Vegetarian

You can also use other whole nuts, such as almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, or cashews. It is best to make these on a day with low humidity.

You can assemble this showstopping dessert up to eight hours ahead of serving; leave off the last layer of cream and fruit, and refrigerate along with the partially assembled cake. Just before serving, top the cake with the remaining cream and berries, and garnish with the mint leaves. If you can’t find beautiful small strawberries, halve or quarter larger ones.

The combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour produces a very tender crumb. You will need a paper cornet to pipe the dots and lines of lemon curd that top the buttercream frosting. Fully decorated, the cake looks fresh and whimsical-a perfect choice for a birthday party, baby shower, or other celebration.

These elegant cookies, found in nearly every pastry shop in Paris, have a crisp exterior and a slightly chewy center.

Nonstick baking mats will help these crunchy cookies bake evenly and hold their shape. Once the batter is made, it can be kept in the refrigerator, covered with plastic, for up to five days. Bring it to room temperature before using.

It’s best to bake these cookies on cool, dry days so they can form and retain a curved shape. Because they are fragile, first line airtight containers with several layers of paper towels, then lay tuiles on top, in one layer, without crowding.

If you wish to make these with store-bought puff pastry, increase the sugar to one cup. Thaw and unfold the dough on the sugared work surface, then trim each piece into a ten-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Proceed with the recipe, sprinkling and rolling as directed. (Standard packages contain about one pound of dough, so the yield will be slightly greater than for our homemade version.)

The traditional Italian flavors of almond and anise are delicate enough for teatime yet equally good with strong coffee or espresso.

These red-and-green-flecked cookies are particularly festive at Christmas; Martha likes to bake several batches to give away as gifts.

The combination of cocoa and ground cinnamon is commonly found in Mexican chocolate and hot drinks; we’ve used it here to flavor a traditional Scottish cookie.

These are best the same day they are baked, when they’re still nice and crisp,especially around the edges. After that, they will be softer but still delicious.

These bars provide the perfect contrast of crisp and gooey. For a chocolate variation, omit the jam and evenly scatter fourteen ounces of finely chopped semisweet chocolate over the cooled crust before proceeding.

Classic lemon bars get a couple of twists: wheat germ adds texture to the shortbread crust, and lime juice and zest flavor the filling.

Some people prefer their brownies cakey. We developed this recipe to satisfy our craving for a bar that was just the opposite: dense, fudgy, and full of deep chocolate flavor.

Hazelnuts impart an unmistakable flavor to these cookies, but feel free to substitute the same amount of almonds, pecans, or walnuts. You will need two sizes of heart-shaped cookie cutters (three inches and two inches).

These shortbread sandwiches are laced with chopped pecans and toasted coconut and filled with buttery caramel. Be sure to let cookies cool completely before filling, or bake them a day in advance and fill the next day.