Banana

For best results, choose ripe yellow bananas that do not have brown speckles on their skins. This dessert is great served either slightly warm or at room temperature.

An inventive take on a classic.

This is a dessert version of classic fried savory ravioli, dressed up with custard sauce.

Terrific with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt.

A simple and festive way to serve fresh bananas for dessert. Pipe extra meringue onto foil-lined cookie sheet and bake at 250°F. until dry for some low-fat cookies.

Store-bought vanilla frozen yogurt acts as the luscious foil for oranges, pineapple, mango and bananas in a fat-free brown sugar-cinnamon sauce.

Sopaipillas are crisp fried breads traditionally topped with honey; cinnamon and sugar are sometimes added to make a great dessert. In this recipe, fried tortillas approximate the texture of true sopaipillas.

Executive chef Bridget Batson of Hawthorne Lane serves this dessert with homemade caramel sauce (you can use purchased if you like). If you're running short of time, omit the homemade ice cream and mix chopped peanut brittle into your favorite vanilla ice cream.

David Ross of Minneapolis, Minnesota, writes: "The bread pudding with banana sauce served at Galatoire's, in New Orleans, is superb. I'd love to get the recipe. It would be a boon to lovers of bread pudding everywhere." Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Sandra Sowis of Allenhurst, New Jersey, writes: "My mother loved bananas and used them in anything she could dream up. She made this banana cake for my birthday more than ten years ago, and it has traditionally been my birthday cake ever since." Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Biscotti would be great for dipping, too.

"I’ve been cooking since I was twelve, and my husband, Bruce, picked it up during a "Mr. Mom" phase after our second daughter was born," writes Renee Davis of Cadiz, Ohio. "We have a great time coming up with recipes together. If he concocts a dish, I’ll taste-test it, and vice versa. Some of our best (and worst) dishes have been the result of enthusiastic experimentation. I used to serve fresh fruit with a cream-cheese-and-marshmallow dip as an easy dessert after big barbecue meals, but we improved on that by adding a cookie crust and ended up with an entirely new dish." Popular with kids and adults, this dessert pizza is incredibly easy to make. Top with your favorite summer fruit.

A chewy coconut meringue "crust" and rich chocolate mousse filling make this delicious, inventive Australian dessert taste like a combination of coconut cream pie and chocolate cream pie.

This recipe comes from the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Grand Marnier and grated orange peel add a touch of elegance to this simple indulgence. Prepare the fondue just before serving, and keep it warm while dipping so that it will remain smooth. Use a traditional fondue pot, or place the pan of the fondue on an electric hot plate. Either way, be sure the heat is low; too much heat will cause the chocolate to burn. Angel food cake, pound cake and a variety of fresh and dried fruits make great accompaniments.

One day I wanted to use up a case of bananas that were overripe, and this cake was the result. The olive oil adds moisture to the cake. You can serve this cake warm; it is very rewarding with Vanilla Ice Cream.

This indulgent Cognac-spiked dessert fondue is perfect for a romantic evening by the fire.