Add a dollop of chocolate cheer to your winter table with our digest of divine desserts.

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse
Mint Chocolate Brownies
Molten Chocolate Cakes
Chocolate-Pecan Tart

They may not sparkle or explode, but these cupcakes are just the thing for your Fourth of July celebration. Bake cupcakes in foil cups, spread them generously with white frosting, and decorate with fresh blueberries and raspberries.

A true wonder of the culinary world, meringue is essentially egg whites and sugar, ingredients that undergo a miraculous transformation when infused with air. The result is a floating, billowing affair that serves as muse for countless lofty creations.

Learn Some Meringue Basics
Meringue: Guaranteeing Success
Meringue Glossary

Text by Gail Monaghan; how-tos by Stephanie Fletcher 

What could be sweeter than a village of bite-size houses built from bricks of chocolate-gingerbread cake? To make these party favors, cut a sheet cake into 75 one-inch squares. Cut 25 of the squares in half diagonally, creating 50 triangles. Place a triangle, cut side down, on top of each remaining square, using a dab of frosting to adhere. Tuck in small pieces of red licorice for chimneys, and dust with confectioners' sugar before arranging on place cards.

Chocolate-Gingerbread-House Petit Fours Recipe

Pretty fabric butterflies transform a plain-Jane cake into a marvelous tiered wonder -- and there's nary a pastry tip in sight. Simply slide the wired section of each fluttery beauty into a fondant-covered cake, clustering the butterflies here and there for the most dramatic look. Tied around a cake knife, a ribbon in a matching hue completes this super-easy -- not to mention easy on the wallet -- makeover.