Raspberry

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party. Little squares of cake make perfect individual portions. We used our favorite combination of berries picked at their peak, but feel free to use any fruit in season. Bake two days in advance and assemble a few hours before the party.

Editor's note: The recipe below by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is excerpted from Off Duty, a collection of chefs' recipes compiled by chef David Nicholls. To read more about the book, click here.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Jacques Torres's Dessert Circus at Home. The first time I ever saw a moose was in Atlanta. Kris and I were in an antiques store. I saw antlers out of the corner of my eye and wondered if there was a real moose in the store. I am sad to tell you that while he was real, he was not alive. I promised myself I would visit a place where I would be able to see moose in their natural habitat. I think they are such magnificent animals and I adore their comical faces. I'm making this moose until I get to see them for real!

Healthy bonus: 1 serving of fruit per slice, protein and riboflavin from eggs, calcium from yogurt, fiber, and nearly 1/3 of the RDA for vitamin C from berries

Sunday-night dessert. From Golden Door in Escondido, California. Talk about sweet justice: You can eat "cream" with our spa meal plan. This dessert drives its silky texture from tofu and its tangy flavor from orange zest, plus it's loaded with beta-carotene from the squash. Look for squash without green streaks — they're the sweetest.

Tip: Replace the cream (but keep the flavor) with 2 percent milk.

Let guests mix their own Bellinis — it's a great ice-breaker, and allows everyone to custom-blend their drinks.

In this easy dish, a little bit of almondy custard dresses up fresh fruit, making it special for company while preserving its pure goodness.

Olive oil in a dessert might seem a little odd, but try to think of it as a flavorful ingredient rather than a fat...as long as you choose a delicious extra-virgin oil. I first had something like this in Jabugo, Spain, when I ate slices of orange simply drizzled with a grassy local oil as a dessert. It was a revelation. If you want to go dairy-free in this dessert, then skip the yogurt and mix the mint in with the grapes.

For variety, dip half of the biscotti in melted white chocolate and the other half in dark chocolate. Or, drizzle the melted chocolate over the biscotti instead.

A dream-come-true holiday dessert: so easy to assemble, yet so very impressive (and delicious, too).

Amaretti cookie crumbs, sprinkled between layers of phyllo, give lots of satisfying flavor and texture this this apple-cranberry pastry.

The leftover peach-poaching liquid makes a delicious sweetener for iced tea.

A fruity flavor and mellow heat make ancho chile — poblano chile in its dried form — a delicious and unusual addition to the sweetness of ripe peaches and raspberries.

When leading ladies such as Christina Applegate and Kate Hudson crave a facial followed by some light fare, they venture to this day-spa-cum-café. Kinara's menu is slightly more indulgent than standard spa cuisine, featuring a cheese plate, steak, Champagne, and dessert. Of course, this treat does more than satisfy your sweet tooth — all the fruit in it made the USDA's list of the top 20 antioxidant-rich foods.

Healthy bonus: Manganese from fruit; antioxidants and fiber from berries; selenium from egg

Requiring a scant 20 minutes of prep time, chef Don Jakubowski's flavorful starter salad delivers more than a burst of color: The spinach packs beta-carotene and lutein for healthy eyes; the raspberries, oranges, and carrots add fiber; and the red bell pepper offers vitamin C.

A fresh raspberry syrup infuses this pretty drink with bright fruit flavor.