Torte

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

This is an elegant dessert, light but filled with berry flavor — and it's much easier to make than it looks. The generous crust is made from store-bought shortbread, so rich in butter there's no need to add more. We used Walkers, a pure-butter shortbread from Scotland that's widely available in supermarkets.

(Toasted Almond, Cinnamon and Chocolate Torte)

Because of reader demand, this recipe was published in one form or another in The New York Times almost every year between 1983 and 1995, when the then editor of the food section told me to tell my readers it was the last year it would be published, and if they lost it, it was too bad. She suggested they cut it out, laminate it, and put it on the refrigerator door. My coauthor of the first Elegant but Easy Cookbook brought this recipe to the book. Its appeal comes from its lovely old-fashioned flavor and its speed of preparation. It was originally called Fruit Torte.

A beautiful special-occasion dessert that can be prepared a day before serving. Any leftover raspberry filling is delicious on toast or pancakes.

A different take on favorite Thanksgiving flavors, this beautiful do-ahead pumpkin dessert is made even easier by the use of purchased sauce.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is the chocolate lover's dream dessert: rich, creamy and intensely flavored.

Here's a flourless chocolate cake with a light, soufflé-like texture. Serve it with some coffee ice cream.

Eggs provide the leavening in this spiced cake, and melted butter keeps it tender.

Perfect for the Jewish holiday, this flourless torte has an airy soufflé-like texture. The sauce adds a special-occasion touch.

The recipe calls for a pastry bag, but the meringue disks can also be formed with a spatula. If made ahead, the meringue will soften slightly from contact with the buttercream.

This dense, moist chocolate cake, made with dried pears, is stunning when decorated with gold leaf. Of course, you can always simply top it with chocolate curls.