Alcohol

Our food editors loved shavings of Stilton cheese on these tarts. We understand that nobody has much room for dessert after a big meal, much less one with cheese, but these tarts are actually quite light and refreshing: The Stilton lends depth and provides a savory counterpoint to the sweet grapes and crust.

Crunchy candy-coated cranberries make festive garnish for this inventive dessert. Begin preparing the custards a day before serving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Refrigerate these silky puddings for at least six hours and up to one day before serving.

This is a refreshing and fast adults-only dessert for any summer meal. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

Giving up fried shrimp is probably easier than giving up, say, chocolate cake, but only because so much fried shrimp is so badly prepared. Here is a terrific version, complete with tartar sauce for dipping.

This classically simple milliard is similar to a clafouti - both desserts are a cross between a cake and a custard and are about as thick as a thin cake layer.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Pear Charlottes with Chamomile Crème Anglaise .

A milk pudding that dates back to the Middle Ages, syllabub was first prepared by milking the cow straight into a bowl containing "Sille," a wine that used to be made in Silléry, in France's Champagne region. "Bub" was medieval slang for a bubbly drink. There are a number of syllabub recipes in eighteenth-and nineteenth-century Irish cookbooks. This modern version calls for a sweet dessert wine and whipping cream.

Filled with raisins and brown sugar and baked in Marsala and cider, these apples make a warming ending to the meal. Accompany them with vanilla ice cream and some purchased almond biscotti.

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

Star anise's licorice-like flavor is what sets this ice cream apart. Our version is adapted from the one served at Geordy's restaurant in San Francisco, where the custard is made with all cream, no milk.

This variation on the Chinese classic incorporates jícama, which retains the crisp texture of water chestnuts even when cooked.

This can be served immediately as a warm salad or made ahead and served chilled.

This fruity, not-too-sweet barbecue sauce is terrific on any type of grilled poultry, pork, or even salmon. For convenience, it can be made one day ahead.

The two-pronged cooking method used for these wings —incorporating both braising and deep-frying — is a takeoff on the Chinese technique of steaming, then frying. We think it keeps the meat unbelievably tender while getting the skin supercrispy. Be sure to allow 2 hours for the wings to marinate.