Kahlua

If vodka and cream and coffee are among your favorite things, this cocktail may be your jam.

This steaming version of the classic vodka, cream, and coffee cocktail is especially appealing in winter.

This recipe is part of theEpicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other Italian classics, check out the videos.

Pastry chef Jennifer Jones of Topolobampo in Chicago shared this recipe as part of aCinco de Mayo feature on Mexican desserts. Coffee liqueur adds incredible depth to Frontera Grill's legendary chocolate pecan pie, but if you prefer to skip the booze in the whipped cream, use an equivalent amount of pure vanilla extract or espresso instead. Jones prefers to serve this pie when it's warm and gooey, but warns that it's a little tricky to cut that way. Her solution is to cool the pie completely, cut it into slices, and then pop it back in the oven until it's just heated through.

Pastry chef Jennifer Jones of Topolobampo in Chicago shared this recipe as part of aCinco de Mayo feature on Mexican desserts. If you prefer to make one large flan, as Jones often does, use a standard pie plate in lieu of the ramekins. The process is the same, but the family-style flan will likely require 10 to 15 additional minutes in the oven. Test as you would for individual custards, inserting a knife halfway between the edge and the center—when the knife comes out clean it's time to take the flan out of the oven.

For as long as I can remember, tiramisù has been my favorite non-pie dessert. This pie has all the rich elegance and sophistication of the beloved Italian treat, plus a flaky pastry piecrust to add yet another element to this layered dessert.

Long a harmonious pair, here coffee and pie are served together as one. Chocolate-covered espresso beans hint at the flavor of the filling below, which is spiked with both instant espresso and coffee liqueur.

This simple, old-fashioned dessert is for chocolate lovers everywhere! Serve it warm or cold, with whipped cream or a dessert sauce.

A sensational ending for a dinner party, cocktail party, or just about any event, these rich cheesecake-like bars always draw sighs of pure delight. The recipe comes from my early days as a caterer in Houston. I think they taste best cold, but no matter how they’re served, they disappear quickly.

I make batches of these in mini muffin pans, wrap them well, freeze them, and keep them on hand for last-minute parties. What a relief it is to have a dessert ready and waiting for an impromptu dinner. The only problem: I know where they are, and sometimes, especially late at night, I can’t resist unwrapping a few and eating them. (Yup, they’re pretty good frozen.) Before long, my party stash has dissipated, and I have to make some more. (Pictured on page 164, center tray.)

We use the cereal milk ice cream base (the unfrozen ice cream; stop after step 2 in the ice cream recipe) to make white Russians because it stands up to the Kahlúa and vodka better than regular cereal milk does. The liquor in this recipe dulls the cereal milk flavor, so we add freeze-dried corn powder to bring it back. Why Ruskies? Because I have a younger sister from Kazakhstan and a younger brother from Russia, whom my family affectionately called our “little Ruskies” when they were kids. Here’s to Zha-Zha and Dima.

This simple, old-fashioned dessert is for chocolate lovers everywhere! Serve it warm or cold, with whipped cream or a dessert sauce.

You can substitute another coffee-flavored liqueur for the Kahlúa and, of course, increase or decrease the amount of liqueur, depending upon your taste.

I live above a huilerie in Paris, a shop that sells top-quality oils from all over the world. I decided that Colette, the owner, would be my primary ice cream taste tester. Not only did she have an excellent palate and love to taste things, but I knew that, being French, she’d have absolutely no problem expressing her opinions, good or bad. This was her favorite of all the ice creams I made. Her eyes rolled back in her head when she slipped the first spoonful in her mouth. “Oh lá lá,” she exclaimed.

This is my take on my favorite frozen coffee drink from that endlessly popular coffee chain—you know the one. As with most things, the homemade version beats the store-bought hands down. Top yours with lots of freshly whipped cream and, if you are really looking for a jolt, a smattering of chocolate-covered espresso beans, and the mass-market variety doesn’t stand a chance.

When I was a child, I don’t think I ever saw my mother drink unless we were on the occasional vacation and she ordered a piña colada. I do, however, distinctly remember her spooning a touch of Kahlùa over her vanilla ice cream a fair number of times—and every time, she had a big smile on her face as she ate it. I remember her looking so happy. So in honor of her, I created this scrumptious sundae.