Dessert

Simple-to-follow recipes for sweet treats to make and to share

WARM CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKES

There’s something extra-special about an individually sized dessert—especially when it’s a molten chocolate cake served warm out of the oven. You can prepare these rich chocolate pudding cakes up to a day ahead and refrigerate them, then just pop them in the oven when you sit down to dinner. They’ll be done by the time you’re ready for dessert. And they reheat easily, so you can have two one night and two the next. MAKES 4

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup sugar

2 large eggs, separated

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

  Ice cream, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place four 6- to 8-ounce ovenproof bowls on a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally just until melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in 2 tablespoons sugar, then egg yolks and vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. With mixer running, gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar; beat until mixture is stiff and glossy.

4. Using a flexible spatula, fold about a third of egg-white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture just until combined. Divide among bowls. (Puddings can be prepared in advance up to this point; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 day.)

5. Bake until tops are puffed and cracked but insides are still quite soft (a toothpick inserted in center will come out gooey), 20 to 25 minutes (or 25 to 30 minutes if refrigerated). Serve warm or at room temperature (puddings will sink as they cool), topped with ice cream, if desired.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

You’ve no doubt made chocolate chip cookies before and tried several recipes. But have you found the one you’re ready to commit to for life? The search is over: This one is a keeper. Simple and straightforward, it’s also brilliantly engineered to produce crispy-edged, soft-in-the-middle, all-around-perfect cookies. Make these a few times, memorize the recipe, and it may very well become the dessert you can whip up anytime you have friends over—or just want to treat yourselves. MAKES 20

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

1¼ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1¼ cups packed dark-brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter and both sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; beat until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Using a 2¼-inch ice cream scoop (about 3 tablespoons), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden around edges but soft in the middle, about 15 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack; let cookies cool 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and let cool completely.

RHUBARB-RASPBERRY GALETTES

Making pie from scratch is not an everyday activity, but if you plan ahead and have a round of dough in your refrigerator, you can prepare these free-form pastries in a flash. Strawberry-rhubarb is a better known combination, but we prefer raspberries as a partner to the tart stalks. MAKES 4

½ recipe Pie Dough (this page)

  All-purpose flour, for surface

¾ pound trimmed rhubarb, cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 2½ cups)

4 ounces fresh raspberries (about ¾ cup)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup granulated sugar

  Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1. Divide dough evenly into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece to a 7-inch round about ⅛ inch thick. Transfer rounds to large parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, arranging them several inches apart. (If rounds become too soft to handle, refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.)

2. In a large bowl, toss rhubarb, raspberries, cornstarch, and granulated sugar. Cover each round of dough with a heaping ½ cup rhubarb mixture, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold edges over rhubarb filling, leaving an opening in center; gently brush water between folds and press gently so that folds adhere. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush edges of dough with water and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until crusts are golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F, and bake until juices bubble and start to run out from center of each galette, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

This simple yet intensely rich shortbread is fantastic on its own, but it practically begs to be served with nearly any sweet sidekick (ice cream, lemon curd, caramel sauce) or dipped in melted chocolate. Even better, you can try a different topping every day, since the shortbread keeps for up to two weeks. All you’ll need to make it are flour, salt, butter, and confectioners’ sugar; because those four ingredients play a starring role, quality is key. Try baking with high-grade butter, for instance, and note the difference. It’s a lesson in how the quality of the ingredients you choose can impact your results. MAKES 8

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

2 cups all-purpose flour

1¼ teaspoons coarse salt

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

2. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once; mix until just combined.

3. Using plastic wrap, press dough into prepared pan. With plastic on dough, refrigerate 20 minutes. Remove plastic wrap. Cut dough into 8 wedges with a paring knife or bench scraper.

4. Bake until golden brown and firm in center, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Recut shortbread into wedges; let cool completely in pan. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.)

LEMON CUSTARD CAKES

When you want a break from chocolate (okay, maybe that doesn’t happen too often), these exquisite little cakes make an intensely satisfying dessert. The recipe needs no special ingredients. Simply mix the batter, pour into custard cups (or ramekins), and bake. About 20 minutes later, you’ll have a half-dozen light, springy, tart-and-sweet cakes—puffy on top with a pudding-like texture on the bottom. Add a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar, and they’re ready for a dressy dinner party or a relaxed afternoon tea. MAKES 6

  Unsalted butter, room temperature, for cups

3 large eggs, separated

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)

1 cup milk

¼ teaspoon salt

  Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring water to boil. Line a large roasting pan or baking dish with a clean kitchen towel. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place in prepared pan or dish.

2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light; whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.

3. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk (batter will be quite liquidy).

4. Divide batter among prepared cups; place prepared pan or dish in oven and carefully fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are puffed and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE

Master this crumble recipe and you’ll never again wonder what to do with all the gorgeous seasonal fruit you find at the market (besides eating it raw). This version calls for berries, but substitute other fruits like apples or peaches (chop them first, to about the size of blackberries) as you wish. You can bake the crumble in one dish or in individual ramekins. Either way, stick to the method described in this recipe and sprinkle with the same topping. The dessert is best eaten soon after it comes out of the oven—browned, fragrant, and bubbling with fruit juices—with ice cream scooped on top. SERVES 4

4 cups fresh blackberries (about 1 pound)

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for dish

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  Pinch of salt

6 store-bought sugar cookies (about 2 ounces), coarsely crushed

¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

  Ice cream, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir blackberries, ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons flour, and lemon juice in a bowl.

2. In a small bowl, stir butter, cinnamon, salt, and remaining tablespoon sugar vigorously with a flexible spatula until creamy. Stir in cookies, oats, and remaining 1½ teaspoons flour. Work mixture through fingers until it forms coarse crumbs, ranging in size from peas to gum balls.

3. Butter a 1½-quart baking dish. Pour blackberry mixture into dish and transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle mixture with crumb topping. Bake until juices are bubbling and topping is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack 20 minutes before serving with ice cream, if desired.

PEACH SHORTCAKE

Strawberry shortcake deserves its place in the dessert hall of fame, but you don’t need berries to make a wonderful shortcake. This one is made with juicy peak-of-season peaches, sprinkled with fruit brandy, layered on easy buttermilk biscuits, and topped with whipped cream. You can substitute other fruits, but if you choose peaches, make sure they are fragrant; if they don’t smell like peaches, they aren’t likely to taste like them. And feel free to halve the filling amounts if it’s just the two of you. The biscuits are best eaten the same day, though they freeze well; reheat for 10 to 15 minutes in a 300°F oven just before serving. SERVES 4 (MAKES 9 BISCUITS)

4 ripe peaches, sliced

1 tablespoon kirsch

1 tablespoon sugar, plus more for sprinkling tops

2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2¼ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss peaches with kirsch and sugar. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in another bowl. With a pastry blender, work in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. With a fork, mix in buttermilk until just combined. Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, quickly pat dough into a 9-inch square, about 1 inch thick. Using a floured bench scraper or knife, cut into 9 (3-inch) squares.

2. Arrange squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. In a large bowl, beat cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Split biscuits and sandwich with peaches and cream.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

The best brownies need absolutely no special ingredients or decorations—no chocolate chips, no M&Ms, no frosting, nothing. Their magic lies in a subtly crisp crust and a fudgy, moist (but not too gooey) middle. To that end, this recipe calls for bittersweet chocolate as well as cocoa powder. With just the seven ingredients here, you’ll turn out the most crowd-pleasing brownies. Feel free to mix ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter at the end of step 1. MAKES 16

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into large pieces

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1½ cups sugar

3 large eggs

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon coarse salt

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving a slight overhang on all sides. Melt butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Whisk in cocoa and salt. Fold in flour until just combined.

2. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift brownies from pan using parchment. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely. Cut into 16 squares. (Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

BROILED PLUMS

Sometimes all you want after dinner is a bowl of fruit. With a little brandy and a sprinkle of light-brown sugar, fresh plums can be transformed into a warm, juicy, caramelized dessert. Whether you serve the broiled fruit as is or top it with mascarpone, whipped cream, ice cream, or frozen yogurt, the plums cap off the evening on a deliciously sweet and not-too-heavy note. Feel free to substitute any juicy fruit you have around—apricots, peaches, figs, or, for a tarter flavor, red plums instead of black. Just make sure the fruit you choose is ripe but not too soft to the touch; it should yield to gentle pressure. SERVES 2

6 Italian prune plums, halved and pitted

3 tablespoons brandy

¼ cup packed light-brown sugar

Heat broiler with rack 6 inches from the heat source. Place plum halves, cut-sides up, in a single layer in an 8-inch square baking pan. Pour brandy evenly over plums and sprinkle with sugar. Broil until plums are soft and sugar is caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes.

PERFECT POUND CAKE

As long as you have the basic refrigerator and pantry staples on hand, you can whip up this buttery-sweet classic. This recipe even skips leaveners like baking soda and baking powder; instead, you give the cake its requisite lift by beating the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until fluffy. The endlessly adaptable cake is lovely with a simple lemon glaze (2 cups confectioners’ sugar whisked with ¼ cup fresh lemon juice until smooth), or you can serve it with fresh or roasted fruits, lemon curd, chocolate sauce, or ice cream. It goes without saying that it’s heavenly on its own, too. MAKES TWO 9-BY-5-INCH CAKES

  Vegetable oil cooking spray

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces (1 bar) cream cheese, room temperature

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  Lemon glaze (optional; see note above)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. In a bowl, whisk together flour and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on high, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla. With mixer on low; add flour mixture in 2 batches, beating until just combined.

3. Divide batter between prepared pans. Tap pans on counter; smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake until golden and a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs attached, 70 to 85 minutes (tent with foil if tops brown too quickly). Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. (Cake can be stored wrapped in plastic at room temperature, up to 3 days. Or wrap in plastic and freeze up to 3 weeks; thaw, wrapped, at room temperature.) Set rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour lemon glaze, if using, over cakes, letting it drip down sides. Let set, about 30 minutes before serving.

ESPRESSO GRANITA

If you can make coffee, you can master this simple but sophisticated dessert. You just add sugar to espresso (decaf works, too) and chill it in a bowl, then freeze it for two hours until all the liquid turns into ice crystals. As the granita freezes, remember to stir it with a fork every half hour. Serve this light, refreshing dessert with a dollop of whipped cream, and add a sprinkle of ground espresso and a biscotti on the side, if you’d like. SERVES 2

2 cups hot freshly brewed espresso

½ cup sugar

½ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon finely ground espresso beans (optional)

1. Prepare an ice-water bath. Put espresso and sugar into a medium glass bowl; stir until sugar has dissolved. Set in ice-water bath; stir until cooled.

2. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish; place in freezer. Chill until mixture begins to solidify, about 45 minutes. Remove from freezer; stir with a fork until mixture begins to break up. Freeze, scraping with fork every 30 minutes, until completely frozen and fine crystals form, about 2 hours total.

3. Whisk cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Serve granita in glasses or bowls, dolloped with whipped cream and sprinkled with ground espresso, if desired.

CARAMEL POTS DE CRÈME

Pots de crème are essentially just puddings, despite the fancy-sounding French name. Rich, elegant, and luxuriously creamy, they make a showstopping date-night dessert (the recipe makes six, so you’ll have some left over). Don’t let the recipe intimidate you: It’s super-straightforward if you follow it step by step. Just make sure you don’t overcook the custard—it should wiggle only slightly when you take the ramekins out of the oven. MAKES 6

¾ cup sugar

1 cup milk

1½ cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split

5 large egg yolks

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Place six 4-ounce ovenproof ramekins or custard cups in a large roasting pan. Place ½ cup sugar in a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until sugar has caramelized and is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Swirl pan, dissolving unmelted sugar, and reduce heat to low. Slowly and carefully whisk in milk and 1 cup cream. Scrape vanilla seeds into pan and add pod. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; remove pan from heat.

2. In a bowl, whisk together remaining ¼ cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt until pale yellow in color. Slowly add hot cream mixture, whisking constantly; pour through a fine sieve set over a large liquid-measuring cup, discarding vanilla pod. Skim surface to remove any air bubbles. Divide custard evenly among ramekins. Carefully fill roasting pan with hot water to within 1 inch of ramekin tops. Cover with foil and poke small holes in two opposite corners to allow steam to vent. Carefully place pan on center oven rack; bake until just set, about 35 minutes. Remove foil and transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Whisk remaining ½ cup cream in a chilled mixing bowl just until soft peaks form. Top each serving with whipped cream.

APPLE TART

When you’re craving a warm, buttery fruit dessert but can’t spend all afternoon making a double-crust pie, this tart should hit the spot. One tip to note: When brushing the pastry with egg wash, don’t let it drip over the edges, since the dough will stick to the pan and won’t rise properly. You’ll want to keep puff pastry in your freezer and a jar of apple jelly or apricot jam around, so you can make this tart anytime the mood strikes. SERVES 4 TO 6

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed

  All-purpose flour, for surface

3 Granny Smith apples

⅓ cup sugar

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons apple jelly or apricot jam

1 tablespoon water

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Open pastry sheet and remove paper. Fold sheet back up. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out folded pastry sheet to an 8-by-14-inch rectangle. Trim edges with a pizza cutter or sharp paring knife. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and chill in freezer. Meanwhile, peel, core, and slice apples ¼ inch thick. Toss in a large bowl with sugar.

2. Use a sharp paring knife to score a ¾-inch border around pastry (do not cut all the way through). Brush border with egg wash, avoiding edges. Arrange apples inside border and dot with butter. Bake until pastry is golden and apples are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

3. Heat jelly with the water until melted. Brush apples with glaze. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TARTUFO FOR TWO

Even if you make this gorgeous Italian frozen dessert using store-bought ice cream and cookies, you still get to take all the credit. While extremely easy to assemble, the tartufo requires just enough attention to qualify as a special-occasion treat. Choose two ice cream flavors that go together (chocolate and pistachio is our favorite combination, but simply a suggestion). SERVES 2

½ cup chocolate ice cream

½ cup pistachio ice cream

2 maraschino cherries

5 chocolate wafer cookies, pulsed to fine crumbs in a food processor

2½ teaspoons coconut oil, melted

2 ounces chopped dark chocolate

1. Line a 4½-inch-diameter glass bowl (with 1⅓ cups capacity) with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang around edges. Pack chocolate ice cream into one half of the bowl; pack pistachio ice cream into other half. Make 2 indentations, about 1 inch deep, in the ice cream, and put 1 cherry in each indentation. Cover the cherries with ice cream; smooth surface. Cover with plastic wrap overhang. Freeze until firm, 2 hours, or up to overnight.

2. In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Remove plastic wrap from top of bowl. Press cookie crumbs on top of ice cream. Use an offset spatula to flatten and smooth the top. Re-cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, at least 15 minutes.

3. Melt chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water (or in the microwave). Stir in remaining 1½ teaspoons coconut oil.

4. Remove top layer of wrap from bowl. Invert bowl onto a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Use a hot wet cloth to wipe the outside of the bowl and loosen the ice cream. Lift bowl and remove plastic wrap. Pour chocolate on top in one continuous stream for the smoothest surface, starting in the center and working your way outward and around.

5. Transfer tartufo on the rack to the freezer to harden the chocolate shell, at least 5 minutes. Remove tartufo from wire rack to a plate using a thin metal spatula that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Serve immediately.