Baking

For an elegant touch, serve the cobbler in oversize goblets and top with ice cream.

Anadama bread, a traditional New England yeast bread made with cornmeal and molasses (said to have been created by a woman from Massachusetts named Anna), is the inspiration for the following muffins. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

Spectacular but easy, thanks to purchased ice cream and sorbet. The meringue is browned in the broiler, like a baked Alaska, just before serving.

The big, All-American layer cake returns. Think pancakes and syrup, all dressed up. Buttermilk makes the cake moist, and maple-walnut candy provides the crunch.

"My mother's favorite restaurant in Sacramento is Biba," writes Grace Bannor, San Francisco, CA. "She claims it's the most authentic Italian food she has tasted outside her native Florence. Whenever the jam tart is on the menu, it's a must-have for my mother. If I had the recipe, I could make it for her next birthday."

Fuji or McIntosh apples work best for this tart; other varieties may be too juicy.

For a shiny finish, brush the warm tart with melted apricot preserves.

In this dessert, two fillings — a dark mocha ganache and a white chocolate ganache — are swirled together with a small knife for a dramatic effect.

Terrific with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt.

Every year for nearly twenty years Gourmet's production director baked this cake for our mailroom manager on his birthday. Suffice it to say that this delectable dessert has stood the test of time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.