Baking

The following recipe makes 120 cookies. Any excess raw dough may be kept, frozen, 3 weeks. You'll find these delicate wafers so delicious that they'll disappear in no time.

We asked pastry chef Michael Laiskonis if we could compare two versions of the custard in his tart: one made with fresh pumpkin, the other made with canned, which he likes for its reliable consistency. When we tested the two tarts, we were surprised to find that we also preferred the custard made with canned pumpkin — but the choice is yours.

"While in Vancouver, we had a wonderful meal at Diva at the Met. The star of the show was the Stilton cheesecake. Could you persuade the chef to part with the recipe?" asks Mark Horne of Laurel, Mississippi. Editors' note: Pairing Stilton and rhubarb may sound like a joke, but we had to try it. It turns out that the joke's on us — the combination is terrific. Chef Michael Noble caramelizes the top with a blowtorch, but we think the cheesecake is also delicious without the crackly crust.

"This recipe for Swedish drommar, meaning 'dreams,' comes from my grandmother," writes Elizabeth Wigg Maxwell of New Providence, New Jersey. "She and my mother made these every Christmas when my siblings and I were growing up. As children, we were amazed that my mother had to go to the pharmacy to obtain one of the ingredients: ammonium carbonate. Equally incredible was the fact that something which smelled so horrible helped make such delicious cookies!" "Years ago, I began baking drommar for my own family. I called the local pharmacy to request the unusual ingredient and was delighted when the pharmacist said, 'You must be making those Swedish cookies!'" Ammonium carbonate, used by European bakers, makes especially crisp cookies. Its smell, which you may find off-putting while making the dough, disappears completely in the baking process.

This dairy bread pudding–like custard baked between layers of matzo is delicious for brunch or dessert.

These cakes are slightly underbaked so that the chocolate center oozes when cut into.

Filled with a mixture of nuts, brown sugar, honey and grated orange peel, this tart will dress up any holiday table. Serve it with whipped cream and, if desired, the Orange-Cranberry Compote

Schiacciata means "flattened down," and in Tuscany the term generally refers to flatbread—what everyone else in Italy calls focaccia. During the wine-grape harvest, Tuscans make a not-too-sweet dessert or snack of bread dough and grapes, said to be of Etruscan origin. Realistically, at this time of year in the United States it will be hard to find a grape flavorful enough for this recipe. If you can't find great grapes, save this recipe for next autumn, when Concord grapes are in season, and substitute the almond cookie recipe.

Berries are in top form here; the filling is a cool, tangy crème fraîche sorbet rather than the usual whipped cream.

This is a typical Norman recipe, a way to use up the little bits of cheese that somehow manage to end up on a cheese platter. It is delicious.

These delicious chocolate chip cookies are worth the calorie splurge.

Truffle oil adds an earthy nuance, but using olive oil will also result in a delicious bread.

One recipe, two different looks: Half of the cookies are rolled in granulated sugar mixed with cardamom; the rest are sprinkled with a powdered sugar-cardamom mixture.

Be sure to cool these cookies before transferring them to a rack—they are very soft when they first come out of the oven and need a moment to set.

If you set aside several hours on three days to make the house, that will allow plenty of time for all the icing to set firmly and plenty of time for you to have some fun. The completed house can stand for up to one month.