Baking

Pastel des Tres Leches con Rompope This special-occasion cake from the state of Sinaloa is spiked with rompope, a rich Mexican eggnog liqueur. It is heated with the tres leches until the mixture is reduced to a syrup that is poured over the hot cake.

These delicious strudels can be put together one day before baking.

You'll need six baby loaf pans for this recipe. Look for disposable ones at the market.

An easy press-in crust of ground graham crackers and toasted almonds is topped with a fresh strawberry filling and whipped cream. Chill the pie at least two hours before serving.

Oregon's Willamette Valley produces great wines — as well as prunes, hazelnuts, and apples, which combine in this dessert.

Faye Gardner, Haleyville, Ala.
"I perfected a sister-in-law's cookie and have been baking them every Christmas since 1969."

This pie has an exceptionally flaky crust. It's wonderful — of course — with vanilla ice cream.

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.

Serve with: Three-bean deli salad spooned over arugula. Dessert: Ice cream bars.

This tart was inspired by a plum tart often cooked by the mother of Lisa's college roommate. Due to Lisa's reckless dissemination of that recipe (which caused an overpopulation of plum tarts up and down the eastern seaboard), her recipe-exchange privileges with said mother have been revoked.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Cut into slim wedges for an appetizer or into larger pieces for a main course.

Each filling makes enough for one batch of cookies. Whichever filling you choose, be sure to prepare it a day ahead.

Maureen Abood of Chicago, Illinois, writes: "Whenever my mother visits my sister and me in Chicago, we have dinner at Mon Ami Gabi, where we can look out the large windows onto Lincoln Park as we eat. I'd love to make the luscious chocolate tart served there for my mother the next time I'm home." The soft caramel filling is a terrific showcase for — and contrast to — the toasted nuts.