Chocolate

The combination of salty, sweet, crunchy, and smooth gives these confections a special place in my heart. That, added to the fact that they made an appearance at every bridge and mahjongg game my mother ever hosted, elevates their status to serious nostalgia food. You can find cans of Chinese chow-mein noodles in the Asian food section of the supermarket. The ones you want are cooked and ready to eat like crackers.

A "wee dram" enhances the lovely filling.

A mug of hot chocolate or a glass of milk would complement these updated, sophisticated chocolate chip cookies.

This family recipe is wonderful for dessert, breakfast or tea.

Dried sour cherries and a hint of cinnamon add an original twist to a tried-and-true standby. And you don't even need a mixing bowl: The batter is made in the saucepan with the melted chocolate.

These cookies are also great made with regular semisweet chocolate chips.

Perhaps no other dessert typifies the excess of the 1980s more than this flourless chocolate cake—which makes for an interesting parallel to the fancy cakes of the 1880s. This version was inspired by the one Narsai M. David served at his eponymous restaurant, in California’s Bay Area, during the early '80s.

(GELATO AL CIOCCOLATO) We tested this recipe with both regular and Dutch-process cocoa powders and loved both versions. The Dutch-process cocoa powder yields a slightly more intense flavor.

Unlike most commercially available chocolate biscotti, these have a deep chocolaty flavor.

Bake this at least one day ahead.

"Aunt Gert always made the best strudel," writes Leslie Berman of Skokie, Illinois. "I've adapted her recipe over time, and I get rave reviews when I make this version with dried cherries and chocolate." Serve with hot coffee or tea for an excellent afternoon snack.

These soufflés may be made several hours in advance and kept in a refrigerator until just before baking. If refrigerated, bake an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, the soufflés may rest at room temperature for up to 1/2 hour before baking with no effect on cooking time.