Berry

Dark chocolate never goes out of fashion, but white chocolate was all the rage in the eighties. Foodies couldn't get enough, enjoying it in truffles, tarts and sumptuous ivory-colored mousses like this one.

"There are three recipes I like for strawberry jam," says Caroline Bates. "My mother’s long-cooked one may be too much trouble for some people; the sun-cooked version is impractical for city dwellers ('First, find a sunny rooftop....'). But this soft strawberry jam (also my mother’s) is simpler and good, too." Its flavor depends on the berries' being fully sweet, completely ripe yet firm, and with not a trace of white near the stem. Such berries have less pectin than underripe ones, so the jam will be loose. Just spoon it out of a jar and dribble it on biscuits.

This recipe originally accompanied Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate-Raspberry Frosting.

Fresh fruit marinated in Scotch and sugar is a lovely topper for the purchased cake.

The frozen berry sabayon is smooth and creamy, like ice cream.

Serve with: Roast turkey, ham, or chicken. Combine with: Crackers that have been spread with cream cheese or goat cheese. Use as: A sandwich spread.

In this recipe, the elderflower concentrate gives the ice cream a delicate, fruity flavor, but 1 teaspoon vanilla stirred into 1/4 cup additional milk makes a delicious substitute.

This southern version of the holiday cranberry sauce includes peaches, one of the region's favorite fruits.

This elegant dessert was inspired by Vienna's Spanische Windtorte, a giant meringue shell filled with cream and berries. The sauce is a colorful and delicious accompaniment; if there is some left over, use it on pancakes, waffles or ice cream.

The coconut tuiles (cookies) that go into this layered dessert (left) are delicate, so the recipe provides for quite a few extras to allow for breakage. Tuiles are also terrific with ice cream. The syrup gets an interesting (and delicious) kick from nontraditional dessert ingredients like black peppercorns and a jalapeño chili.

In a fresh interpretation of the classic Italian dessert, we've replaced the traditional chocolate and coffee with berries and fruit liqueur. For a garnish, we like the looks of fresh berries, but we used frozen berries in the filling to keep it moist. They're also more uniform in flavor--and less expensive.

(CREPES DE NOIX AUX FRAMBOISE ET FIGUES) In Provence, crepes are often served simply, embellished with sugar, jam or liqueur. Here, they get dressed up a bit more.

Fresh cranberries are usually sold only from November through January. So freeze a few extra bags to make this anytime.

A rainbow of four purchased sorbets plus vanilla ice cream make this beauty one of the easiest desserts ever. Prepare the stunning terrine up to four days ahead.

Chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and chocolate mousse team up with fruit in this incredible dessert. Begin making the cake one day ahead. Enjoy the extra mousse later.

Crème fraîche gives this exceptional ice cream irresistible tang and a silky texture.

Begin making these frozen treats at least one day before serving.