Grand Marnier

The unique texture of tapioca—creamy pudding studded with soft, slightly chewy pearls—inspires intense devotion among fans. This version gets lively citrus flavor from four incarnations of orange: zest, juice, liqueur, and fresh pieces of the fruit.

Brushing the pastry with egg adds shine while it bakes.

This vibrant condiment takes its inspiration from the popular Cosmopolitan drink. The alcohol heightens the sauce's flavor, but for kids and nondrinkers, the recipe can easily be made nonalcoholic by substituting orange juice for the water and deleting the vodka and liqueur.

Citrus lovers, pull up a bar stool. Ginger beer creates a lively base for this orange-and-lemon-spiked gin drink.

Chef-owner Michael Mina of Michael Mina restaurant in San Francisco created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. He recommends using local strawberries whenever possible.

A perfect ending to a holiday meal, these gorgeous golden orbs are remarkably refreshing. And they will remind you why, in days past, good little children often found oranges hidden in the toes of their Christmas stockings.

You can find the Neufchâtel cheese called for here next to the cream cheese at your supermarket. Don't be alarmed by the holes in your coeur à la crème molds — they allow liquid to drain out of the bottom so the hearts will be firm enough to hold their shape.

This variation on the traditional champagne cocktail is spiked with some Cognac and Grand Marnier.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To make the very thin layers for this torte, the batter is spread on inverted cake pans. It is important that the batter be spread evenly and that the layers not be overbaked. (Do not use dark metal or non-stick pans.)

We thought we would update the popular Cosmopolitan by substituting Champagne for the usual lemon vodka. We garnished the drinks with skewers of sugar-coated fresh cranberries (thawed frozen ones will work just fine, too).

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 6 1/4 hr (includes chilling)

If you don't feel like making your own vanilla ice cream for these red, white and blue sundaes, simply pick up a premium brand at the supermarket.