Almond

Dark chocolate, light chocolate and coffee fillings alternate with nut meringue layers, and dark chocolate ganache covers the whole torte. This is an irresistible version of the traditional Parisian dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Look for rice vinegar in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Summer's luscious cherries topped with oats, almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon.

At the inn, the cake is decorated with Frangelico-flavored whipped cream and garnished with chocolate-covered almonds. Begin preparing the dessert a day ahead.

We've added a topping of walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds to a southern favorite.

Golden Delicious apples, as well as other good baking varieties like Rome Beauty, are a natural choice here.

Mexican chocolate, usually found in tablet form, contains cinnamon, sugar, and ground almonds — as do these fudgy squares.

Indulge yourself even more by mixing some toasted coconut (the sweetened, shredded kind) and a dash of coconut extract into vanilla ice cream, and scooping it alongside.

This Majorcan specialty is usually topped with homemade almond ice cream or ice milk, but purchased almond ice cream can also be used.

(MEZZELUNE AI PIGNOLI) Cookies made with pine nuts can be found in bakeries all over Umbria, which probably isn't too surprising for a region filled with pine trees. These crescents have a wonderful chewy texture. The dough is very soft, so you will need to flour your fingers to shape it. But don't inadvertently use too much flour, or the cookies will be tough.

There's no butter or oil in these crisp cookies, which are perfect with the Fruit In Spiced Wine For the best texture, be sure to slice them thinly. To keep them crunchy, carry them to the picnic in an airtight container.

(TARTE AU CITRON)

(TARTE D'ABRICOTS AU MIEL ET AUX AMANDES) In early summer, apricots are abundant in Provence; here, we've called for canned apricots, which are always available.

"Mimosa, a delightful French bistro in Los Angeles, has a catchy motto: 'No Truffles, No Caviar, No Bizarre Concoctions,'" says Bob Woods of Garden Grove, California. "The food is spectacular, and the setting is lovely. After dinner one evening, I had a slice of meringue with custard sauce, caramel sauce and candied almonds, a dessert called Île Flottante." Mimosa's version of this classic French dessert is impressive in presentation and taste. Note that you can prepare the caramel sauce, the custard and the almonds a day ahead. Be sure to reserve the egg yolks for use in the custard sauce.