Tart

This triple threat dessert offers three distinct textures and flavors: A nutty, crumbly crust is filled with a dark chocolate pudding enriched with bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate stout, then topped with a billowy bourbon whipped cream. For more seasonal recipes, download the free Gourmet Live app and stay tuned to the Gourmet Live blog for the latest updates.

"This dough, with its addition of whole wheat flour for a nutty taste and tender texture, is a must in your baking repertoire."—Karen DeMasco

This just might be my all-time favorite dessert. It's the simple essence of sweet apples and crisp pastry with no distractions. We've all collected several similar recipes over the years, but this is the best one I've ever made. If I need to make it even faster, I use defrosted frozen puff pastry instead of making the crust (see note), but you'll want to eat it an hour or two after it comes out of the oven.

Chef Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia, shared this recipe as part of a St. Patrick's Day feast he created exclusively for Epicurious. Although this dessert originated in Bakewell, England, chefs and cooks around England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales have created their own adaptations. Chef Armstrong's version, which is based on his mother's, is halfway between the classic Bakewell tart and the classic Bakewell pudding. This recipe calls for a quick puff pastry, but in a pinch you can use the store-bought frozen variety. Leftover puff pastry can be used to make Cheese Straws or Palmiers.

The crispy, cookie-like crust is incredible with the soft soufflé filling.

This dessert is as easy as it is delicious—put it together in the morning and let it chill in the fridge until dinner time.

The technique: Instead of rolling, just combine the crust ingredients and press the sandy, crumbly mixture onto the tart pan. Start in the middle and work outward, or—if you're concerned about running out of crust as you go up the sides—start with the edges and work inward. That way, you'll have plenty of dough to form edges of uniform thickness for a pretty presentation.
The payoff: Two fewer things to do: A press-in crust eliminates the (sometimes tricky) steps of rolling out the dough and transferring it to the tart pan. This rich, slightly gooey tart is golden from the browned butter, golden brown sugar, and golden syrup.

The technique: No measuring, no mixing— just roll out puff pastry, trim to a circle, and transfer it to the pan. If you can find all-butter pastry, it's worth using here because of its superior flavor and texture.
The payoff: It couldn't be easier to use—or more flaky and buttery.

These individual desserts have a spiced fruit filling that's a modern version of mincemeat.

This dessert is a revelation. As the tomatoes cook in the caramel, they become sweet and tender but retain their clean, fresh flavor. Prepare to be blown away.

If you don't have a 9-inch-diameter tart pan, use a buttered 9-inch glass pie dish. Cool the tart in the dish, then cut it.

A press-in crust makes this party-worthy dessert easy to put together. For a pretty presentation, don't cover the lime curd completely with berries. The contrast between the dark berries and the bright lime curd is striking.

This flaky and light pastry dough works for savory as well as sweet tarts.

Legend has it that the Bakewell tart was invented in the 1800s in the village of Bakewell. An inexperienced cook made a mistake when putting together a strawberry tart—and ended up with a pie crust with a layer of preserves on the bottom and a soft, cake-like filling. This version uses raspberry preserves, but strawberry would also be delicious.

Treacle tarts are usually made with a combination of golden syrup and molasses. The dessert has a texture similar to pecan pie (minus the nuts).

Fresh Key limes add a delicious tang to the filling. And the finishing touch? A crown of perfectly browned meringue. Timing note: The finished pie needs to chill for at least an hour before serving.

Very versatile and not too sweet, this fruit tart is perfect to serve at breakfast or brunch or with wine and cheese after dinner.

This delicious tart has a buttery shortbread crust, a rich hazelnut-caramel filling, a creamy espresso-chocolate topping, and a sprinkling of crunchy cacao nibs (pieces of roasted cacao beans).

This simple tart has a creamy filling and an easy press-in crust.

This delicious treat is a cross between butterscotch pudding and pecan pie.