Electric Mixer

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Soufflés are a British favorite. This recipe combines pieces of toffee in a creamy soufflé, with chocolate sauce on the side.

Coffee Semifreddo "Drowned" in Coffee We have served this dessert at Pó for six years and it is consistently my favorite—a kind of adult milkshake. Be careful to use decaf for the bathing liquid, or your guests may be up yakking all night.

A dollop of softly whipped fresh cream alongside a piece of pie is one of life's perfect things. If you want the cream to hold up for hours, the optional Cobasan will make it possible, with no compromise of flavor or texture. If you prefer an unsweetened counterpoint to a sweeter pastry, leave out the sugar.

Rum and spices-classic Caribbean ingredients-also happen to be the classic ingredients in the traditional English steamed pudding. This lovely version of the Christmas dessert is from the Grand View Beach Hotel, Villa Point, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Begin preparing it at least one day before serving.

A sweet, buttery dessert that's a snap to make. It's excellent with tea.

While not exactly diet food, this mousse allows chocoholics to indulge and spares them calories from yolks, butter and cream.

This satisfying accompaniment is named for the creator of the recipe.

All of the components for this sophisticated dessert can be made the day before, then assembled quickly at the last minute. Sabayon (also called zabaglione) is a custard sauce that is whisked over hot water until it is light and foamy.

Call them galettes sucrees, mandelbrot, or biscotti — I love these Moroccan cookies, made by Rosette Toledano of Netanya, who, as her daughter says, "puts her heart in her cooking."

Very nice for a fancy dinner party, these little tartlets have an almond crust, tangy lemon filling and strawberries on top.

Upside-down cakes made with fruit became popular in America only at the end of the nineteenth century, although they had a long history in Europe. The addition of pineapple, a New World food, most likely came about after 1903, the year a Hawaiian businessman named James Dole began marketing cans of the tropical fruit on the mainland. The modified dessert found particularly wide acceptance in the Midwest.

This luscious homespun treat is great with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 45 min

Bright red berries and a sour cream topping make this luscious cheesecake a Christmas favorite at the Old Manor Estate & Hotel on Nevis. Begin preparing the dessert a day before you plan to serve it.