Cocoa

These chocolate-dipped stars look beautiful on the table, and their ethereal texture means guests can nibble without filling up. All three flavors—vanilla, chocolate, and coffee—come from one batter.

This needs a long, lazy roasting, so enjoy the aromas as you get ready for the party.

If your dried cranberries aren't plump and moist, cover them with boiling water and let soak for 5 minutes. Drain them and pat dry before using. If you prefer, walnuts or hazelnuts can be substituted for the pecans.

They look like the loaded chocolate-nut cookies of your youth, but a bite will reveal their luxurious upgrades: chewy sour cherries that play off the crunch of chopped pecans and the creamy sweetness of milk chocolate chunks. Your adult palate will appreciate the complexity.

All-American hot fudge gets a jolt of flavor from ground coffee beans.

Once you've tried ice cream made with fresh mint leaves — a far cry from the neon-green stuff — you'll never go back. Here, it's enclosed in a thick robe of rich bittersweet chocolate.

Although chocolate and raspberry are a luxurious combination, these beautifully layered ice pops are surprisingly light. They're a refreshing dessert after an alfresco meal, or a perfect treat on a hot afternoon.

Serving the berries and cream on top is easier than splitting the biscuits, and it's a fun and pretty twist.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, go to Summer Cooking Guides. This is the perfect chocolate sorbet — very rich and full of bittersweet chocolate flavor. Use a top-quality cocoa powder; it will make a huge difference. And be sure to use a large saucepan, since the mixture will bubble up as it boils.

Get your chocolate fix with this lush torte from executive pastry chef Philippe Niez at The Mayflower Inn & Spa. It tastes so rich, you won't even want seconds!

These little gems stirred up our childhood memories of coconut-filled candy bars. We baked them in extra-large muffin cups to make them more like little individual cakes. If you choose to use regular-sized muffin cups, the recipe will yield 24 cupcakes and the cooking time will be shorter.

The unusual duo of honey and chocolate is a winner in this layer cake. It needs to set up overnight, so begin a day ahead.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. Contributed by Arnon Oren. An authentic Mexican mole calls for more than two dozen spices, added in a particular order. This marinade, based on the flavors of those spices, adds a wonderful savoriness and spiciness to beef. The thin slices of flank steak are wonderful on their own, with a basket full of warm tortillas, or served on top of a green salad. Start this recipe the night before you intend to serve to allow it to marinate overnight. To retain the steak's juiciness, be sure to let the meat rest before slicing, and remove the steak from the heat while it is still a bit rare, as it will continue to cook as it rests.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Alex Jamieson's book, The Great American Detox Diet.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Truffles : 50 Deliciously Decadent Homemade Chocolate Treats _by Dede Wilson. Cacao beans, from which we get all our wonderful chocolate, are now available in raw form. Called cacao (or cocoa) nibs, they look like tiny brown nuggets similar in shape to kasha or buckwheat groats. Cacao nibs are not sweet, but they have an intense chocolate flavor unlike any other product. In this recipe, they are steeped in cream to add flavor to the ganache and chopped for use as a topping._

On a recent trip to San Francisco, I had dinner at Frisson. I can't stop thinking about the amazing chocolate soufflé with a creamy peanut butter center. Annie McLeir, Falmouth, MA

Coarsely ground black pepper lends a spicy note to this dense, moist brownie cake studded with dried cherries and chocolate chips. Cherry Preserves are thicker than cherry jam and give the Black Forest Torte more body. Look for cherry preserves in supermarkets.

The original financier was an almond pastry created by a 19th-century Parisian pastry chef for his wealthy banker clients. This chocolate version is worth its weight in gold.