Tart

Make oatmeal-cookie crumbs by blending cookies in a processor until finely ground.

Pastéis de Nata These tarts are best when baked in 1/3-cup muffin cups. However, since many manufacturers have increased the size of their standard tins, we also tested the tarts in 1/2-cup muffin cups. In those cups, the pastry dough doesn't reach the tops, resulting in rather squat tarts.

Reminiscent of fragrant Mexican chocolate (which is spiced with cinnamon), and as fudgy as a chocolate truffle, this dessert will serve many more than six, but leftovers will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator.

These ultra-rich and sophisticated chocolate tartlets are served at Bittersweet Pastry Shop.

We love these tarts made with Italian prune plums—small oval plums that turn up at the market from late August until mid-October. These meaty plums have a rich purple-red color and hold their shape well when baked. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr

Poppy seeds have a tendency to go rancid quickly, so be sure to use a fresh jar (and refrigerate or freeze it afterwards).

If you bake the shortbread cookies ahead, these lovely individual tarts, topped with fresh berries and glazed with jelly, can be ready in minutes. An empty eight-ounce can of crushed pineapple makes a convenient cutter for the cookies. Serve some lightly whipped cream on the side, if you like.

If you like the candies called Turtles, you'll love this tart. It needs to be refrigerated at least eight hours before serving.

Sophistication in a snap. Purchased puff pastry takes most of the work out of making this beautiful tart.

This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101888"Plum Pine-Nut Tart</epi:recipeLink>.

This tart was inspired by a specialty of the Engadine region of Switzerland. It has golden layers of puff pastry that surround a honey, caramel and walnut filling.

For best results when making this dessert, first mix one can of cream of coconut in a blender until smooth, then measure as called for here.

To peel apricots, blanch about 20 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water, then slip off the peels with a paring knife.

Setting the skillet that contains the caramel onto a larger skillet of ice cubes is a clever way to prevent the caramel from burning.

A sophisticated finale that's easier than pie. If you have a little extra time, you might make your own pastry shell.