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Minced anchovies

Grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Salsa (tomato or mango) or guacamole (store-bought or homemade—see Chapter 8: Party Snacks) and a small sprig of cilantro

A dollop of pesto (store-bought or homemade—see Chapter 8: Party Snacks)

Lightly toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts

Very finely minced red bell pepper (fresh or roasted from a jar)

Crumbled bacon (see Chapter 8: Party Snacks) and bleu cheese

Hummus (store-bought or homemade—see Chapter 8: Party Snacks)

* * *

desserts.

HOT FUDGE SUNDAES

BALSAMIC STRAWBERRIES

CHOCOLATE–PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCHY THINGS

CHOCOLATE–CHOCOLATE CHIP MINT COOKIES

INTENSELY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

CHEESECAKE BARS

GINGERY GINGERBREAD

BUTTERMILK BANANA BREAD

APPLE CRISP

CHERRY CLAFOUTIS

The Sweet Truth

I’m always surprised to discover that there are fine cooks who never bake—or make any kind of dessert, baked or otherwise. So clearly it is not necessary to be a dessert maker in order to be considered a good and knowledgeable kitchen culinarian.

However, desserts are a whole lot of fun to prepare, and they make people happy. Dessert knowledge will give you something uplifting to do on a rainy Sunday. It will provide a great collection of ideas for memorable, affordable homemade gifts (think Buttermilk Banana Bread, packed in foil and tied with lots of ribbons, or a tin of Chocolate–Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies delivered in person to someone whose joy is really important to you).

That’s the sweet truth about desserts. Most people, even those of us who love baking, wouldn’t whip up a nice dessert just for ourselves. We know instinctively that there’s something about being baked for that makes people feel really loved and cared about. By its very definition, dessert is an edible gift, something designed to share and enjoy with someone else. And that’s a very good thing to have in your repertoire.

To get you going on yours, I’ve chosen ten recipes, carefully selected to give you maximum satisfaction and pride of accomplishment with minimum fuss and preciousness. These recipes give you a nice variety. Only four of them contain chocolate (that’s variety in my book). Some are classics, like real Hot Fudge Sundaes, Apple Crisp, and Intensely Chocolate Brownies. Others are a bit more unexpected, like clafoutis, a super-easy French-style batter cake studded with cherries, or a simple bowl of Balsamic Strawberries. I see this as a “greatest hits” of sweet.

Technically speaking, I’ve tried to steer clear of fancy equipment. That said, you will probably appreciate having a handheld electric mixer, which is really the best way to beat butter to the fluffy state that makes all the difference. As with most of the other highly recommended tools in this book, you can probably find an affordable mixer at a garage sale or thrift store, or from a favorite relative who might be upgrading. In the meantime, all of these desserts can be made by hand. I also highly recommend you become the proud owner of a 9-by 13-inch baking pan, called for throughout this book and especially useful here.

Finally, here’s an eleventh dessert idea: Don’t forget that you can always just buy a few pieces of perfectly ripe, peak-season fruit, cut it up, and serve it with a few fantastic cheeses and maybe some chunks of equally fantastic chocolate and some toasted nuts. That’s an edible gift anyone would appreciate.

hot fudge sundaes

Makes 6 or more servings

You’ll be amazed at the difference homemade hot fudge sauce and freshly whipped cream make. This sauce is the genuine article, just like the kind you get in an ice cream parlor and much better than the typical supermarket versions. It takes only about 5 minutes to make. So take the ice cream out of the freezer before you start, and by the time you’ve made the sauce and whipped the cream, the ice cream will be optimally soft and scoopable. Once you have everything ready, assemble the sundaes quickly so you can enjoy the wonderful, fleeting contrast of hot fudge and cold ice cream while it