Baking

Fougasse is a favorite in southern France. It is said that the holes cut into the flatbread served a very specific purpose — they allowed a field worker to slip his arm through and carry the bread to work along with his tools. Serve this with the Bourride or as an appetizer, brushed with a little olive oil.

The compote is a mixture of spiced fresh and dried fruits that are cooked in white grape juice and white wine. Any leftovers are great over ice cream or with plain yogurt for breakfast. Prepare the compote and flans at least one day before you plan to serve them.

Most of us have a tough time saying no to the lure of a meatball. Well, here is a batch of meatballs ready for the test. These particular ones, a mixture of beef and sausage, are laid out in a pan, then smothered in crushed tomatoes and seasoned with grated Romano cheese. Then they're baked in a hot oven, which accomplishes two things. First, it saves the step of browning them on top of the stove. And second, the sauce is automatically seasoned with the savory meatball juices and zesty, salty Romano.

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.

A scoop of ice cream, a spoonful of whipped cream, or a dollop of crème fraîche would be great with this.

Chef Michael Presnal of The Federal Restaurant in Agawam, Massachusett, writes: "The recipe here was featured on one of my first menus as a chef, before I got into the kind of complex cooking I do now at The Federal. That was over ten years ago, but I still love making this dish at home. It calls for just a few fresh ingredients and takes only a couple of steps." A French country dessert that's like pudding and tender cake all in one.

John Carey of Anchorage, Alaska, writes: "Whenever I see zabaglione on a dessert menu, I order it. The tangy pineapple version at Vetri in Philadelphia comes with a moist almond cake — divine."

These make a lovely breakfast or side dish.

The pears give this pretty pizza fresh flavor and texture.

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.

Unlike the sweet animal crackers in the familiar circus box, these boast a savory cheese flavor. They're a nice accompaniment to the chicken soup with rice.

While this calls for four herbs, just one or two—rosemary and thyme, for example—would be fine.

If you're making this entire menu in a single oven, we recommend baking the cobbler ahead of time — that way you can reheat it while clearing the table. Otherwise, you can just whisk together the dry ingredients beforehand, but you'll have to excuse yourself during dinner to assemble and bake the dessert.

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

Most of the alcohol in this cake cooks off, but a distinct whiskey flavor remains.

This is a classic recipe for a Midwest favorite. For a flavorful filling, it's important to use sour (or tart) cherries, rather than sweet.