Electric Mixer

Cakes resembling Yule logs are very popular at Christmastime in Canada and the United States. Though you'll see them in bakery windows elaborately decorated with marzipan woodland animals and meringue mushrooms, we went with a simpler but more elegant look. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr (includes making buttercream and brittle)

A sophisticated cookie for sesame lovers.

We tested this recipe with a variety of cornmeal brands, all of which worked fine. Do not substitute polenta, however; it made the soufflé much too heavy.

Instead of using a pastry bag to pipe the meringue for the baskets, just snip a corner off a resealable plastic bag. Begin preparing this one day ahead.

This recipe is used to prepare <a></a>Espresso-Banana Napoleons .

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until thick. Slowly stir in the brandy, rum, peach brandy, milk and cream. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and pour into a punch bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the eggnog. Grate a little nutmeg on top and serve in 4-ounce punch glasses.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of bars at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge—they must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

Taller, heavier-weight paper molds — typically used for individual panettone, the Italian holiday bread — are used instead of regular muffin papers to create a more elegant look. Vanilla and Almond Frosting is an accompaniment for this recipe.

You'll need a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch star tip to create the decorative rosettes. Begin making this cake two days before you plan to serve it.