Pecan

Don't let these cool — they're best served straight from the oven.

While this cake tastes delicious on its own, enhance it with dollops of whipped cream or nondairy topping and a few orange segments.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr

This is a simple, delicious dessert that also makes a warming and special brunch dish or breakfast. Although many baked-apple recipes are on the lean side (my mother always ate them when she was dieting), my version is luxurious yet still homey. I stuff the apples with a mix of brown sugar, dried fruit, and nuts, then bake them in a sauce of apple cider, maple syrup, and plenty of butter, which cooks down to a rich, thick glaze. I like to use Cortlands here because of their good squat shape and their complex fruity flavor, but any firm, tart baking apple will do.

Gorgonzola cheese adds zip to this salad.

This recipe is among those that reach a new level when made with sea salt and high-quality, European-style butter (like Plugrá). Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Even the ranch dressing gets a Cajun kick in this lively main-course salad.

Caramelized pears plus dried apricots, cranberries, and prunes add intense fruit flavor to this stuffing from Rochelle Palermo Torres, a freelance recipe developer and cooking teacher.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 4 hr

Serve this on its own, or use it for chalupas, tacos, or nachos.

This light, refreshing salad is from Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix.

"My mother and I spent a recent afternoon shopping in Gruene, a small town not far from Austin," writes Martha Witebsky of Austin, Texas. "We loved the tender, fruity cake we had at the River House Tea Room. Would chef Carol Hill share the recipe for what she calls Hummingbird Cake?"

If you like the candies called Turtles, you'll love this tart. It needs to be refrigerated at least eight hours before serving.

This is a variation on the classic New Orleans dessert bananas Foster, created by chef Paul Blange at Brennan's Restaurant. To save time, you can use store-bought premium vanilla or butter pecan ice cream instead of homemade. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 5 hr (includes making ice cream)

A great-looking, great-tasting summer pie. Brown sugar enhances the crust.