Baking

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge — the cookies must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

Italy's sweet and buttery-smooth mascarpone cheese adds flavor and creaminess. Begin this cheesecake at least one day ahead.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 3 hr The walnuts in this recipe aren't crucial to its success — some of us like these buns with nuts, others prefer them without. So the choice is yours.

"I eat right most of the time, but every once in a while I treat myself to a few of these melt-in-your-mouth cookies," writes Donna Staley of San Diego, California. "They're my version of an old-fashioned refrigerator cookie."

California orange groves inspired this version of the cake shaped like a Yule log.

Three kinds of ice cream (all chocolate), chocolate sauce, and a chocolate cookie crust make this a chocoholic’s dream come true.

Gâteau Breton aux Noix This is my variation on a traditional butter cake from Brittany. Its dense, rich, and very buttery flavor is amplified by the lightly toasted walnuts, giving it a whole other dimension. In Brittany this cake is served for an afternoon snack, with coffee, or after a meal. I sometimes put it on the breakfast table as well.

Make this showstopping dessert even more stunning by garnishing it with fresh raspberries and mint sprigs.

For convenience, you can begin making the crust up to two days before you plan to serve the pie. Maple sugar is available at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

Dried figs and brandy add a new dimension to classic pecan pie.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Ann Colton of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writes: "Just as T. S. Eliot's J. Alfred Prufrock measured out his life with coffee spoons, I like to measure out my days with interesting meals. Since I started teaching English literature to junior-high students about a year ago, I've had less time to cook because of all the papers I have to grade. I'm still a firm believer, though, that food makes life more fabulous, and I get such pleasure from tasting and experimenting. Sometimes I'll honor requests from my students and whip up new treats for them. My baked goods, like these scones, are the most popular." These oversize wedge-shaped scones have a light muffin-like texture.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge—they must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of brownies at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge—they must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

Peaches sweetened with brown sugar fill pecan-studded biscuits — a southern-style twist on an all-American favorite.