Stand Mixer

Drop scones are a boon for busy holiday bakers, since they're a snap to make and almost foolproof. These bake up light and fluffy. A touch of maple syrup and pieces of fig make them just sweet enough — ideal for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

There's something abundantly festive about the puffed dome of panettone bread. In this traditional Italian holiday favorite, a sweet yeast dough is studded with golden raisins and jewel-toned glacéed citron.

If you want dramatic impact on your holiday table, look no further. These leaf-shaped breads (traditionally one of the 13 desserts of a Provençal Christmas Eve) are large and sculptural, with a heady fragrance of orange and anise.

These buttery, crisp tuiles are made with tea and honey — the Earl Grey lends a sophisticated note of bergamot — and taste wonderful with an afternoon cuppa.

Pinwheel cookies, in which chocolate and vanilla dough are layered, rolled, and sliced, are an impressive-looking and delicious treat. Though the rolling process is not complicated, I find that many people are a bit intimidated by it. So, why not do it for them? You make the dough and assemble the log, then the recipient just slices and bakes. Give them the joy of baking without the mess!

Served with small scoops of ice cream and a pink-hued syrup, this fruit-filled dessert delivers a glorious finale to a special dinner. Strudel dough looks more difficult to make than it really is. The secret is using bread flour, a high-gluten flour, which allows you to stretch a small amount of dough over a large surface.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Ming Tsai's Simply Ming. This recipe only uses 1/4 of Ming Tsai's butter shortbread cookie dough. Use the rest to make classic shortbread, five-spice shortbread, and caramel macadamia nut crunch.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Ming Tsai's Simply Ming. This recipe only uses 1/4 of Ming Tsai's butter shortbread cookie dough. Use the rest to make classic shortbread, double chocolate-ginger shortbread, and caramel macadamia nut crunch.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Ming Tsai's Simply Ming. This recipe only uses 1/4 of Ming Tsai's butter shortbread cookie dough. Use the rest to make his five-spice shortbread, double chocolate-ginger shortbread, and caramel macadamia nut crunch.

You can freeze the dough flavored or unflavored, in logs or not—for up to two weeks.

This type of pan de muertos is made for the celebration of the Days of the Dead, November 1 and 2, when families honor their dead by setting up a colorful altar in the house and preparing special foods to put on it and take to the graveside. While this custom has its roots in pre-Columbian central Mexico, it has become popular even in the north (though a friend from Sonora says that her mother considered it very bizarre). This semisweet yeast bread enriched with egg yolks and other similar breads are circular in form, transversed with "bones," and topped with a "skull." The same dough is used for the rosca de reyes, made for the celebrations for Twelfth Night, January 6. Don't try to hurry the dough along; the flavor will develop better with slow rising. I certainly advise an electric mixer with dough hook for this type of dough, which is rather messy to handle.

Editor's note: The recipe below originally appeared in One Potato, Two Potato by Roy Finamore with Molly Stevens. It was reprinted, along with the introductory text included here, in The 150 Best American Recipes by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens. __ Probably the most frustrating part of preparing Thanksgiving dinner is the last-minute potato mashing and gravy making. If you have this recipe in your arsenal, you can knock off the mashed potatoes 2 days ahead and have them sitting pretty in the refrigerator, ready for a last-minute heating. But that's not the only time you need these potatoes; they're also great for a buffet or for any crowd. These luxurious mashed potatoes have a couple of other virtues, too. They're light and fluffy because they're whipped with an electric mixer, and they're incredibly luscious because they have sour cream and butter, plus cream cheese to give them a little edge. __

New York-style cheesecake gets a flavor update with a hint of orange and spice. The sweet-tart sauce balances the rich filling.

Tart, refreshing lime balances the richness of the chocolate.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Greg Case's and Keri Fisher's One Cake, One Hundred Desserts. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, click here. One of the best things about this mousse is that it's very simple, with only a handful of ingredients and a few steps. Yet the mousse is so versatile—not to mention so tasty—you'll soon find yourself whipping some up to fill a graham cracker crust for chocolate mousse pie, or to serve on its own, topped with some fresh raspberries for an elegant dessert. Or you could just eat it right out of the bowl with a soupspoon, as we do. Be careful when combining the chocolate and the whipped cream. Whipping the cream adds lots of air and volume to it, and overworking it when adding to the chocolate will allow all that air to escape (and then you'll have chocolate sauce, not mousse.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Lauren Chattman's Mom's Big Book of Cookies. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, click here. Here is one of my favorite recipes in this book. These bars are just the essence of home baking for kids: a few simple ingredients that you probably have on hand, minimally handled, make the best bar cookies ever.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jennifer Appel's Buttercup Bakes at Home. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, click here. While most of my customers seem to live for the icings and toppings on my cupcakes, this "black bottom" cupcake is sure to please just as it is. It's become my all-time personal favorite.

Bavarian cream is as famous as its origin is mysterious. It might have been invented by French cooks at the court of the Wittelsbacher, the powerful dynasty that ruled Bavaria for more than seven centuries until the last Bavarian king abdicated in 1918. Or possibly, it was first made by Isabeau de Bavière, daughter of a Bavarian duke who married King Charles VI of France in 1385. Whichever version you prefer, one thing is clear: Bavarian cream is deeply entrenched in history and a royal treat in the true sense of the word.