Pudding

Bavarian cream is as famous as its origin is mysterious. It might have been invented by French cooks at the court of the Wittelsbacher, the powerful dynasty that ruled Bavaria for more than seven centuries until the last Bavarian king abdicated in 1918. Or possibly, it was first made by Isabeau de Bavière, daughter of a Bavarian duke who married King Charles VI of France in 1385. Whichever version you prefer, one thing is clear: Bavarian cream is deeply entrenched in history and a royal treat in the true sense of the word.

Budino is Italian for "pudding."

Garcia likes making this bread pudding because "we buy wonderful rustic Italian loaves for the restaurant that are just too good to waste," she says.

**Improv:**Fresh or frozen thawed raspberries would also be great alongside the panna cotta.

Natilla is the Cuban answer to a French pot de crème. Here, an icy coffee granita tops the pudding for a cool contrast. (The puddings need to chill overnight and the granita needs freezing time, so be sure to start a day before serving.)

Think of that old-fashioned dish of grapes baked in sour cream and brown sugar. Now imagine it as something light and elegant, and you'll understand this dish.

The sweet, creamy comfort food is traditionally made with the short-grained "amber" rice favored by Egyptians; arborio makes a good substitute.

Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese sold at many supermarkets and Italian markets.

Roasting the berries intensifies their flavor. Try substituting basil for the tarragon.

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.

Khao Neeo See Dam — Thailand Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid and are part of our story on Lunar New Year. Since black rice is a big favorite of Tashi's, over time we've developed a quick version of black rice pudding, aromatic, sweet, and satisfying. You can prepare it and have it in bowls for impatient rice pudding fans in under an hour, with no presoaking of the rice. Serve it for dessert or as a snack, or even for breakfast. The rice is moist, almost soupy, when first made, but if it's left to stand in a cool place, it firms up into a pudding-cake texture and can be eaten in slices (see Note below). Eat it on its own or topped with sesame seeds, coriander leaves, or fried shallots, or a combination.

Sunday-night dessert. From Golden Door in Escondido, California. Talk about sweet justice: You can eat "cream" with our spa meal plan. This dessert drives its silky texture from tofu and its tangy flavor from orange zest, plus it's loaded with beta-carotene from the squash. Look for squash without green streaks — they're the sweetest.

Although this dessert is not traditional (Nonya sweets typically call for unusual ingredients that are not readily available in the U.S.), you'd likely find a version of it at a contemporary Malaysian restaurant. It's extremely important to use very ripe mangoes — it's their fresh flavor that makes these puddings so delicious.

Beware of packaging announcing a product is "100 percent wheat" — this designation can be used on foods made with refined wheat flour. To be sure of a product's nutritional value, read labels carefully: The first ingredient should be a whole-grain product. Check the fiber content — if the product doesn't contain a minimum of three grams per slice, you are probably dealing with an impostor.

Baker's sugar, a favorite of pastry chefs, is also called superfine sugar. It measures the same as regular but dissolves more quickly. It's available at some supermarkets. You can also make your own by whizzing granulated sugar in a food processor until powdery. Medjools are the most prized of all dates, and their firm, meaty texture is perfect for this recipe.

Editor's note: This recipe was developed by Shane Philip Coffey, the chef at Alias restaurant on New York City's Lower East Side. This rich and luscious dessert came about because I needed a special dessert for a St. Patrick's Day tasting menu. I was on a mission to use my favorite beer, Guinness, something I consider to be one of Ireland's gifts to the world. As the 17th of March drew closer, I looked for inspiration at my favorite Irish pub in Manhattan. As I savored my pint, I saw a Guinness poster that said, "My Goodness, My Guinness!" It was like an angel sang in my ear: "What if you combined a dark chocolate pudding and Guinness, topped it with whipped cream lightly flavored with Guinness, and then put it in a glass to make it look just like a pint of the black?" After a few failed attempts, I got it just right. Make the effort to find a good dark chocolate (about 70 to 72 percent cacao). The better the chocolate, the creamier the dessert. And, unless you have an Irish pub next door where you can pull it straight from the tap, a 14.9-ounce can of Guinness Draught works best.

A bit of cardamom gives this dessert its exotic flavor. The pudding needs to chill about five hours before serving, so be sure to plan ahead.

Unlike most Western rice puddings, these desserts are chewy rather than creamy, with a delightful surprise inside. Some Chinese versions can be heavy and overly sweet, but our variation is a nicely balanced finish to the meal.