Baking

In this terrific take on the classic Linzer-torte, an almond-cinnamon cookie crust is the delicious base for layers of chocolate and raspberries with raspberry jam. Cookie-crust stars top the whole thing off.

Serve with a watermelon, kiwi fruit and grape salad. You can save any leftovers for an afternoon snack with coffee.

This appealing do-ahead dessert, perfect for a picnic, can be formed ahead and frozen. Just thaw, then bake and cool.

Although they are baked, these intensely chocolaty bar cookies resemble fudge more than brownies. To retain the creamy texture, keep them in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to a week. If the bars are refrigerated, their texture will become more dense.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Like cobbler, but even better. This is crowned with cinnamon shortcakes—slightly crisp on the outside and delicate within—that require no kneading or rolling. We call for frozen peach slices, so this is a year-round treat.

These delicate crisps resemble rolled tuiles. Using an offset spatula makes spreading the batter much easier.

Frangipane is a classic pastry filling made with ground almonds. Here, pistachios are used instead.

The fennel seeds add a nice dimension to these tender scones.

Donna Knowlton of Atlanta, Georgia, writes: "As the oldest of five children growing up in rural West Virginia, I was always helping in the kitchen. Like many girls in the South, my interest in cooking came from being a member of the 4-H club." Adding fresh lemon juice and grated lemon peel to the filling enhances the flavor of the apples.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Limpa—a moist rye bread from Sweden—is often flavored with aniseed (or fennel), caraway seeds, and orange zest. These same ingredients also come together to produce the following fragrant muffins. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

We slightly dried the small strawberries in this recipe so that their excess juice would not affect the crème caramel. We recommend using wild strawberries, as they do not need to be dried before using here. Both the crème caramel and the crust may be made ahead, but, to ensure a crisp crust and shiny caramel, do not invert the crème caramel onto the crust until shortly before serving.