Baking

All over Switzerland, tiny macaroons in every color and flavor fill the bakery windows, like rows and rows of candy dots. Almond is one of the classic flavors of these sandwich cookies — and it's particularly nice with the poached apricots and zabaglione.

Cornstarch is one of the secret ingredients behind this traditional crumbly Brazilian cookie. Ground cashews are the other, contributing their distinct brand of richness and nutty sweetness.

Dried fruits and nuts are common in Moroccan pastries, but this tart is something special — the richness of the dough and the pop of the sesame seeds bring out that honeyed quality you normally associate with fresh figs. The cardamom cream is whisper-light, and the fresh orange segments are refreshingly cool.

A quick confection, this cake bakes in just 30 minutes. Translation: You'll be enjoying a homemade dessert with a light crumb and smooth glaze in no time.

These bread-basket staples are as good with eggs as they are with the grilled "barbecue" beef and slaw.

These ice cream sandwiches are made with baked puff pastry squares instead of cookies. Make them at least an hour ahead so the ice cream has time to firm up.

This moist cake is perfect with unsweetened, softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

These tasty little tea cakes are a perfect match for the Lime and Lemon Posset.

Serve this cake with a dollop of Greek yogurt and quince paste.

With Lidia by your side, this showstopping dessert is foolproof. You'll need to start preparing the dough and filling at least one day ahead.

A buttery crust is topped with caramel, then a layer of chocolate ganache. The recipe is Granger's take on a traditional Australian dessert. "I used to buy a version of this at school fairs," he says.

Caribbean ingredients make these beautiful little tarts something special.

This recipe was created by Melissa Murphy of the Sweet Melissa Patisseries in Brooklyn, New York. Begin making the cake layers at least 2 days, and up to 2 weeks, before serving.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, by Tom Gilliland, Miguel Ravago, and Virginia B. Wood. Flan is one of the most traditional desserts in the entire Hispanic-influenced world — from Spain and Portugal to Cuba and Puerto Rico, all the way to Mexico and Central and South America. It comes in a variety of flavors and textures, depending on the local tastes and agricultural products of each different region. When Fonda San Miguel opened in 1975, few, if any, Mexican restaurants in Texas offered flan as a dessert option. In the early days of the restaurant, a loyal customer named Ana María generously shared her family's heirloom recipe from the Mexican state of Guanajuato, and it has been a customer favorite ever since. It's very dense and creamy, balanced by a crunchy almond crust on the bottom.

An ethereal egg-white soufflé from Mod Oz celeb chef Luke Mangan's Glass Brasserie in Sydney.

Uyghur flatbreads Topped with a savory mixture of sautéed onion and sesame seeds, this moist, addictive bread gets a pleasant tang from a bit of yogurt added to the dough. Poking holes in it before baking — we use a thick skewer rather than the traditional chicken-feather quills — keeps the nan from getting too puffy.