Sundae

Vanilla ice cream is decked out for the holidays with orange liqueur and purchased almond lace cookies. Look for Florentine cookies at bakeries and some supermarkets.

Be sure to clean the grill rack thoroughly with a metal brush to remove any bits of grilled food that might impart an off flavor to the cake. Reheat the cake on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven before serving.

Caramel ice cream, chocolate chip "blondies," and a crunchy streusel sweeten the deal.

Shari Ledwidge of Greenehaven, Arizona, writes: "My husband and I spend several weeks each year traveling around the United States. Our journeys always take us to wonderful food stands and farmers' markets, which have inspired some of my favorite recipes."

The sweet, creamy pulp of ripe Hachiya persimmons shines in a luscious dessert.

These "patriotic" sundaes with their terrific blueberry-caramel sauce are a lot of fun for a Fourth of July party.

It is essential to slice the brownie in half through the middle lengthwise; otherwise, the cake slices will be too thick.

"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.

If you don't feel like making your own vanilla ice cream for these red, white and blue sundaes, simply pick up a premium brand at the supermarket.

The graham cracker crunch topping is delicious on its own, but combined with ripe peaches, cinnamon syrup and ice cream, it makes for positively addictive sundaes.

You'll need a candy thermometer to monitor the fudge sauce and the marshmallows.

A modern version of a childhood favorite.

Because they are prepared with purchased ice cream, these parfaits are super-easy to make. For a dramatic option, alternate layers of white and green mint ice creams.

Strawberries, blueberries, nectarines and vanilla ice cream team up in a quick sundae.

Perfect for the Fourth of July. If you like, garnish the sundaes with maraschino cherries, small American flags and edible sugar stars.

This ice cream treat is based on the classic combination of toasted marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate.