Berry

The yogurt helps make this moist cake especially tender. Great for brunch or tea.

A flaky crust and a chocolate filling topped with a glistening tumble of raspberries—what's not to love?

There is nothing like this pie. It was created by test kitchen director Ruth Cousineau, and if there were ever a laurel to rest on, this would be it. The berries are key, so look for local ones (those that travel least taste the best) that are plump, fragrant, and fully ripe, with no white shoulders. One of the miracles here is that the gelatin will be set just enough so that you can easily cut a slice, but it's not bouncy.

Lemon juice and sugar bring out the natural juices of the berries.

A quick buzz in the blender and this creamy, fruity dessert is practically done. Just add juicy summer blueberries and a sprinkling of lime zest and you've got a beautiful finish you'll return to again and again.

Sealed jars may be stored in a cool, dry, dark place for up to one year. Unsealed jars must be refrigerated and jam must be used within a few weeks. For an even quicker jam, skip the canning instructions, ladle hot jam into clean jars, and store the jam in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

This dessert is like a frozen mousse, which helps explain its name: semifreddo, or "half-frozen."

Depending on the flavors and types of tea your kids like, feel free to experiment.

In this dessert from Cafe Paradiso, pink peppercorns give the meringues a subtle floral flavor.

Serve the compote over vanilla or strawberry ice cream, angel food cake, pancakes, or waffles.

These are made with wedges of a moist, rich cake and served with a sauce that blends cooked and fresh strawberries.

Rhubarb and strawberries usually meet in late-spring pies. This dessert plays on the combination's sophistication. When roasted, rhubarb becomes more intense in flavor and color while still retaining its shape. Rose water contributes a floral delicacy (use it sparingly; a little goes a long way), and strawberry sorbet imparts a cool note.

Savor healthy sweets

This crowd-pleasing recipe was developed by Susan Baldassano, Director of Education at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City. For moist, tender muffins, use finely ground yellow cornmeal, such as that made by Arrowhead Mills. You can replace the blueberries with an equal amount of cranberries and increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons, or replace the blueberries with 3/4 cup of raspberries.These muffins are delicious on their own, or try them warm with butter and jam. Cooled muffins can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to three days or frozen for up to three weeks. Thaw and reheat muffins in 350°F oven or microwave (unlike those made with wheat, gluten-free baked goods won't get tough in the microwave). See our related story for more information and sources for gluten-free ingredients.

Hot milk cake is an easy, old-fashioned dessert that has simple, modern appeal. The moist, delicate cake gets its name from the hot milk that is added to the batter just before baking. In this recipe, the individual cakes are split, then topped with berries and whipped cream.

Just a few minutes in a hot skillet gives the sauce a complex flavor. If you've got an extra minute or two, skip the chocolate chips and garnish the sundaes with chocolate curls shaved off the edge of a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler.