Tart

This just might be my all-time favorite dessert. It's the simple essence of sweet apples and crisp pastry with no distractions. We've all collected several similar recipes over the years, but this is the best one I've ever made. If I need to make it even faster, I use defrosted frozen puff pastry instead of making the crust (see note), but you'll want to eat it an hour or two after it comes out of the oven.

Chef Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia, shared this recipe as part of a St. Patrick's Day feast he created exclusively for Epicurious. Although this dessert originated in Bakewell, England, chefs and cooks around England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales have created their own adaptations. Chef Armstrong's version, which is based on his mother's, is halfway between the classic Bakewell tart and the classic Bakewell pudding. This recipe calls for a quick puff pastry, but in a pinch you can use the store-bought frozen variety. Leftover puff pastry can be used to make Cheese Straws or Palmiers.

This flaky and light pastry dough works for savory as well as sweet tarts.

Often thought of as savory ingredients, pine nuts and rosemary make an exciting, unexpected pairing in sweets. This play on a classic Tuscan dessert makes a nice ending to a fall or wintertime meal, be it simple or fancy. The fragrant, lightly sweetened whipped cream and the caramel tones of the filling seem to magically warm up a chilly day. You can candy a sprig of rosemary for a pretty garnish, if you like, or leave it fresh.

A jumble of fruit and nuts cascading over tender frangipane creates quite a picture, and there is flavor to match. Although frangipane sounds fancy, it's a breeze to whiz up in a food processor—simply grind the almonds and sugar, then add the flour, butter, and eggs. The oven's heat concentrates the grapes' sweetness and perfume, and dusting the hot tart with confectioners sugar bestows a subtle shine.

Périgord is as famous for its walnut trees as it is for its black truffles. In this rich tart, a substantial, buttery crust cradles a chewy, candylike caramel filling bursting with deep, nuanced flavor.

Thanks to frozen puff pastry, you can put a stunning dessert on the table in no time. A sweet citrus glaze offsets the rhubarb's tartness, as does a scoop of ice cream.

The ruffly white meringue called a Pavlova is all about sublime textures. Here, the crunchy yet marshmallowy meringue meets silky lemon curd, juicy ripe berries, and billows of whipped cream. Virtually the national dish of Australia, the dessert is claimed by New Zealand as well; it was named for the Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured both countries in 1926. The inspiration for this recipe came from food stylist (and New Zealander) Toni Brogan.

This gorgeous tart features an easy no-bake filling and is topped with fresh strawberries in a rich port glaze.

This traditional dessert can be served warm from the oven or at room temperature. It's delicious topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, creme fraîche, or whipped cream.

With just a hint of whiskey in the ice cream and a strong coffee presence in the caramel sauce, this is a grown-up take on a classic chocolate dessert.

Adorable Seckel pears are on display in this showpiece, but the essence of pear permeates the entire tart. Musky, honeyed Bartletts are juiced into white wine, creating a poaching liquid for the Seckels. Doubly infused with pear, that syrup becomes the base for the poire William-spiked pastry cream and glaze.

When steeped overnight in a grappa syrup, dried fruits plump up with juices that infuse a moist, cakey almond filling in a golden crust.

Truth be told, it’s hard to reinvent the Thanksgiving wheel year after year. But this crust—anise seeds baked into sweet pastry dough—is a little kiss of Italian spice; it takes pumpkin pie to a whole new level.

A triple layer of crumbly crust, a truffle-like interior, and an almost patent-leather-shiny glaze make this tart the chicest take on chocolate we've come across in a long time.

Jacques Maximin claims he never served these tartes fines aux pommes at Chantecler restaurant at the famed Hôtel Négresco. Jacques Torres, Maximin’s pastry chef for eight years, insists they were consistently on the menu. All that matters to us, though, is that the classic combination of warm apple and flaky pastry becomes new again in these light, simple tarts.

Our Europe correspondent, Alexander Lobrano, was wary of working with pastry long before attending his course at Les Petits Farcis, in Nice. "This recipe is really genius," he says. "I'm more of a savory/stewing type of cook, but this is so easy and works so well that it's become a staple for me." Olive oil in the crust gives it a rich, crumbly texture, and the zing of the lemon filling really steals the show.

A zingy lemon tart gains an Italian accent with a crisp, almond-perfumed crust.

Eau-de-vie, or fruit brandy, an Alsatian specialty, is used to great effect in this dish, bringing out the subtle nuances in the pears. A custardy, brandied layer over the tender fruit, along with a nutty topping, gives this tart a complex yet homey air.

Brushing the pastry with egg adds shine while it bakes.

More nuts than filling and a seriously buttery crust make for a beguilingly sweet finish.

A thin layer of plum jam beneath the custard is visually gorgeous—it's a magenta pinstripe just under the pumpkin orange—and provides a surprisingly delicious twist, since the tart plums bring out the best in all the other traditional flavors of pumpkin pie.

Cranberries are a rarity, even to this day, in Italy, so this crostata represents an achievement that's uniquely Italian-American. Though many crostatas employ jam, this one gets its zest from fresh cranberries cooked down and paired with an almond-scented crust—and the proportion of filling to crust is our idea of perfection.