Coffee

An unexpected combination of ingredients updates the classic Italian dessert. It is presented in individual servings here, but the ladyfingers, espresso and filling can be layered in a large dish and offered with the sauce on the side if you prefer.

"By adding a little espresso powder to a recipe for caramel sauce, I created an ice cream topping that has made this sundae the signature dessert in my house I had always refused to share the recipe with friends who requested it, but I finally decided that it's too good to keep secret," says Gordon Finley of Durham, North Carolina. These are terrific made with coffee or vanilla ice cream — or both.

To many people living in the middle of the country, celebration cakes must be chocolate cakes — especially German chocolate cakes. This one embellishes the tradition, using unsweetened chocolate instead of sweet chocolate, a luscious caramel-coconut filling between the layers and lots of creamy chocolate frosting. (By the way, German chocolate cakes have nothing to do with the immigrants who settled in the heartland; the name actually comes from the fact that the cakes were first made with Baker's brand German's sweet baking chocolate.)

Rich brownies are baked with a chocolate syrup that sinks to the bottom and thickens into a fudgy sauce, creating a luscious layering of textures.

Vanilla and Almond Frosting is an accompaniment for this recipe.

This luscious cake has two chocolate mousse fillings and a rich dark-chocolate topping.

These sweets are enjoyed with coffee or tea at Bewley's on Grafton Street, a Dublin institution that has long been part of the city's folklore and culture.

There's enough espresso cream to top 6 cakes for a quick, elegant dessert. The leftover 6 are great to keep for snacks.

Sicily, Italy In Sicily, gelato usually doesn't contain any cream or eggs. The coffee and chocolate-almond flavors here are true to tradition; the zabaglione is enriched with eggs.

As the pie bakes, the filling separates into a soft pudding-like bottom and a cakey top.

Debra L. Warren of Lake Forest, Illinois, writes: "I have often indulged in Jay Lovell's phenomenal cuisine at his Lovell's of Lake Forest restaurant, and the ribs he prepared for an event I attended were out of this world. Could you possibly persuade the chef to share the recipe?" The espresso powder gives the sauce great depth of flavor.

This makes more pastry dough than you'll need for 24 tartlets. We chose not to reduce the recipe because pastry can be a bit tricky—the slightest change can affect the outcome (halving eggs tends to increase the chance of error). If you want to make more tartlet shells—which could be filled with fruit, ice cream, or pudding for another party—they can be frozen for 1 month. The leftover dough can also be used to make cookies.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.