Chocolate

These tender individual treats are like a cross between a molten chocolate cake and a steamed pudding. The cinnamon gives them a warm, deep scent, which you can intensify by serving them with purchased cinnamon or ginger ice cream in place of the whipped cream.

We've made one of America's most famous holiday desserts — pecan pie—even more delicious by adding an unctuous layer of moist caramel, a touch of bittersweet chocolate (to cut the sweetness), and some finely shaved nuts on top.

As great as the original, but with a lot of crunch, too.

For this one, you will need six 4 1/2-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms.

If you're looking to end the meal on an intense decadent note, then this is the way to go. These are meant to be served fresh out of the oven so that the inside is still warm and runny. You can put the batter into the little cupcake tins earlier in the day and then refrigerate until you're ready to pop them into the oven toward the end of your meal. While you're waiting for the cakes to finish, clear the table and serve some tea or coffee. And don't worry, baking has never been easier. Just make sure to have all of your ingredients at room temperature before you start.

Basil Tsiokos of Newburgh, New York, writes: "My best friend and I recently spent a week at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, a spa resort near Scottsdale, Arizona. Our goal was major exercise and minor calories, but on the last night we splurged at Elements with the richest dessert we could find — slices of chocolate-glazed frozen peanut butter mousse." Don't use natural-style peanut butter for this recipe; do start making it the day before serving.

These rich cookies, a little like freestanding brownies, are the creation of Chris Gargone, the talented pastry chef of Remi, one of New York's most popular Italian restaurants. Before you start, a word of caution: chews are addictive.

These luxurious little desserts are like gooey flourless chocolate pudding cakes.

Testers refused to believe that chef Terry Conlan's ultra-creamy cheesecake was low in fat — but we triple-checked the numbers, and they're gloriously correct. Calories are still a bit high, but light butter and fat-free cream cheese drop the fat count to only 20 percent of the recipe's calories (less than half that of a regular slice), and goodies like caramel sauce and chocolate chips maximize the taste.

Bake and freeze the Triple-Chocolate Cookies a day before filling them with ice cream. For convenience, you can make the homemade ice cream up to three days in advance. Purchased strawberry ice cream (softened slightly at room temperature until spreadable) also works in these sandwiches.

"All my favorite things are about chocolate," says Elizabeth Falkner. Thin layers of flourless chocolate cake and an intensely chocolaty mousse are paired with crunchy hazelnuts and hints of orange in this truly decadent dessert. Try it with a scoop of coffee-chocolate chip ice cream alongside. For best results, use a premium bittersweet chocolate with a high cocoa bean content (variously labeled "cocoa solids," "cocoa," or "cacao"), such as Scharffen Berger 70 percent or Callebaut.

Enjoy this shot as an after-dinner drink or in place of dessert.

Affogato is a typically Italian way to enjoy ice cream — it's literally "drowned" in espresso or another liquid topping. (Lemon sorbetto splashed with grappa is a refreshing summer example.)

Mint-chocolate truffles frozen in vanilla ice cream create a polka-dot dessert.

Candied orange peel is usually sold in the supermarket's produce section. It is also available from bakerscatalogue.com (labeled "Candied Fruit"); 800-827-6836.