Baking

This tart will satisfy any chocolate lover. To make the chocolate curls, briefly microwave a 12-ounce block of bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) until it's just slightly softened. Pull the blade of a heavy large knife across the surface to form curls.

Raisin-studded egg bread is nice for variety in this recipe. Soaking the bread in the batter a day ahead makes it even easier.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Purchased Boboli crusts make these pizzas a snap to prepare. Offer prosciutto and melon as another appetizer.

These thick, chewy brownies have a peanut-butter base and a chocolaty top.

These Italian-style breadsticks are a deliciously different addition to Thanksgiving dinner. You will need a plastic spray bottle filled with water to mist the oven while the breadsticks are baking (the water makes them crusty and chewy on the outside and slightly softer inside).

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Top this with whipped cream flavored with brown sugar and dark rum.

There is something so simple and satisfying about a marble cake. No wonder it's a favorite in Jewish kitchens. Moister than a pound cake, richer than a quick bread, this is the perfect sweet to have around over the weekend. For a vanilla marble cake, substitute a cup of water for the orange juice and omit the orange zest.

Creamy custards and puddings were big hits in 1997. Pots de crème are typically made with vanilla or chocolate, but these luscious custards have a deep caramel flavor.