Tart

Ground almonds add a delicate nutty flavor to the crust. Begin making the filling a day before assembling the tart; once completed, it can be chilled another day before serving.

White Chocolate Tartlets with Strawberries and Bananas These irresistible sweets feature a hazelnut crust that is lined with dark chocolate and filled with white chocolate mousse.

Tarte au Sucre du Pays Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Sophisticated and simple—even more so with the help of a purchased pie crust.

The tartness of the cranberries is accented by the sweet, crunch meringue filling served at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia.

Here's a luscious fall dessert.

Early French gardeners developed the espalier method of growing fruit trees-the trees are trained to grow flat against a wall or trellis-so they could take full advantage of the sun and use small plots of land efficiently. October finds markets full of newly harvested crisp apples that add wonderful flavor to this traditional French tart.

These pretty tartlets can be made one day ahead. Arrange them in a single layer in a shallow plastic container for transporting.

In the United States, mincemeat pies tend to be the size of regular pies, but this recipe yields the more diminutive British-style tartlets. If desired, top them with a dab of hard sauce, made by mixing softened butter with powdered sugar and a little brandy.

The classic almond mixture known as frangipane fills an almond crust. Sweet plums and a brandied glaze top it off.

The creamy tequila-orange filling contrasts perfectly with the tart cranberry topping.

There's just a wee bit of the favorite Irish spirit in these treats.

A beautiful dessert for the December entertaining season.

The rich, fruity sweetness of a late-harvest Riesling (added to a syrup that is drizzled over the free-form tart) beautifully complements the natural sugars in roasted pears.

This tart is a great last-minute dessert for just about any meal, and it's quite possible you have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. Grind your own crumbs if you've got whole graham crackers on hand.

Sandra Hersh of Groton, Massachusetts, writes: "A wonderful dinner with out-of-town friends at Mamma Maria, in the North End of Boston, was topped off with an outstanding chocolate hazelnut tart. It was a perfect finish to a great evening. I know the pastry chef would be happy to share the recipe." This impressive-looking tart is easy because the crust is pressed into the pan rather than rolled out. The pastry chef at Mamma Maria serves it with candied hazelnuts and a chocolate sauce.