Electric Mixer

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serina Kaker "When a good friend went out of town, I volunteered to water the plants in her apartment, and my reward was helping myself to the Christmas cookies, all nicely stored in a tin," says Jane A. Van Pelt of Alexandria, Virginia. "Well, they were delicious and had completely disappeared by the time my friend returned. She told me that the recipe had come to her through her Norwegian roots and was a favorite in her family. Now these cookies are a holiday favorite in our family, and I hope they will be shared with many others."

To save time, simply skip the topping.

English toffee enhances both the cake and topping of this delicious treat.

Offer butter cookies alongside this pretty pink dessert.

Majorca, Spain When this dessert is made on Majorca, rum-soaked raisins are baked on top. Here the filling is flavored with rum; then the cake is served with a strawberry compote.

Be sure to serve the aromatic sauce with each portion of soufflé. The sauce can be prepared one day before the soufflé is made.

For best results, use a dark baking chocolate with high cocoa butter content (about 30 percent), such as Valrhona or Callebaut.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Yellow cornmeal in the batter adds great texture to this homey dessert. Top each piece of the warm cake with vanilla ice cream.

Here's a recipe to have some fun with. Shortcakes are typically small and individually sized, but this is an impressive large cake filled with sweetened fresh fruit and whipped mascarpone. And unlike most shortcakes, this one is assembled ahead of time.

Chill the orange curd overnight before using.

A staple in some Texas bakeries, Chile Brownies are spicy and sweet, a combination perhaps unfamiliar to, well, other folks (aka Yankees). While kids might prefer simpler brownies, these have a peppery kick many grown-ups adore. We didn't skimp on the chocolate by an ounce. These brownies would be perfect after a barbecue dinner, a fajita supper, or a chile cook-off.