Liqueur

This incredibly simple, slightly bitter cocktail is the perfect aperitif before a meal—it packs the structure and flavor of a classic cocktail, without the high alcohol content.

My criteria when it comes to recipes are these: Is it tasty enough that I will crave it over and over? Is it easy? And does it look pretty? This recipe hits those marks. It is moistest, richest, most flavorful pound cake I have ever made.

Relax into Friday night with a honey-sweetened gin, Aperol, and Champagne cocktail.

Tosca's cocktails are so good people drink them well into the meal.

Top your sundaes with chocolate sauce and macerated raspberries for an easy summer dessert.

"This twist on a Snakebite and Black cocktail uses raspberry lambic instead of hard cider." —Dawn Perry, senior food editor

"A more flavorful, slightly stronger version of an Aperol Spritz. Who could be mad at that?" —Alison Roman, senior associate food editor

This fresh take on fruit salad combines spring's favorite sweet-and-sour duo, plus hazelnuts and mint to round things out.

Amaro and sweet vermouth are relatively low in alcohol, making for a quaffable, refreshing drink (go ahead, have two).

Region: Emilia-Romagna and popular throughout nothern Italy This cake, which looks like a bouquet of mimosa flowers, is eaten on March 8th in celebration of International Women's Day—Festa della Donna—a sort of BFF day celebrating womanhood and female friendships. The cake is made from two basic recipes: sponge cake and pastry cream. Each is worth learning, as with them you can make myriad classic Italian desserts. This lovely cake is better if eaten a day or two after its made. It keeps nicely for up to a week and freezes perfectly.

Fiery chipotle gives a kick, and the iron in shrimp keeps you high-energy.

The addition of an anise-flavored liqueur turns this hot cocoa into the liquid version of chocolate-covered licorice.

The spicy and perfectly tart shrub (flavored drinking vinegar) gives this pitcher-friendly cocktail a refreshing quality.

To faithfully re-create this cocktail, do as Nostrana does and seek out blue plum brandy from Oregon's Clear Creek Distillery.

Make sure to use plain, unflavored rooibos tea, which will complement the other punch ingredients.

Choose an unaged aquavit like Aalborg.

Beating the butter and sugar until light and fluffy is essential to this cake's moist, tender crumb.

Most chocolate mousses are high in calories, but it's quite easy to make a delicious chocolate mousse that contains a fraction of the original calories and fat. The secret is to use high-quality bittersweet chocolate. It packs a strong, lively chocolate flavor and makes up for the fact that the mousse doesn’t have a quart of whipped cream in it.

Serving delicious drinks at large parties is a hard task without a full bar of mixologists, right? NO! Let me introduce Mr. Punch. He is a big bowl of cocktail normally containing fruit, alcohol, and a mixer. Of course, I like to use British flavors, but you can tailor this to your taste. My biggest tips: Use lemon to preserve freshness and use homemade mixers, such as iced tea, to keep costs down. All that's left is to hold your teacup up and make a toast to all those present, to your loved ones and, of course, to THE QUEEN!

This is a modern rendition of a nineteenth-century recipe that ultimately became the legendary duck a l'orange.