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Food

Chocolate Alternatives

January 27, 2010

Creamy pavlova, lemon pie, and 38 more sweet recipes sans the cocoa-bean confection.

Creme Brulee — Creme Brulee This is our adaptation of a recipe developed many years ago by Dieter Schorner, then pastry chef at New York City's Le Cirque. See the recipe for Creme Brulee »Erik Rank

Napoleons — This classic French pastry, whose name means thousand leaves (for its delicate multiple layers), is known as the napoleon. The name is probably a reference not to the diminutive Corsican emperor, but to the multilayered confections of Naples.Helen Rosner

Rose's Famous Caramel Cake — This buttery cake slathered with rich caramel icing has earned local fame on Chicago's South Side—it's one of our favorites to make for special occasions.James Oseland

Lindy's Cheesecake — This classic New York-style cheesecake is brightened with orange and lemon zest.Andre Baranowski

Baked Alaska first made its way into print in Fannie Farmer's 1896_ Boston Cooking-School Cook Book,_ but the idea of baking ice cream inside cake and meringue had been around for much of the century. The way was paved in the early 1800s by that genius of thermodynamics Benjamin Thompson, with his work on the resistance of egg whites to heat.Todd Coleman

Croquembouche — Literally named "crunch in the mouth," croquembouche is an edible monument of caramelized pastry.Todd Coleman

Huckleberry Crisps — This dessert can be made with either fresh or frozen huckleberries or blueberries.André Baranowski

Few desserts are as pretty and as easy to make as this meringue-and-fruit confection, named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.Dave Lieberman

Cinnamon Coffee Cake — A buttery cinnamon crumble tops a sweet breakfast favorite; the cake itself gets an extra boost of flavor from cinnamon extract. Get the recipe for Cinnamon Coffee Cake »Todd Coleman

Blackberry Slump — A cousin of the cobbler, this dessert is served at the Four Swallows restaurant on Bainbridge Island, Washington.Todd Coleman

Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake — A heady mixture of olive oil and preserved oranges flavors this moist, dense Sicilian dessert.André Baranowski

Vanilla-Rum Custard (La Tart) — The creaminess of this classic vanilla custard gains an edge with the addition of light rum.Penny De Los Santos

Shortbread Cookies (Punitions) — Traditional French shortbread cookies taste best using a good salted butter with a high butterfat content, such as Kerrygold.Todd Coleman

Chef Pichet Ong, of Spot Dessert Bar in New York City, gave us this recipe for pok pok, an ice cream sandwich based on those he ate as a child in Bangkok. See the recipe for Pok Pok »Todd Coleman

Strawberry cake, topped with strawberry cream cheese frosting, is a favorite soul food dessert; this delicious version comes from Bertha's Kitchen.Todd Coleman

Banana Pudding — Custard, vanilla wafers, and bananas are layered and topped with whipped cream in our version of the classic Southern dessert.Todd Coleman

Lemon Icebox Pie — A back-of-the-box recipe for lemon icebox pie gets a gourmet upgrade with real whipped cream, lemon simple syrup, vanilla shortbread, and homemade candied lemon peel scattered over the top—it's a lovely dessert for a special occasion.Todd Coleman

Vanilla-Scented Quince and Pear Pie — This sweet, tart fruit pie is a beautiful showcase for the flavors of fall and winter. It's great on a holiday table, and is at its best when served alongside a plate of cheese: the rich quince flavor balances beautifully with a wedge of funky, crumbly blue beside it on the plate.Helen Rosner

Buttery shortbread meets gooey caramel meets salty pretzels in cookie bar form. We love that the caramel calls for sugar, honey, and maple syrup; it creates a multifaceted sweetness that pairs beautifully with the pretzel's salt.MacKenzie Smith

Pistachio Financiers — This two-bite pastry is as rich as the name suggests: its defining ingredients are almond flour, ground pistachios, and brown butter, lightened with whipped egg whites.Todd Coleman

Lemon Soufflé — There is something about a souffle—a magical blending of eggs, air, and acid—that turns any meal into an unforgettable event.Todd Coleman

Angel Food Cake — Named for its light, fluffy texture and ethereal, pale crumb, angel food cake is the perfect base for a whipped cream and syrupy fruit topping.Landon Nordeman

Classic Bananas Foster — This boozy, buttery concoction of caramelized bananas flambéed in rum sauce is a dining-out classic invented at legendary New Orleans restaurant, Brennan's.Maxime Iattoni

Todd's Snickerdoodles — Cinnamon-sugar dusted snickerdoodles are always one of the most-requested holiday cookies. Get the recipe for Todd's Snickerdoodles »Noah Fecks

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars — Sweetened with ripe persimmons and dates, and coated with a tart, toothsome, lemon-sugar glaze, these bars are a wonderful celebration of late-fall fruits.Noah Fecks

Rhubarb Tarte Tatin — In the style of a tarte Tatin, rhubarb is caramelized until soft before being topped with batter and baked. Get the recipe for Rhubarb Tarte Tatin »Todd Coleman

Strawberry Mousse — This pretty pink strawberry dessert should be chilled before enjoying—make it a day ahead and freeze for an especially refreshing treat. Get the recipe for Strawberry Mousse »Helen Rosner

Glazed Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies — Dough studded with dried cranberries and a drizzle of sweet, cinnamon-spiced glaze take oatmeal cookies from ordinary to perfect.Helen Rosner

Pandan-Coconut Ice Cream — Often used in southeast Asian curries and Indian rice dishes, pandan leaf lends a subtly exotic savory note to this coconut ice cream.Laura Sant

Grapefruit and Campari Granita — Ruby Red grapefruit juice and Campari are a refreshingly bittersweet combination.Laura Sant

Sherry and Cardamom Granita — This delicately sweet, icy treat is a mix of spiced black tea and bright sherry.Laura Sant

A few essential techniques will help you achieve rich, flaky crusts and perfect fillings. Briefly cooking fruit fillings will concentrate their flavors and prevent soggy crusts, while using butter with a high fat percentage ensures flakiness. **Get more tips for perfect pies »**James Roper

Caramel Flan — Luscious, eggy, caramel-coated custard is a favorite in Buenos Aires, and the perfect sweet ending to a languorous meal. See the recipe for Flan de Caramelo (Caramel Flan) »Landon Nordeman

Cranberry Chiffon Pie — Fresh or frozen cranberries make the base for this tart custard pie.Andrew Ingalls

Brown Butter Walnut Pie with Sour Whipped Cream — Browned butter accentuates the flavor of earthy walnuts and a sour cream topping offsets the richness of the filling for a balanced, delectable dessert.Andrew Ingalls

Colameco's Pineapple Upside Down Cake — The recipe for this caramel-topped cake comes from the author's wife, pastry chef Heijung Park-Colameco.James Oseland

Lime Bars — A light dusting of confectioners' sugar tempers the intense lime pucker of these creamy bars.Helen Rosner

Glacéed Bananas — Inspired by a dessert from Beijing's China Club restaurant, chef and restaurateur Cecilia Chiang coats fried bananas in a thin, delicate shell of caramel.Ingalls Photography

Thomas Keller's coconut cake — Thick Italian meringue is sandwiched between moist layers of cake, which is topped off with sweetened shredded coconut in this recipe from chef Thomas Keller.Helen Rosner

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