Electric Mixer

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.

Avgolemono, a classic Greek sauce flavored with lemon juice and thickened with eggs, adds richness to the tender stewed chicken in this outstanding main course. Pour a chilled Chardonnay, and offer purchased baklava for dessert. See how to joint a chicken.

Terrific when served with vanilla or coffee ice cream, and a very appealing breakfast or snack cake on its own.

Whole eggs, angel food cake, light cream cheese and light sour cream bring the calorie count of this Italian dessert way down.

Many New England restaurants offer Grape-Nuts pudding for dessert, and several of the best ice-cream parlors make Grape-Nuts ice cream. The crunchy cereal becomes a soft savory note in sweet vanilla-flavored cream.