Four-Star Desserts

• recipe

  Chocolate Volcano Cakes with Espresso Ice Cream

  This warm chocolate cake has an intense chocolate flavor—but for even more impact, serve it with a cooling scoop of equally potent espresso ice cream.

• recipe

  Caramelized Pears with Blue Cheese and Black Pepper-Caramel Sauce

  An updated version of the classic combination of pears and blue cheese, these pears are caramelized, rendering them soft and golden.

• equipment

  Hand-Held Mixers

  Do new, more powerful models make these the equal of stand mixers?