Electric Mixer

This cake should not be assembled until just before serving.

The dough for these simple cookies can be done ahead and refrigerated for up to two days before being sliced and baked.

Fresh cherries take center stage in this version of an old favorite.

Blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are layered with white chocolate cream and store-bought puff pastry for a beautiful finale.

Because the more traditional dark fruitcakes aren't really to her liking, senior editor Sarah Belk created this one, filled with her favorite nuts and dried fruits. To make these gifts even more festive, she suggest decorating the glazed cakes with additional dried fruits and nuts.

This dip is especially attractive served in a hollowed-out head of Castelfranco radicchio, a white radicchio with loose, pink-streaked leaves that readily open to form a bowl.

Dense, moist, and delicious, this bread is great as a quick snack or with a bit of whipped honey butter for afternoon tea.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr

For some reason this delicious sweet is almost unknown today.

"My Aunt Rose, a consummate baker, perfected this pound cake, which for years has graced the table of every family gathering," says Barbara Chazan of New York, New York.

In most baking recipes, it is customary to see salt measured in teaspoons. The amount of salt called for in the following recipe, however, is correct for the proportion of flour used.

"I'm a social worker running my own practice," writes Susan Haskell of Boston, Massachusetts. "In addition, I'm getting a doctorate in social work. So most of my time is spent either working with patients or writing my dissertation. Still, no matter what's on my schedule, nothing can stop me from going into the kitchen. During the week, I make the time to pore over food magazines to find recipes I want to try. On Saturdays, I cook for friends — because next to cooking, sharing the results is my favorite thing to do." Susan says this can also be made with fresh cherries, sliced peaches, nectarines, or pears.