Chocolate

Be sure to use regular peanut butter — not old-fashioned or freshly ground — for the best consistency in the cookie batter and the filling.

A perfect ending to a Valentine's Day dinner, these bite-size confections are like miniature candy bars — only better. Plus, they keep for a week.

Mexican chocolate and white rum add up to more than your average chocolate mousse.

Holiday spices and molasses give these chocolate truffles seasonal charm.

For variety, dip half of the biscotti in melted white chocolate and the other half in dark chocolate. Or, drizzle the melted chocolate over the biscotti instead.

Three great ways to keep warm — coffee, hot chocolate, and bourbon — in a single mug.

With its cloak of pure chocolate, this buttery cookie is sublime. For the best flavor, use a high-quality pure vanilla extract and the best chocolate you can find — preferably Valrhona. Melting the chocolate in two stages helps keep it at an even temperature — insuring that it will set evenly.

These squares practically explode in the mouth with silky, fudgy chocolate and cool mint ganache.

The delicate, refreshing flavor of fresh mint leaves infuses the cream used to make the peppermint filling. You'll need a stand mixer to make the pastry.

A dream-come-true holiday dessert: so easy to assemble, yet so very impressive (and delicious, too).

Loaded with dried fruit, toasted almonds, and bittersweet chocolate, these blondies combine the best of a brownie with what you wish fruitcake could taste like. A terrific addition to any holiday cookie platter, they are also a satisfying stand-alone dessert.

There's a layer of chocolate between the cookie-like crust and the rich filling of this sophisticated spin on the traditional pecan pie.

Elaine O'Toole of Phoenix, Arizona, writes: "This recipe for chocolate cake is a family favorite at our celebrations all year, but especially during the holidays. It's so rich that my sons eat small squares of it as if they were brownies. And since it can be made ahead, it's a great dessert to take to a party."

Once you've soaked the chiles for 2 hours, this mole comes together in 45 minutes.