Espresso

"By adding a little espresso powder to a recipe for caramel sauce, I created an ice cream topping that has made this sundae the signature dessert in my house I had always refused to share the recipe with friends who requested it, but I finally decided that it's too good to keep secret," says Gordon Finley of Durham, North Carolina. These are terrific made with coffee or vanilla ice cream — or both.

"On our honeymoon in Hawaii, my husband and I enjoyed dinner at Princeville Resort's La Cascata restaurant on Kauai's north shore," writes Jamie Smietan of Rancho Santa Margarita, California. "I tried the crème brûlée which had a rich coffee flavor. A copy of the recipe would be the perfect souvenir." Begin preparing this a day before you plan to serve it. The sugar is caramelized quickly under the broiler, but a small blowtorch (made for the kitchen) would work well, too.

The classic dessert gets a holiday twist with eggnog flavors and an opulent presentation. Begin making this one day before serving.

Dense, moist and delectable, this homey cake has a lovely balance of flavors.

The rich flavor of espresso is a perfect partner to the chocolate. Place each piece of fudge in a paper or foil candy cup and arrange in gift boxes lined with holiday paper.

To many people living in the middle of the country, celebration cakes must be chocolate cakes — especially German chocolate cakes. This one embellishes the tradition, using unsweetened chocolate instead of sweet chocolate, a luscious caramel-coconut filling between the layers and lots of creamy chocolate frosting. (By the way, German chocolate cakes have nothing to do with the immigrants who settled in the heartland; the name actually comes from the fact that the cakes were first made with Baker's brand German's sweet baking chocolate.)

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

In this recipe there will be extra mousse and pecan crisps (the recipes will not work if reduced). Both elements are delicious on their own.

A big, beautiful dessert that layers chocolate and coffee ice creams with mocha sauce in a macaroon cookie crust.

France's classic layered dessert of puff pastry, pastry cream and icing fell out of favor for a while, but it recently experienced a revival. This contemporary version features phyllo instead of puff pastry, an espresso-flavored pastry cream and bananas, which were used in many treats in 1997.

This luscious cake has two chocolate mousse fillings and a rich dark-chocolate topping.

A chewy brownie with an intense coffee flavor.

You don't need an ice cream maker to prepare this classic frozen treat. Accompany with amaretti or other Italian cookies.

(Coffee Custards)

These ultra-rich and sophisticated chocolate tartlets are served at Bittersweet Pastry Shop.