This marble cake is proportioned with more of the white element than the dark: rather than dividing the base batter in half, I like to remove about a third of it and add the chocolate. More

This big free-standing pastry partially encloses a cinnamon and brown sugar-scented cooked apple filling. It's great for a crowd—in fact, it's perfect for Thanksgiving if you have a lot of people over. Best of all, it's baked on a big round pizza pan or cookie sheet, so you don't need any special equipment. More

The tart is a baked ganache (a simple mixture of chocolate and cream), scented with orange zest and rum, topped with chopped hazelnuts, in a sweet hazelnut pastry crust. A final drizzle of chocolate makes a simple decoration. More

Although fig bars are standard American fare, fig-filled cookies are also very traditional in Sicily, where they are called cucidati. I've decided to merge the two and make a fig bar that is shaped like the industrially-made one, but has some typical Sicilian seasonings in it for extra flavor. More

This is a great dessert to make if you're expecting a crowd; it makes 2 cakes with one batter that's easily mixed. The best part is that they can be made days in advance, wrapped, and frozen, so you don't have to fuss any more than defrosting the cakes and making some whipped cream before you serve them. More