Baking

If preparing this corn bread for the New England Sausage Stuffing , make it one day ahead.

"Never have I tried a homemade bread as light and delicious as the honey-oat loaf at The Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont," writes Rebecca Rothaug of Westbury, New York. "With your help, I would like to share this bread with my family and friends." Serve slices of this tender, slightly sweet bread with plenty of butter and honey.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge — the cookies must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

Italy's sweet and buttery-smooth mascarpone cheese adds flavor and creaminess. Begin this cheesecake at least one day ahead.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 3 hr The walnuts in this recipe aren't crucial to its success — some of us like these buns with nuts, others prefer them without. So the choice is yours.

"I eat right most of the time, but every once in a while I treat myself to a few of these melt-in-your-mouth cookies," writes Donna Staley of San Diego, California. "They're my version of an old-fashioned refrigerator cookie."

California orange groves inspired this version of the cake shaped like a Yule log.

Three kinds of ice cream (all chocolate), chocolate sauce, and a chocolate cookie crust make this a chocoholic’s dream come true.

Gâteau Breton aux Noix This is my variation on a traditional butter cake from Brittany. Its dense, rich, and very buttery flavor is amplified by the lightly toasted walnuts, giving it a whole other dimension. In Brittany this cake is served for an afternoon snack, with coffee, or after a meal. I sometimes put it on the breakfast table as well.

Make this showstopping dessert even more stunning by garnishing it with fresh raspberries and mint sprigs.

For convenience, you can begin making the crust up to two days before you plan to serve the pie. Maple sugar is available at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

Dried figs and brandy add a new dimension to classic pecan pie.