Tart

This dessert, from The Cascades Restaurant, is made with a cookie crust and a brownie filling. The chef serves it with whipped cream, passion fruit sauce and raspberry sauce.

To get the look we wanted for this tart, we used grapes in assorted colors and shapes and halved the larger ones. Taste grapes before making the pastry cream. Their flavor will determine how much sugar you use— if the grapes are tart, use 1/3 cup sugar; if sweet, use 1/4 cup.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 3 hr

Dutch speculaas cookies are similar in taste to gingerbread men. This treat combines the spiced speculaas dough with another Dutch tradition: giving almond-filled tarts as gifts. Use a two-inch gingerbread-man cutter to make the cookies for the topping.

The graham craker crust provides a crunchy base for the rich, creamy filling.

The recipe for this "sugar tart," a Belgian classic, comes from Auberge du Moulin Hideux. Similar to a rustic coffee cake, this treat is lovely for brunch or as an afternoon snack with coffee or tea.

A brandied custard filling makes a wonderful backdrop for ripe apricots.

A lovely combination of apricots and cherries tops a tender crust in this great summertime treat. Serve it with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

The nutty marzipan mixture is a delicious contrast to the sweet-tart plum filling.

We love the added flavor and texture the crust brings to this dessert, but if you're short on time, the crème caramel on its own is still delicious.

A rich cheesecake filling is baked in a tart crust for an elegant twist on a favorite.

"On a recent trip to the Napa Valley, my husband and I had lunch with friends in the Cask Room at Merryvale Vineyards in St. Helena," writes Karen G. Shughart of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. "The meal was prepared by Knickerbocker's Catering. Desserts must be their specialty, because the apricot tart with cornmeal crust was fabulous." Serve this tart with or without the sweet Apricot Sauce. Cornmeal adds texture and flavor to the crust.

No special pan is needed to make this outstanding free-form tart. The pear filling is complemented by buttery pastry and a nice streusel topping.

Here's a candy-bar-like tart that has all the appeal of a New Orleans praline or a chocolate Turtle; this dessert version is minus the nuts.

Blueberries top a creamy light mousse in this terrific dessert. It can be made a day ahead, then garnished with the white chocolate shavings before serving.