjoy the extra mousse later.

Crème fraîche gives this exceptional ice cream irresistible tang and a silky texture.

Begin making these frozen treats at least one day before serving.

This pretty dessert calls for purchased macaroons; that's why it's so easy to prepare.

"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 dessert has a baked chocolate-cookie crust and a chilled light-and-fluffy filling of pureed fresh raspberries folded into whipped mascarpone cheese.

The sorbet can be processed in an ice cream maker or simply frozen in a shallow container (a 13x9-inch metal or glass baking pan works best).

Cape Cod's cranberry bogs — which supply the crowning glory of countless holiday desserts — provided the inspiration for this festive and luscious cheesecake. Chocolate wafer cookies (used in the crust) are sometimes located in the ice cream section, displayed above the freezer case.

Doris Murphy of Pompano Beach, Florida, writes: "When I was raising my children, the dishes I made were definitely home style to suit everyone's tastes; but even without the demands of feeding a family, I still prefer simpler recipes. Nevertheless, I notice that most of my kids are pretty adventurous cooks. Maybe they did get some of that creativity from me; when I recall the potato-meat-and-vegetable meals my mother served, I realize that I did branch out a bit."

Here, leftover cranberry sauce (or canned cranberry sauce) and boneless pork chops make a very contemporary little supper. Freshen up any leftover mashed white or sweet potatoes by stirring in chopped lemon and orange peel. A salad of bitter greens tossed with a cider vinaigrette, and a simple dessert of grape clusters and spiced bar cookies round things out.