Baking

This treat is so sweet (even though we've eliminated half the sugar), you won't need to serve it à la mode.

Personal chef Bernie Guzman — he's cooked for Jada Pinkett-Smith and her husband, Will Smith, for almost five years — doesn't limit his low-fat culinary talents to the grill. His fruit tartlets have a cheesecake-like richness despite few calories. Topped with cancer-fighting antioxidant players such as berries and cherries, this pastry is one you can feel good about polishing off.

If you enjoy this decadent dessert (or the <epi:recipelink id="230319">Canyon Ranch Grilled Golden Pineapple With Caramel Sauce</epi:recipelink>) once a week, you will satisfy your cravings and stay on track with your weight loss and healthy-eating goals.

Saturday-night dessert. From Willow Stream The Spa at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort in Arizona. This is the best spa cookie we tried — and we devoured ovenfuls of cookies to find our winner. These Anzacs are rich in coconut but low in fat.

Nashville: Try the "fried" chicken, y'all. Southern hospitality wouldn't be quite so hospitable without corn bread, collard greens, and, of course, fried chicken. If you haven't already guessed that grease is what's so "finger-lickin' good," we'll let you in on a secret: You can spend nearly half a day's calories on one thigh of this Southern-fried favorite. So make our baked version instead.

Tip: If you brown the butter, you can use half as much.

Tip: Use plain lowfat yogurt in place of sour cream. Result: less fat, great flavor.

Tip: In a piecrust, apple juice can replace some of the butter.

These cookies have a low-fat secret. They're full of beans! Idaho State University researchers in Pocatello replaced 75 percent of the butter with beans to create cookies with 105 calories and 3 fat grams (compared with 150 calories and 7 fat grams).

The ultimate chocolate cake.

This fennel-and-scallion-enriched version of tyropita (Greek cheese pie) uses feta and cottage cheese to create a filling that's mildly tangy yet mellow.

Cardamom-scented whipped cream tops a light, crisp meringue in this pretty paean to the season's fresh berries.

One of Morocco's major grains, barley brings a malt-like flavor to this surprisingly light bread. Nigella seeds add a pleasant crunch and just the faintest hint of onion. To order the barley flour and nigella seeds, visit kalustyans.com.

Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Lake Austin Spa Resort. This is arguably Mexico's most famous special occasion cake. Tres leches means three milks — typically heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. Our version opts for a lighter more tropical soaking — reduced-fat coconut milk, fat-free sweetened condensed milk, and skim milk. You would think that all of this fluid infusion would turn the cake to sodden disintegration. But, in fact, it absorbs the liquids beautifully, much as does the equatorial earth absorb a sudden downpour. Accompanied by rum-caramelized bananas and topped with toasted coconut, this cake has become our most popular new dessert.

This is one of actor Andy Garcia's favorite dishes; the recipe comes from his wife, Marivi. For more of his favorite foods, see "Feedback" in the May 2006 issue of Bon Appétit.

Lori Hartman of New York City, writes: "I'm looking for a good madeleine recipe similar to the delicious ones (lemony, buttery, and spongy, but crispy on the edges) I used to buy at Bouley Bakery in Manhattan's TriBeCa neighborhood. Can you get the recipe?" The crisp edge on these delightful citrus-scented cookies sets them apart from any other classic madeleines our food editors have tasted. We're never going back.

Delicate and creamy, these tender individual desserts taste equally good served warm or at room temperature. A spoonful of your favorite jam can be used in place of the glazed rhubarb.