Cream Cheese

This dessert tastes indulgent, but it's made with nonfat cottage cheese, nonfat cream cheese and evaporated skim milk.

This herbed cheese dip has almost nothing else in it to mask the thyme flavor. Serve with crackers, lightly toasted pita bread, and raw vegetable sticks.

Cape Cod's cranberry bogs — which supply the crowning glory of countless holiday desserts — provided the inspiration for this festive and luscious cheesecake. Chocolate wafer cookies (used in the crust) are sometimes located in the ice cream section, displayed above the freezer case.

"My sister, who lives near Chicago, takes me into the city for dinner at Erwin restaurant whenever I visit her," says Marion J. Matczynski of Parma Heights, Ohio. "One time I tried the peanut mousse cake; it was to die for."

When you're cooking with veggies, don't overlook dessert! This cake has great texture, thanks to both pureed and grated carrots. It's delicious with or without frosting and great for parties.

"I came upon this recipe several years ago in Mother's kitchen," writes Barbara Wilkerson of Talladega, Alabama. "It is now my own family's favorite holiday treat." Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

That renewal of my acquaintance with marrow led to the invention of a canapé or sandwich filling that I believe to be without a peer as an accompaniment for cocktails. In the beginning I produced small batches, but they vanished with such unbelievable rapidity that I was forced to make them larger and larger. I pass on the recipe willingly, for the good of the human race, which has too long suffered from canapés that either adhere distressingly to the roof of the mouth or result in unsightly toothpicks scattered on the floor.

Can be made in 45 minutes or less.

Serve this dense, moist cake with a big bowl of lightly sweetened strawberries.

Crunchy hazelnut praline adds a touch of sophistication to this rich cheesecake. Begin preparing the cake a day before serving.

Blended in the processor, the no-bake cream cheese filling is ultra-smooth.

You can start making these savory cookies up to three days ahead. Even easier: Serve the cheese roll with store-bought crackers. (We especially liked this roulade made with a spiced cranberry-apple chutney, but any thick chutney will work.)

This brownie, baked in a tart pan, gets its moistness from cream cheese and its fudginess from the best-quality cocoa and chocolate. Little puddles of ganache are poured into holes made in the brownie, after it has baked, with a the handle of a wooden spoon. Chocolate doesn't get better than this.

This needs to chill overnight, so plan accordingly.