Cocoa

Start making this at least one day ahead.

Cocoa, espresso and orange add a sophisticated note to a classic pecan pie.

At the inn, the cake is decorated with Frangelico-flavored whipped cream and garnished with chocolate-covered almonds. Begin preparing the dessert a day ahead.

My grandmother Marie "Nanney" Spivey (I am her namesake) always doubles this family favorite and uses two pie shells. She says, "Everybody loves it. You can stir it up in five minutes."

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

Pecan pie dresses up for the holiday. Chocoholics, take note: In addition to the bits of chocolate in the filling, there's cocoa powder in the delicious crust.

Cocoa brownies have the softest center and chewiest candylike top "crust" of all because all of the fat in the recipe (except for a small amount of cocoa butter in the cocoa) is butter, and all of the sugar is granulated sugar rather than the finely milled sugar used in chocolate. Use the best cocoa you know for these fabulous brownies.

Chill the pie for at least six hours before serving — or make it up to two days ahead.

This dessert is a dense and rich chocolate mousse-like cake chilled in a mold.

Coffee ice cream, a chocolate-cookie crust and chocolate-covered coffee beans add up to a terrific party dessert. Begin making the cake one day before serving.

These truffles must be kept in the refrigerator and, in fact, are best eaten chilled.

In my New York shop, this recipe calls for a trio of chocolate mousses, white, milk, and dark. But in order to simplify — and to give milk chocolate a chance to shine — I have eliminated the white chocolate mousse. It is a simple layer cake consisting of chocolate génoise and the mousses.

It's hard to improve on chocolate layer cake, but we think we've done just that, thanks to a hint of mint. Offer vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt alongside.

This ultra-rich dessert is inspired by the classic Rigó Jancsi cake, named for the legendary Hungarian Gypsy violinist. Make it one day ahead to allow the flavors to meld.

"Instead of staring at the ceiling one night when I was having trouble sleeping, I passed the time by baking," says Angelo Monaco of Cambridge, Massachusetts. "The result of my insomnia was this chocolate cake. It's light, moist and really delicious."

If you want crisp cookies, serve these on the same day they're made; they soften even when stored in an airtight container.

Strawberry shortcake meets the ice cream sundae: what a match. The rich and easy-to-make Fudge Sauce called for here is also used in the Chocolate-Hazelnut Waffles.