Baking

Active time: 15 minutes Start to finish: 1 1/4 hour

If you love peanut butter, these cookies will be It. I created what I believe to be quintessential peanut butter cookies to honor the one hundredth anniversary of peanut butter. They are very peanut buttery yet exceptionally light, with a lovely "sandy" bite. At my husband's urging, I doubled up on the peanut butter and decreased the flour, making the chocolate cookie centers seem like biting into a Reese's peanut butter cup. Chocolate centers blend wonderfully with the peanut flavor, but the bright, tart, sticky cherry centers, are my first choice.

One of the traditions of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, includes pairing honey with apples, in the hope of sweetness in the coming year. The custom is to dip apple slices into honey. I decided to combine the apples and honey in one cake. The result is moist, subtly spiced, and deliciously sweet. I bake this in a round pan, symbolic of the hoped-for fullness in the new year. This cake can be served not only on Rosh Hashanah but over the course of the year as well.

Cocoa brownies have the softest center and chewiest candylike top "crust" of all because all of the fat in the recipe (except for a small amount of cocoa butter in the cocoa) is butter, and all of the sugar is granulated sugar rather than the finely milled sugar used in chocolate. Use the best cocoa you know for these fabulous brownies.

"I've always loved to cook, and though at eighty-nine I'm slowing down, I still love it," writes Mary Gareffa of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. "My grandfather and my father were both cooks in a monastery in Reggio Calabria, Italy, before they moved to this country, and luckily for me, my father was my cooking teacher. These are time-tested recipes for some everyday dishes that I grew up with and later served to my own family." Pasta frolla, Italian sweet pastry dough, is the tender press-in crust for this easy tart.

Pureed fresh mango gives this cheesecake a light and soft texture and subtle tropical fruit flavor.

Chill the pie for at least six hours before serving — or make it up to two days ahead.

We have to be honest: This sfogliatelle recipe is quite an undertaking. Some of our food editors were surprised that these pastries could even be made at home. However, if you're in the mood for a delicious project, sfogliatelle are worth the time and energy involved.

If you're in the mood for a real breakfast treat, hot cream biscuits slathered with butter and jam can be just the thing. Try them with the <epi:recipeLink id-"105046">quick strawberry jam</epi:recipeLink>. <P>

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 3/4 hr See how to roll out dough.

Complement this meatless supper with a chopped romaine and sliced avocado salad, followed by orange sorbet with nut cookies for dessert.

Debra says this very American made-from-scratch cake, which is truly fast and easy, always gets rave reviews from kids and their parents in Paris.

Serve this tender, moist Bundt cake with the Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote , vanilla ice cream, or just on its own. Decorate with whole strawberries, if desired.

You can make the soufflés 4 hours ahead (keep at room temperature). Put in a 375°F oven for 8 minutes to reheat. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Don't worry — you won't need a giant oven for this king-size tart. It's made in 4 quadrants, baked one at a time. And because the recipe uses packaged puff pastry, it's fairly simple to prepare.

Steve Silverman of South Burlington, Vermont, writes: "I consider myself more of a baker than a cook. When my kids were in elementary school and the only bread available at the supermarket was plain and white, I started baking. At one point, I was making five to ten loaves a week. But now I'm known for my challahs, which I give as presents during the holidays." This crunchy, not-too-sweet granola makes a terrific breakfast served with nonfat milk, or a delicious snack on its own.

Make this pie with a combination of tart apples — such as Winesap or Granny Smith — and sweet varieties like Fuji, Jonagold, Idared, or Mutsu.

Ground almonds add a delicate nutty flavor to the crust. Begin making the filling a day before assembling the tart; once completed, it can be chilled another day before serving.

Since this cheesecake needs to chill for several hours, it's easiest to bake it a day ahead of time.

A cross between brioche and challah, this bread is a lightly sweetened, egg-glazed cylinder, often baked in a coffee can to make a tall loaf. The kulich would sit proudly in the center of the family Easter basket, surrounded by meats, cheeses, butter, and eggs. It's a central part of the Easter meal, served with sweet paskha cheese or unsalted butter.