Electric Mixer

Everyone needs one quick, easy, go-to recipe that looks and tastes like a million bucks. These eggs work like a charm: the fragrant truffle oil adds rich, sexy appeal, and a sprinkle of black lava salt lends an elegant finish. Make them super bling by adding a tiny flake of edible 24k gold leaf to each.

Kids and grown-ups alike will be charmed by the Seussian whimsy of these delicious deviled eggs; Sam-I-Am won't have to ask you twice whether you'd like these! If you have a favorite pesto recipe, by all means, use it in the filling.

Frosted with a rich salted caramel icing, this tender caramel cake—a classic Southern dessert—is a fun and delicious baking project worth every minute.

Served warm, these not-too-sweet brownies beg to go à la mode.

Adding whole wheat flour ups the nutritional value and adds a nice nutty flavor.

Sweeten movie night by whipping up a batch of these treats for your friends. Cherries and oat flour add fiber to make them extra filling.

Who doesn’t love chocolate cake? This one is moist, dense, rich, and naturally gluten-free.

Top off this tangy lemon cake with a jammy apricot-and-lemon glaze for extra sweetness.

"Real" shortbread is typically made with a little rice flour, which gives it that dry and delicate crunch. Instead of seeking rice flour, you can get an excellent result by using cornstarch to help achieve the classic texture. Sprinkle on a little green sanding sugar to celebrate "the day that's in it," as the Irish say.

Don't worry about getting too much color on your pears—they will gain more caramel flavor the darker they go. This unusual dessert is a play on flavors—savory alongside sweet—and textures.

Dark chocolate and espresso add the slightly bitter notes needed to balance this dessert. Remember, the higher the cacao percentage, the less sweet the chocolate.

We get a little weak-kneed with delight around cakes, particularly cakes whimsically shaped to look like something else—in this case, a Yule log. Made famous in France as Bûches de Noël, these sheet cakes, filled, rolled, and frosted to look like the trunks of trees, complete with the stumps of sawed off branches, provide creative cooks the very real opportunity to play with their food. Want a few woodsy meringue mushrooms made from meringue to continue the conceit? Why not? No offense to the French, but we think this Italian version, brushed with an espresso syrup, filled with whipped cream lightened mascarpone cheese, and encased in a serious chocolate ganache, which lends itself well to sculpting, is just about the best we've ever had. Buttercream frosting is good—we know only too well from licking many bowls of it clean—but ganache is easier to make and even better to eat! Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for A Christmas Classic. Menu also includes Herb-Crusted Beef Rib Roast with Potatoes, Carrots, and Pinot Noir Jus and Green Beans with Caramelized Pecans .

These spicy molasses cookies were a popular nineteenth-century New Orleans street food. For years, grocery stores throughout the United States have been selling them prepackaged, and often topped with white or pink icing.

Just reading the words "salted brown butter" is enough to tickle your taste buds. But making salted brown butter the flavor base of a cookie will turn your holiday cookie swap into the hottest, hippest party in town. Thankfully, the dough is a dream to roll out, and it's strong enough to keep the shape of the cookie-cutters you use, no matter how intricate. Want to hang them on the tree? Just cut a little hole before baking with the narrow end of a pastry bag tip. Keep this recipe handy for when you've got a houseful of kids on a school break and need a project to get them off their cell phones! Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Holiday Cookie Craze. Menu also includes Coconut Macaroon Sandwiches with Lime Curd and Pistachio Cranberry Oatmeal Icebox Cookies .

The icebox has gone the way of the horse and buggy, but it didn't disappear before lending its name to the original concept of the slice-and-bake cookie. A roll of this flavorful dough—chock-full of pistachios, cranberries, and oats—in the freezer or fridge is like money in the bank. Impromptu party? Friends drop by unexpectedly? No problem! Just cut off the slices you need, bake them up, and the aroma alone will drive people crazy before they even get a chance to take a bite. You can gussy them up with a drizzle of chocolate, a dusting of shiny sanding sugar, or just leave them be. We expect you'll use this recipe as a template for a year-round supply of creative dough logs: Sour cherries and pecans, golden raisins and walnuts, chopped dates and pine nuts, or just plain chocolate chips. The possibilities are endless. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Holiday Cookie Craze. Menu also includes Coconut Macaroon Sandwiches with Lime Curd and Salted Brown Butter Cookies .

Cinnamon, nutmeg and a secret ingredient make this mouthwatering cheesecake anything but ordinary. Cool and creamy with just the right amount of spice...it’s absolutely irresistible!

Finishing your cookies with a delicate, flaky salt like Maldon brings out the chocolate flavor and tempers the sweetness, creating the ultimate sweet and salty snack.

Southerners are especially clever about using up breads, raisins, and other dried fruits going stale. This frugal bread pudding—elegant enough for a party—is a case in point. The bread to use is firm-textured white bread (a.k.a. farm-style bread). I think raisin bread would be equally delicious though I've never tried it. And if I do, I'll omit the raisins or use half the amount called for. Tip: Only top-quality bourbon or sour mash whiskey will do for the sauce. Cheap brands lack flavor.

Ice cream can take a break. These pumpkin cheesecake pops are the ideal finale to your Halloween celebration. If the combination of chocolate and pumpkin hits you as a bit unusual, trust us, it works really well. Consider the two an inspired duo, helped along by the sweet spices used in pumpkin pie. We love the finished pops either chilled or frozen. The funny thing about frozen pops? They could pass for ice cream! Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Halloween: Spooky Snacks. Menu also includes Scary Barbecue Snack Mix and Mozzarella and Roasted Red Pepper Boo-schetta.