Berry

This tart was inspired by a plum tart often cooked by the mother of Lisa's college roommate. Due to Lisa's reckless dissemination of that recipe (which caused an overpopulation of plum tarts up and down the eastern seaboard), her recipe-exchange privileges with said mother have been revoked.

Chill this overnight to develop the blueberry flavor and give the filling time to set.

This compote makes a lovely (and low-fat) dessert on its own, but the addition of ice cream and won ton strips makes it something special.

Be sure to use powdered fruit pectin in this recipe — don't substitute liquid pectin or a low-sugar variety. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 45 min (includes chilling)

When he was the chef at the Carlton Hotel in London, Escoffier created Strawberries Americaine Style — strawberries in orange liqueur, blended into whipped cream and softened ice cream. Little did he know that it would one day be the star dessert of every posh dining spot in California. "Prince" Mike Romanoff "borrowed" the recipe and gave it a new moniker. Soon it was the hottest item on the West Coast. The L.A. Biltmore called it "Strawberries Biltmore." The Palace Hotel in San Francisco served it with anisette and maraschino.

This low-fat recipe won a contest that included mostly high-fat desserts.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Start making this at least one day ahead.

Looks pretty and tastes great. If you can find fresh raspberries at this time of year, layer them with the other fruits.

We wanted to make a cake that would look wonderful, taste great, but still be manageable. The layers are a basic pound cake, and the frosting is a simple cream-cheese variation. Sandwiched between the layers is store-bought jam. We know the thought of freezing your showpiece layers can be a little scary. We've tested several, however, and want to emphasize that it’s infinitely better to freeze the layers up to one month (don't refrigerate them) than to have them dry out at room temperature. Finally, you'll need some sort of base for the assembled cake. This can be anything from a very large platter to a piece of wood covered with tulle. Important: Two separate batches of the following batter are required in this recipe. You'll need twice the quantity of the batter ingredients below, but do not double when mixing the ingredients.

These layered desserts are a pure flight of fancy. Inspired by the Italian dish lasagna, they use a traditional Peruvian fruit and cheese combo and add the very French technique of brûléeing sugar to create a brittle caramel. Villaran tops them with a caramel crown for a dramatic presentation, but they are just as delicious with nothing more than a drizzle of strawberry sauce.

This recipe was created to accompany <epirecipelink id="14062">Frozen Lemon Mousses</epirecipelink>. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.