Chocolate

Spring rolls are the quintessential Asian appetizer, but I have adapted the concept to dessert. When cooked, these rolls are like cylindrical molten cakes with warm chocolate oozing out of an impossibly thin and crisp "pastry" shell. The kumquats not only cut through the richness with their distinct citrus tartness, but also are a symbol of good fortune, as kum is a homonym for "gold" in Chinese. CHEF'S TIP: Make sure you use thin spring roll wrappers, which can be found in Asian markets, not egg roll wrappers.

A great way to use very ripe bananas, this easy-to-make cake incorporates everything you love about banana bread and adds a few more favorites—chocolate, walnuts, and cinnamon—for good measure. (It's also much more tender, with a light, moist crumb.)

Reduced-fat ingredients create a light, creamy cake.

An extra dose of decadent chocolate gives this classic layered dessert new life.

This four-layer stunner may just render all your other chocolate-cake recipes obsolete. A generous amount of sour cream keeps the cake layers tender, and the frosting is a glossy triumph. It's a natural fit for practically any get-together—from a simple family birthday celebration to an elaborate dinner party.

An intense dark-chocolate filling topped with sweet-tangy cream.

Small wedges of this luscious, superchocolaty cake go a long way.

This variation on spice cookies will beguile with its unlikely ingredients: A little curry powder provides an unplaceable base note for flat brown-sugar tuiles studded with pistachios and chocolate chunks. And these are the least fussy of cookies—just spread the batter, sprinkle with chocolate and nuts, and then break up into pieces after baking.

Whether you dunk them in milk, pry them apart, or devour them whole, sandwich cookies are irresistible. These, with their crisp chocolate wafers and ganache filling made from fine-quality white chocolate, are so much better than that supermarket version.

Encased in smooth dark chocolate is a light, refreshing mint candy, perfect for closing out your Christmas dinner. To give these holiday treats sheen, use tempered melted chocolate.

The transformation of butter, sugar, and salt into toffee is culinary alchemy at its best. This version is studded with cocktail peanuts and a decadent layer of bittersweet chocolate.

These chocolate-dipped stars look beautiful on the table, and their ethereal texture means guests can nibble without filling up. All three flavors—vanilla, chocolate, and coffee—come from one batter.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Carole Bloom's book The Essential Baker. One of my favorite treats when I was growing up was malted milk balls. I couldn't seem to get enough of them. I vividly remember biting through the crunchy exterior of milk chocolate to find the malt ball inside. Yum! I still love the flavor of malt and believe it goes well with milk chocolate. This cheesecake is inspired by those malted milk balls I loved as a child. It's dense and creamy, with a crunchy cookie crust and a deep malt flavor. As with other cheesecakes, this one has to be made in advance of serving because it needs hours to cool and chill. But it also freezes beautifully, so you can make it well in advance of when you plan to serve it.

These thin chocolate cookies taste just like the very top layer of a brownie. SERVING SUGGESTION: With milk.