Chocolate

Any leftover sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

The best recipe I have for brownies comes from a friend who got it from a magazine article about Katharine Hepburn. It is, apparently, her family's.

Start this at least one day before serving.

Turn-of-the-century cooks thought the original of this dense, chocolaty cake was so wickedly rich and sinfully delicious that it just had to be bad. So they named it after the devil himself. The first recipe for it appeared in 1905, and it's been around ever since. We've freshened up the devil with a little lift of mint.

You can decorate all the cones the same way or do each one differently. If time is short, simply use purchased ice cream.

A classic flavor combination-chocolate and cherries-turns everyday vanilla ice cream into a special dessert. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Homemade malted vanilla-bean ice cream is layered with a bittersweet chocolate sauce and drunken dried cherries.

Bill Borger created this rich dessert and its decadent sauce.

Buttermilk and walnuts make the difference in this delectable layer cake.

(SPUMONE AL CIOCCOLATO E MANDORLE) Here's an elegant dessert of Neapolitan origin that manages to be rich and light at the same time. Its airy texture is reflected in its name, which comes from the Italian word for foam, spuma.

Giving a nod to tropical fruit, this irresistible treat combines rich ice cream with a nut crust and thick fudge sauce.

The recipe for these individual puddings comes from the Brazilian restaurant Pampas in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

More confections than cookies, really, meringues accompany ice cream well and add a festive dimension to the table. They are best baked on a cool, dry day.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Tocqueville presents this elegant soufflé-like dessert with mint ice cream and mint syrup.