Berry

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling)

Use any mixture of berries in this simple, quick compote. It tastes great with the <a>raspberry torte</a> and over ice cream or pound cake. Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 5 min

"The strawberry cream cake recipe from "A Swedish Midsummer Party" in your June 1997 issue reminded me of a dessert my grandmother, who was of Swedish descent, used to make," says Jill M. Kuhn of Sherman Oaks, California. An electric carving knife makes slicing this dessert a breeze.

Lightly sweetened whipped cream is a nice addition to this delicious dessert.

Pastel de tres leches is a traditional Nicaraguan Celebration Cake usually reserved for the holiday season. In this recipe we preserve the traditional presentation, and add some typical American holiday flavors. The cake is composed of four components: Sponge Cake, Rum Milk Syrup, Meringue, and Cranberry Compote.

Dried cherries and fresh cranberries pair beautifully. Cloves are a festive touch.

For the prettiest parfaits, look for the reddest rhubarb possible at the supermarket or farmers market.

Alternating layers of strawberry and white chocolate mousses form stripes in this creamy frozen dessert.

Here's an opportunity to enjoy the best summer fruit. Serve this dessert with butter cookies from the bakery.

Serve this dense, moist cake with a big bowl of lightly sweetened strawberries.

From the Inn at Perry Cabin—St. Michaels, Maryland. At the inn, this classic English dessert comes with clotted cream. A blend of whipped cream and sour cream is a nice substitute.

Crushed berries and cream over ice — of all the frappés, this is my favorite.

This recipe originally accompanied Passover Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce .