Fruit Dessert

This cake is perfect for beginners—it's moist, forgiving, and easy. Jif creamy peanut butter is our favorite for the decadent frosting.

(Calabaza en Tacha) The Days of the Dead (November 1 and 2) are not only one of the most dramatic of Oaxacan fiestas but among the most family-centered. Altars dedicated to los difuntos ("departed ones") appear everywhere—outside churches, on shop premises, and especially at family grave sites and in the home, where everyone is preparing for the annual reunion with late friends and relatives. At this time every marketplace in Oaxaca blazes with piles—absolute mountains—of fuschia-red cockscombs and intense orange marigolds. Tall sugarcanes with long fronds and huge banana leaves tower like jungles nearby. The flowers will be used to adorn the altars and the giant fronds to mark arched entries for the souls of loved ones to pass through. People buy their late cousin's favorite kind of cigarettes or their departed father's usual beer to place on the home altar. The other offerings usually include fresh fruit, candies in all kinds of macabre memento mori shapes, decorated breads made from a sweet egg-enriched dough like that for Pan Resobado, and this traditional spiced preserved pumpkin. Every home altar holds a plate of Calabaza en Tacha—an offering that represents about four days' labor of love. The pumpkin—I use a regular Halloween pumpkin or sometimes the green West Indian type—is soaked first in a solution of the same cal (slaked lime) used to treat corn for tortillas. The alkali makes it firm enough to absorb the sugar without disintegrating. Oaxacan cooks like to make the preserve very sweet; I have slightly reduced the amount of sugar. It may not be traditional, but I like to serve it with vanilla ice cream. I find that using fresh sugarcane as a support on which to arrange the pieces of pumpkin is a handy and flavorful trick (though not an indispensable part of the recipe). Look for it at Latin American and other tropical groceries; it can also be found as a specialty produce item in some large supermarkets.

The yield for these ice pops depends on the size of your molds — you could use anything from paper cups to store-bought specialty molds.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other dessert classics, check out the videos.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other dessert classics, check out the videos.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other dessert classics, check out the videos.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other dessert classics, check out the videos.

Pistachios contain potassium, a mineral which may help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Bliss is a few bites away.

Raspberries are packed with polyphenols, which may protect our brains, helping to keep us sharp.

When blueberries are at their best (and most abundant), let their flavor shine in simple recipes. This cobbler can be assembled in minutes, and its ragged topping is both tender and crunchy. It's especially good with vanilla ice cream.

Use plums that hold their shape when cooked, such as black or red (avoid soft-fleshed Santa Rosas). If you prefer a taller pie, use all 5 pounds of fruit.

This puffy, soufflé-like pancake starts in your blender and makes a fantastic dessert—or breakfast. The honey-sweetened compote works well with fresh or frozen cherries.

Update classic peach Melba, one of the most enduring creations of Escoffier, by swapping a dark, slightly salty caramel for the customary raspberry sauce. Ripe peaches are essential to the success of this elegant dessert.

This crumble-topped pie stars the flavors of an Old Fashioned cocktail. Our secret weapon: jarred sour cherries (just think of all those cherries you won't have to pit!). We like Trader Joe's Dark Morello Cherries, but other brands work well, too.

Grunts get their quirky name from the fact that the fruit, which is topped with dumplings and cooked on the stove in a covered skillet, can make a grunting sound as the dessert steams. Molasses adds sweetness and a lovely depth of flavor.

When frozen, bananas become so creamy they can almost pass for sorbet or even ice cream. Coat them with chocolate and sprinkle them with homemade peanut brittle—there will be plenty left over for snacking—and you've got a refreshingly cold treat that feels almost as virtuous as a serving of fruit. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Summer Fair Favorites. Menu also includes Fried Onion Dippers with Balsamic Ketchup and Turkey Meatball Garlic Bread Heroes.

Michael Laiskonis uses a little sugar and the gentle heat of a double boiler to draw out the berries' juices without cooking them, yielding a vibrant sweet soup.

Try this refreshing dessert with other firm, ripe fruit, including pineapple, peaches, or plums. Chill any leftover syrup for sweetening iced tea or cocktails.