Dairy

Make these up to two days ahead and serve them cold or at room temperature.

This dessert has a baked chocolate-cookie crust and a chilled light-and-fluffy filling of pureed fresh raspberries folded into whipped mascarpone cheese.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 25 min

This herbed cheese dip has almost nothing else in it to mask the thyme flavor. Serve with crackers, lightly toasted pita bread, and raw vegetable sticks.

Begin making this ultra-creamy flan (think crème brûlée) one day before serving.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 10 min

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

What to drink: Sangiovese wines are a classic pairing with robust pasta dishes. Try the Cantina di Montalcino 1999 Poggio del Sasso, a good-value Super Tuscan.

Spinach and Feta Phyllo Triangles

Gail W. Dorsey of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, writes: "Fresh figs were featured in an unusual appetizer at The Gatehouse Restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island. The figs were stuffed with cheese, wrapped in phyllo, and served with two sauces. They would make an impressive starter for a dinner party." This is terrific made with fresh figs when they're in season. But dried ones, which are readily available year-round, work well, too.

These no-bake bites can be made two hours ahead and are designed to taste best at room temperature, making them perfect for parties.

Cape Cod's cranberry bogs — which supply the crowning glory of countless holiday desserts — provided the inspiration for this festive and luscious cheesecake. Chocolate wafer cookies (used in the crust) are sometimes located in the ice cream section, displayed above the freezer case.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

"My sister, who lives near Chicago, takes me into the city for dinner at Erwin restaurant whenever I visit her," says Marion J. Matczynski of Parma Heights, Ohio. "One time I tried the peanut mousse cake; it was to die for."