Make Ahead

Here we take two of the best treats from days gone by and combine them in one dessert. The cookies are also superb on their own.

From the Snake River Grill in Jackson, Wyoming.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Liptauer gained its name from the provenance of the fresh sheep's milk cheese with which it was originally made, Lipto, Hungary. Our version of this seasoned spread is made with cream cheese.

This luscious pound cake is not as rich as the traditional version. Note that the cake batter will come only half way up the sides of the pan.

Come September, I prepare this cake often, taking advantage of whatever clusters of grapes I can find on our vines after harvesting. At Chanteduc, we grow a mixture of Grenache, Syrah, and Morvèdre grapes, each of which contributes its own personality to the wine and to this cake. I love the rustic crunch that seeded grapes impart, and so I also recommend trying Zinfandel, Cornith, and Cabenet grapes. For seedless grapes, try Red Flame. The original recipe was given to me by Rolando Beramendi at Italy's fine Tuscan estate Capezzna, where this intriguing not-too-sweet cake appears frequently at the table during the fall harvest. Note that the cake is prepared with half butter and half olive oil, producing an unusually light and moist cake.

Serve this lush, smooth soup as part of an Asian or Western meal. Large wedges of pumpkin with a pale gray-green skin are sold in Southeast Asian groceries and in Caribbean produce markets. Pick out the pumpkin with the reddest flesh. You can also use an orange "pie pumpkin."

Perhaps the ultimate springtime dessert — classic strawberry shortcakes are spruced up with white chocolate mousse.

Sifting powdered sugar over the cooled cookies adds a festive touch. (It would also be an easy kitchen project for the kids.)

Look for black sesame seeds in the Asian foods section of a specialty market. If you can't find them, use white seeds instead.

(Crostata di Albicocche) What could be better than apricots—the best of summer—held in a tender pasta frolla, or sweet pastry? Tarts are a favorite Tuscan dessert, and in fact are so beloved that they're often eaten for breakfast and as snacks, too. If you make this later in the summer, use white peaches if you can find them, and leave the skin on; it will turn a beautiful ruby color when cooked.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 10 hr (includes soaking raisins)