Graham Cracker

"My taste in food is pretty simple," writes Sara Hainsworth of Frederick, Maryland. "I'm a meat-and-potatoes — and chocolate — kind of person. This lemon tart recipe is my husband, Greg's, specialty. Greg and I cook together a lot, which is fun and makes weeknight dinners and cooking for friends easier to manage now that we're starting our own family." For a chocolate-fix variation, Sara suggests filling purchased three-inch chocolate tartlet shells with the lemon curd. Or brush melted sweet chocolate over the graham cracker crust before filling. Begin this recipe four hours to one day ahead.

Although they are baked, these intensely chocolaty bar cookies resemble fudge more than brownies. To retain the creamy texture, keep them in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to a week. If the bars are refrigerated, their texture will become more dense.

A decadent, impressive dessert that appeals to everyone's inner Boy Scout or Girl Scout. Begin preparing this dish a day ahead.

Prepare this a day in advance to give the flavors time to blend and the cake a chance to become firm and properly chilled.

A decadent, impressive dessert that appeals to everyone's inner Boy Scout or Girl Scout. Begin preparing this a day ahead.

Look for chocolate bars that have orange, pistachio, or caramel fillings.

Apples sautéed with brown sugar and cinnamon top this almond-flavored cheesecake. Bake it at least one day in advance. For best results, use Philadelphia-brand cream cheese.

Caramel and orange add sophisticated French flair to this rich American dessert. Begin preparing it at least a day ahead.

Key lime pie, with its tangy custard filling and pastry crust, was popular in the Florida Keys at the turn of the century. The pie eventually evolved to include the graham-cracker-crumb crusts created in the thirties. We’ve layered all the components in wine goblets.

This ice cream treat is based on the classic combination of toasted marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate.

Begin preparing this a day before serving.

The graham cracker crunch topping is delicious on its own, but combined with ripe peaches, cinnamon syrup and ice cream, it makes for positively addictive sundaes.