Baking

The do-ahead steps make this recipe great for entertaining.

The beauty of this cake is that the frosting is baked in the same pan with the batter. When the cake is inverted onto a cake plate a few minutes after baking, it is bathed, miraculously, with frosting. Although this cake is best served warm, it is also delicious at room temperature.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 5 hr

(Gâteau de Semoule d’Isabelle) A favorite on the Dugord farm in Normandy, this cake (which is really more of a pudding) wins with everyone. According to Isabelle Dugord, who convinced her grandmother to share the recipe, her family ate this all the time when she was growing up, and it's still her preferred sweet. Isabelle works part-time at a day-care center and always has the children make this at least once while they’re with her. "It's easy to make, healthy, and they all, down to the last child, just love it," she said. It can be served hot, lukewarm, or chilled, and is best the day it is made. Raisins are traditional, though dates or figs are luscious, too.

Make these individual desserts a day ahead.

Using purchased mixed dried-fruit bits for the filling makes this comforting dessert a snap to prepare.

Inside each soufflé is a melting chocolate truffle that adds richness and depth of flavor. It's the kind of over-the-top detail that places this dessert in the same league as any served in your favorite restaurant.

We found this recipe in Austin Leslie's cookbook. It is from his mother, Ruby — she was Aunt Helen's sister and assisted her at Chez Helene and its predecessor, Howard's Eatery. Although Leslie served the bread pudding with a rum hard sauce, we prefer it with a dollop of crème fraîche.

"To celebrate my recent promotion, my sister treated me to dinner at Radius here in Boston," says Jill Thompson, Boston, Massachusetts. The dessert we shared was unforgettable—a hazelnut meringue concoction made by pastry chef Paul Connors. As we polished it off, my sister and I agreed that we had found the city’s best new restaurant." Each component can be made ahead.

Dried cherries from Michigan add their bright sweetness to winter baking.

Millefoglie con Crema alla Grappa e Rabarbaro Millefoglie is the Italian version of the French pastry mille-feuille (meaning "thousand leaves"), which is then layered with fruit and cream, napoleon-style. We like Julia brand grappa best for this particular recipe — it's slightly sweeter and has a more well-rounded flavor than other grappas we've tasted. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

These hot dog buns look very much like éclairs, which is no coincidence — they're made from pâte à choux instead of yeast dough. For more information about making pâte à choux, see If the Choux Fits Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

This pizza is made with no toppings other than oil and salt and should be served as a snack. It's not really a cracker, but it's crisper than focaccia. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min