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Mousse au Chocolat au Beurre Salé There's not much I can say about this. One bite will leave you just as speechless.

If you've never tried Nutella, that ambrosial combination of hazelnuts and chocolate, put this book down right now, run to your nearest grocery store, and buy a jar. Bring a spoon along to expedite the Nutella-in-mouth process. OK, now that we're all on the same Nutella-obsession page, I'll proceed with a recipe that will make you fall into an incoherent puddle of babbling ecstasy, while simultaneously making you the most popular of all your friends (if you can bring yourself to share). What's more, this is a speedy, incredibly easy one to whip up, so you don't have to delay your satisfaction for too long.

The King (otherwise known as Elvis Presley) was known for his swiveling hips, his dreamboat eyes, his smooth crooning, his ridiculous sequined jumpsuits, and his eccentric palate. One of his favorite snacks was a grilled peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwich, which to some might sound obscene, and to others (me), obscenely delicious. This pie marries the sweet, smoky, salty, nutty flavors of Elvis's favorite sandwich in a rich, gooey, messy cream pie. Fresh banana pudding, topped with peanut butter whipped cream in a peanut butter¿bacon cookie crust. Need I say more? You probably only need to eat this once in a lifetime; you'll never forget it.

Crunchy, toasty coconut chips transform a simple loaf cake.

This recipe traces a familiar path: Slice fruit and nestle it in some caramel, pour cake batter over the top, bake, and unmold. When you flip over the cake, you'll find it's topped with delicious candied orange slices and citrusy caramel. Stressed about that caramel? No need to be. Keep a distant eye on the sugar once you put it on the stove, but don't hover. Chop some vegetables. Check Twitter. Pet the dog. Every so often, swirl the pan to make sure the caramel is cooking evenly. Don't bother stirring (the sugar will only clump up on your spoon). Once the mixture starts to color, swirl it slightly more frequently. When it turns an attractive chestnut brown, take it off the heat, add your premeasured butter and salt (and a splash of booze, if you want), and stir.

Malcolm Livingston II, the pastry chef at WD~50 in New York City, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. What's the inspiration behind this unusual dessert? "Chef Wylie Dufresne said to me, 'We both love root beer, so let's make it come to life as a dessert,' " Livingston explains. The first challenge was finding the right root beer. Livingston and Dufresne tried making their own, and sampled 12 different sodas before finding Fitz's —that's their preferred brand, but feel free to use your favorite. Consistency and texture were the next obstacles. "I wanted to make a pudding that had the consistency of Jell-O pudding, but with more texture, so I crushed up barrel-shaped root beer candies," says Livingston. The candy was combined with milk, milk powder, cornstarch, root beer, and eggs to create a smooth and creamy pudding that Livingston likens to "a solidified root beer float." Use extra caution when grinding the root beer candy, which can be hard on anything but a commercial or high-powered blender.

EFFORT: A LOT
PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES TO 2 HOURS
KEEPS ON WARM: NO The ingredient list is designed for use in a medium (4- to 5 1/2-quart) slow cooker. See the cook's notes for ingredient lists for small (2- to 3 1/2-quart) and large (6- to 8-quart) models.

Otherwise known as the triple-threat chocolate cookie: melted, chopped, and drizzled. You're welcome.

The idea here is to concentrate a few strong complementary flavors to create a cake that is pleasantly bitter and not too sweet. Tartine chiffon cake is made with whole-grain dark buckwheat flour, and then layered with blood orange marmalade and bergamot-infused blackout chocolate ganache. The ganache sets quickly, so cut your cake layers and have your filling and syrup on hand when ready to assemble.

Though delicious in its simple, unadulterated state, shortbread is also ripe for innovation. This slightly savory version features rosemary and a touch of of-the-moment caraway, but the possibilities are endless. If you've got the time, make a double batch and keep the second pan uncut in the freezer for last-minute visitors.

These slice-and-bake shortbreads can be prepped and kept wrapped in the freezer for up to a month before baking. And guess what? No need to defrost before slicing and zipping them into the oven.

The ingredients for the caramel will fit in a small saucepan, but make sure you use something larger—the molten sauce bubbles up quite a lot.

The only decorating icing you'll ever need.

Beating the butter and sugar until light and fluffy is essential to this cake's moist, tender crumb.

Cook the figs until just softened: Overcooking or intense boiling will render them tough instead of lush.