Baking

Dark, milk, and white chocolate chips are sprinkled throughout this rich chocolate cupcake. For a more sophisticated version, use only dark chocolate chips. Guaranteed to fulfill your daily chocolate craving.

My younger son loves these cupcakes and calls them Strawberry Spongecakes. These pink-flecked pleasers are best made at the height of strawberry season.

Buttermilk and honey makes these muffins remarkably tender and indescribably delicious. We love this recipe with raspberries, but you can also use any berries you have on hand.

Pudding cakes are little culinary marvels. Take what is basically a thin cake batter, fold in whipped egg whites, put the batter into a baking dish (or several ramekins as I do here), and voilà! As it bakes, the batter separates and forms a sponge cake on the top with a thick, kind of custardy pudding on the bottom. Lemon pudding cakes are common in the South, but I've swapped lemon for Key lime juice. To coat the insides of the ramekins with sugar, grease them with nonstick cooking spray or butter, put 1 tablespoon sugar in one, and then tilt and turn it around, tapping to coat all the inside surfaces. Tap the excess sugar into the next ramekin and repeat the process until all are dusted, adding more sugar as needed.

Chef David Schmidt whips up this moist chocolate confection for 70 people at a time, but we've cut it down to sheet-pan size. Serve with lowfat vanilla ice cream.

Inspired by the simple cherry desserts from the Limousin region of France, this baked custard can be served warm or at room temperature. Feel free to use pitted or unpitted cherries.

A mild or fruity olive oil works best in this cardamom-scented cake. Just try not to eat all of the candied orange slices before the cake cools.

SHERYL: The first time Wyatt had one of Chuck's zucchini muffins it was as if he'd died and gone to muffin heaven. I was thrilled, of course, because I knew he was actually eating zucchini without the fuss factor. Now, the first thing out of his mouth every morning is, "I want a keenie muffin!" Being the creature of habit that he is, I believe he would start every day with one of Chuck's muffins, and the nice thing about it is that Mommy can make them, too!

If these whimsical hors d'oeuvres taste somewhat familiar to you it's because they happen to be a fancified take on bourek, Turkish feta-stuffed phyllo rolls. Here, those familiar flavors not only echo ingredients of Turkish cuisine, but are also reminiscent of walnut-date bread with cream cheese: a delicious American classic. For more seasonal recipes, download the free Gourmet Live app and stay tuned to the Gourmet Live blog for the latest updates.

This triple threat dessert offers three distinct textures and flavors: A nutty, crumbly crust is filled with a dark chocolate pudding enriched with bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate stout, then topped with a billowy bourbon whipped cream. For more seasonal recipes, download the free Gourmet Live app and stay tuned to the Gourmet Live blog for the latest updates.

"This dough, with its addition of whole wheat flour for a nutty taste and tender texture, is a must in your baking repertoire."—Karen DeMasco

Here's how Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi of New York City's Torrisi Italian Specialties make these cake-like Technicolor treats.

Biscotti are the perfect ending to a great meal, especially with an espresso. A scoop of ice cream makes them even more special.—Karen DeMasco

Puff pastry is a boon for the solo cook. You can keep it frozen, then defrost and cut off enough for just one serving, refreezing the rest. I’ve been known to make my own puff pastry, but Dufour makes such high-quality, all-butter dough that I rarely get my hands dirty with the homemade stuff anymore. (It’s available in many parts of the country, but is not as widely available as puff pastry by Pepperidge Farm, which I like less because it uses shortening.) Now in the middle of winter, when the memory of fresh cherries and other pie fruit is a distant memory, I can combine dried cherries, almonds, and Mulled Wine Syrup (page 6) on a simple piece of puff pastry and bake up a tart that seems like the essence of summer.

Based on my grandmother's very old recipe, these cookies are a slightly softer version of my granddad Danner's favorite peanut butter cookies. These were his favorite things on earth and my grandmother always made them for him. He passed away when I was seven, but I can still remember him with his thick shock of white hair eating these cookies with a glass of milk.

The recipe for red velvet cake has been around since the 1920s, when the cake was the signature dessert at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The cake captured my heart-and it plays hard to get. It took me forever to come up with a magical adaptation that would capture the richness of its namesake. These bars get their health benefits, velvety texture, and deep red color from a paste made of beets, red beans, cocoa powder, and red food coloring. I took a slight departure from the traditional red velvet cake flavor by adding a touch of almond extract, and that, my friends, is where the magic happened.

Chef Anton Mosimann of Mosimann's London has orchestrated numerous royal celebrations, including Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee and Prince Charles' 50th birthday. He also holds a Royal Warrant of Appointment from the Prince of Wales. Mosimann's Bread and Butter Pudding is made with less bread and more custard than traditional recipes. He says the royal family loves his lighter version, and he recommends it for parties because guests won't feel too full.

The fresh lemon juice and lemon zest give these crisp and buttery shortbreads a zesty kick.