Strawberry

The more succulent the berries, the better. The cake layers absorb the juices, which is why this cake must be assembled at least 8 hours before serving.

The flavors of this salad go well with honey-glazed grilled chicken or pork chops.

You can decorate all the cones the same way or do each one differently. If time is short, simply use purchased ice cream.

Enriched with a little cream and sugar, jumbo-size refrigerator biscuits become shortcakes worthy of the season's best berries. Since there are more biscuits in the tube than you'll need, you could bake extras at the same time and save them for breakfast the next day.

This is a refreshing and fast adults-only dessert for any summer meal. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

A wonderful topping for crepes or for vanilla ice cream.

Giving a nod to tropical fruit, this irresistible treat combines rich ice cream with a nut crust and thick fudge sauce.

Caramelized Fresh Fruit These crackly-coated fruits bring back childhood memories of candied apples. I've given the Roman recipe here; in Venice, where they're coated with a thicker layer of caramel, they are called golosezzi veneziani. Set aside about 1/2 hour for the caramelizing and finish the procedure no more than 1 1/2 hours before serving so that the fruit remains crisp.

Any kind of smooth fresh cheese may be used to make coeur à la crème. Flavor will vary with the type of cheese used and also with the proportion of cream added. French fromage frais, English curd cheese, and American farmer cheese are all suitable for this dessert which should be prepared two days before serving.

The silky texture and tangy buttermilk flavor of this panna cotta are irresistible. Start preparing the dessert one day ahead.

Fool is a classic English dessert made by combining fruit puree with whipped cream. Here it is spooned into small crisp tartlet shells and garnished with a strawberry. Any leftover fool would make a nice treat with afternoon tea.

Here's a classic spring dessert from Commander's Palace.