Grand Marnier

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. When blood oranges are out of season, you can use any type of seedless orange.

"I had never been especially fond of bread pudding, but I changed my mind when I tried the one served at The Winchester Country Inn in Ashland, Oregon," says Sandra Miller of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. "Their version is outstanding; it's studded with apricots and topped with a rich caramel sauce." Croissants and a Grand Marnier custard make this bread pudding super-decadent. It's great with or without the Caramel Sauce; if you're short on time, substitute a purchased sauce.

Similar to zuppa inglese (an Italian trifle), this impressive dessert layers an amaretti-and-cream filling and orange segments between syrup-soaked sponge cake. Many of the components can be made ahead; start with the filling so that it can chill overnight.

This is a lovely, low-fat version of a classic English fruit dessert.

In this recipe there will be extra mousse and pecan crisps (the recipes will not work if reduced). Both elements are delicious on their own.

Cornmeal in the crust gives a nice contrast to the creamy filling in this dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Espresso and a selection of favorite liqueurs are good with the brownies.

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

For convenience, these can be made up to three days ahead.

Cranberries make a traditional breakfast spread festive and seasonal.

Parisians love chocolate, and cooks in Paris might make this with Valrhona, one of the best French brands. Begin preparing the dessert a day ahead.

As Italian restaurants continue to grow in popularity, so does tiramisù. We updated this dessert made of triple cream cheese from Italy (mascarpone), ladyfingers, espresso and cocoa powder by adding nuts and tangerine juice and serving it frozen.

Grand Marnier gives an extra kick to the frozen orange mousse, and pistachios make the crust crunchy. Start preparing this at least a day before you plan to serve it.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr

This lovely finale is from Dwayne Fortier of La Reserve in Houston. Begin preparing it well before serving, as the mousse needs to freeze for at least six hours.

Zabaglione is the Italian version of the foamy, custardy sauce known as sabayon in France. I found that freezing it for this dessert gave it a texture much like that of ice cream. For an extra-pretty presentation, garnish this with fresh raspberries, orange segments, mint leaves and additional sliced, toasted almonds.