Brandy

"Banoffi," the Royal Hotel's name for this luscious pie, was coined by combining the words banana and toffee.

Serve Cabernet Sauvignon with the steaks.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 hr (includes cooling)

Schwarzwälder Torte Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling meringues)

Make this a day ahead for the best flavor.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 5 hr

Dried figs and brandy add a new dimension to classic pecan pie.

At the Perryville Inn chef Paul Ingenito uses the succulent bits of meat from lobster knuckles in a bread pudding, which he bakes and serves in empty lobster tail shells as an adjunct to a whole lobster. We thought the pudding was stunning enough to stand on its own and so adapted the recipe, using the meat of a whole lobster for the pudding and the shells and body for the sauce.

In this elegant entrée, the leeks mellow to lend a bit of sweetness to the sauce.

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

We like serving these chewy, moist almond cakes, which are based on the financier, a French pastry, in individual gratin dishes, but the batter can also be baked in a 9-inch glass pie plate for 30 to 35 minutes.