Chocolate

Also great layered with some sweetened mixed berries or other fruit and presented in parfait glasses.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

"Imagine my surprise when, while waiting at a beauty salon, I opened an October 1994 issue of gourmet and noticed 'Gwen Bradford’s Ranger Cookies," begins Bonnie Donalson of San Diego, California. "'Impostor!' I cried. With all due respect to Ms. Bradford, as I am sure her cookies are delicious, it's hardly worth the trouble of baking cookies if you leave out the chocolate chips. I have a friend who literally fights with her husband over my ranger cookies. Others start hinting in October for their traditional bag of Christmas rangers."

"I make a variety of candies for holiday gifts, and I always include these," writes Chloe Chapman of Portland, Oregon. "A friend of mine from the South, says that the filling tastes just like penuche, a creamy fudge-like candy made with brown sugar and butter." For proper texture, it’s important to cool the candy mixture to 112°F (but no cooler).

Start making this at least one day ahead.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Dark chocolate, light chocolate and coffee fillings alternate with nut meringue layers, and dark chocolate ganache covers the whole torte. This is an irresistible version of the traditional Parisian dessert.

The chocolate topping on this striking rectangular tart is very rich, so a small serving of the dessert goes a long way.

We recommend tempering the chocolate used for coating the patties, as it will result in glossier, firmer shells. Experiment with your favorite cookie cutters to create original patty shapes.

The coffee in this cake may be replaced with a sweet fruit liqueur or with orange juice.

Though similar in texture to a flourless chocolate cake, the addition of poppy seeds makes this torte delightfully different.

If making these cupcakes for a large crowd, do not double the recipe but make multiple batches.

These are drizzled with melted semi-sweet chocolate. Other cookie-cutter shapes may be used as well.

New York cheesecake is dressed up for the holidays with bright cranberry topping, white chocolate in the filling and a hazelnut crust. The cake can be prepared up to two days ahead.