Baking

Dense, moist, and delicious, this bread is great as a quick snack or with a bit of whipped honey butter for afternoon tea.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr

A crisp is one of the easiest desserts that a nonbaker can make.

For some reason this delicious sweet is almost unknown today.

Executive editor Barbara Fairchild has a reputation as the staff chocoholic, so it's no surprise that her kitchen gift for the holidays is a big batch of brownies. A tried-and-true recipe from her mother, these treats are rich and very moist.

"My Aunt Rose, a consummate baker, perfected this pound cake, which for years has graced the table of every family gathering," says Barbara Chazan of New York, New York.

Raspberries are both baked in this tender, moist cake and served with it.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

With a holiday bird, these puddings would make a delicious alternative to traditional stuffing.

In most baking recipes, it is customary to see salt measured in teaspoons. The amount of salt called for in the following recipe, however, is correct for the proportion of flour used.

"I'm a social worker running my own practice," writes Susan Haskell of Boston, Massachusetts. "In addition, I'm getting a doctorate in social work. So most of my time is spent either working with patients or writing my dissertation. Still, no matter what's on my schedule, nothing can stop me from going into the kitchen. During the week, I make the time to pore over food magazines to find recipes I want to try. On Saturdays, I cook for friends — because next to cooking, sharing the results is my favorite thing to do." Susan says this can also be made with fresh cherries, sliced peaches, nectarines, or pears.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.