Strawberry

This rich, creamy chocolate sauce is perfect on ripe strawberries, but it's so versatile it might also be just what your favorite dessert has been missing.

Now's the perfect time for strawberries at their peak, and here is a way to celebrate all their fabulous flavor.

Make this tart the day before serving to give it enough time to set.

Almost any berry, or combination of berries, can be substituted in this recipe.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party. Berry bread puddings can be made out of any kind of leftover breads — we like brioche, challah, French, sourdough, and cinnamon. The texture is best if the bread you use is a day old. This recipe is designed for individual servings, but you can make it a in large baking dish too. If you're pressed for time on the day of the shower, you can make this the day before.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party. Little squares of cake make perfect individual portions. We used our favorite combination of berries picked at their peak, but feel free to use any fruit in season. Bake two days in advance and assemble a few hours before the party.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Vanilla Mousse Meringues and Fresh Berries.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Jacques Torres's Dessert Circus at Home. The first time I ever saw a moose was in Atlanta. Kris and I were in an antiques store. I saw antlers out of the corner of my eye and wondered if there was a real moose in the store. I am sad to tell you that while he was real, he was not alive. I promised myself I would visit a place where I would be able to see moose in their natural habitat. I think they are such magnificent animals and I adore their comical faces. I'm making this moose until I get to see them for real!

A panachée is a mixture of two or more ingredients with different colors, flavors, or shapes. For this one, I mix fruits and fruit puree with cookies and cream. It takes only a few minutes to prepare and almost any berries will work. I like to serve these desserts in shallow glass bowls or goblets. Although any cookies will do, I prefer to use Scottish shortbread cookies in this dessert.

Healthy bonus: 1 serving of fruit per slice, protein and riboflavin from eggs, calcium from yogurt, fiber, and nearly 1/3 of the RDA for vitamin C from berries

Healthy bonus: 1 serving of fruit per 1/2 cup of sliced fruit, magnesium, and selenium from nuts, vitamin C from strawberries, fiber from nuts and fruits

Whole-wheat pancakes are as tasty as the buttermilk kind. They also offer extra fiber, which will keep you feeling so full that you'll need only a light lunch.

Actress Marissa Matrone shares a recipe her grandmother taught her. It's almost like ice cream!

Cardamom-scented whipped cream tops a light, crisp meringue in this pretty paean to the season's fresh berries.

One slice of this gorgeous strawberry pie from chef Barb Peters delivers nearly three fourths of your daily dose of vitamin C.

Sweet early strawberries in their prime and a good bottle of fruit-forward red wine — you just can't go wrong with the simple combination of these two stellar ingredients.

Prepare this a day ahead so all of the elements can meld and the ladyfingers to soften fully.

Concord-grape wine — a traditional part of the Passover feast — gives this delightful spongecake a fruity, almost floral note.

A hearty, old-fashioned-style pie. Delicious with vanilla ice cream. A winner in the Bon Appétit Recipes Sweepstakes, a reader poll conducted in honor of our 50th anniversary.