Hyssop and Rose Sponge Layer Cake

Scooped: Jasmine Tea and Rose Petal Sorbet

After my Thanksgiving excesses, I needed to atone. I also needed to shake my head clear of the pumpkin-spiced everything clouding my culinary imagination. This sorbet was as easy to make as a pitcher of iced tea, but much more refreshing.

Scooped: Lavender-Hyssop Ice Cream

Lavender is a surprisingly versatile dessert ingredient with a strong affinity to cream. It's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of herb, but the creaminess subdues its at-times overwhelming intensity. Hyssop has largely fallen out of Western culinary use, which is a shame given its long history dating back to ancient times. Fortunately it's increasingly common in gardens and at farmers' markets.

Saffron, Honey, and Orange Ice Cream

This ice cream is all about balance: heady saffron, floral honey, and bittersweet orange zest.

Roasted Plum, Ginger, and Honey Ice Cream

You won't need eggs for this ice cream, which is thick and dense thanks to the plums and honey. A couple spoonfuls of plum brandy helps as well, both for texture and to amplify the plums' honeyed flavor.

Scooped: Rosemary, Olive Oil, and Pine Honey Ice Cream

Oil doesn't hit you over the head in this ice cream—that's the rosemary's job. Its alpine punch recedes as the ice cream melts on the tongue, giving way to the sweet, resinous honey.

Jeni Britton Bauer's Jasmine Green Tea Ice Cream

Jasmine-scented green tea infuses cream with the heady aroma of jasmine and the tannic, mouth gripping attributes of green tea. It is a very refreshing flavor for summer, and a makes a beautiful dessert all on its own in a pretty bowl, or as an accompaniment to a fresh apricot or cherry crisp.

The Secret Ingredient: Crème Fraîche

When I was a girl, I had three little girlfriends: Kristen, Sarah, and Alexandra. Alexandra's mother was called Medusa--at least figuratively. Every time I stood quaking before her towering frame in her frigid marble kitchen, I turned to stone. One...

Tea Soufflés

While soufflés are classic French desserts, infusing them with tea is a more novel approach. These tea infused soufflés are ethereal and decadent.

Lime Possets With Mint and Mango Fruit Salad

Made with cream and sugar, flavored with lime zest, and thickened with lime juice into a pudding-like consistency, these possets are an easy, elegant chilled dessert. A simple mango-and-mint fruit salad adds refreshing and tropical touch.

Strawberry Cheesecake Sundae Pots

Like the look of this? It's incredibly easy to make - and no bake! A twist on the classic cheesecake, this is perfect for entertaining because all the elements can be made ahead then simply assembled prior