[Photograph: Jean-Pierre Gabriel]

This summer, lighten heavy puddings with a twist of citrus, like in the Le Pain Quotidien Cookbook's chia seed porridge. Heady blood orange juice soaks the seeds, and it all comes together with fresh, tart yogurt.

Tips: This recipe couldn't really be simpler, but if you truly want to go effortless, buy some fresh-squeezed blood orange juice to soak the chia seeds, along with two whole blood oranges. No squeezing required.

Tweaks: If the singular flavor of blood orange proves to be too much, tuck tiny slices of fresh nectarine into the porridge. It's a flavor and texture contrast that adds to the dish without overshadowing its main component.

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Chia Seed Porridge »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Le Pain Quotidien Cookbook to give away.

[Photograph: Jean-Pierre Gabriel]

Alain Coumont founded Le Pain Quotidien out of necessity. After studying in hotel school and working as a pastry chef for Georges Blanc, he opened his own restaurant in his native Brussels, Le Café du Dôme. Unable to guarantee a bread supply from France, he started making his own. It soon became evident that his bread oven produced too much for his restaurant alone. And thus, Le Pain Quotidien, or "the daily bread", was born.

Now locations all over the world serve patrons their daily bread, supported by a broad but simple menu rooted in Belgian tradition and enhanced by local offerings. The Le Pain Quotidien Cookbook is a collection of this global inspiration. The trademark Le Pain tartines reflect that, featuring flavors from curried cauliflower to Camembert, recipes for many of which are included in the book.

The recipes in Le Pain Quotidien Cookbook are as appealingly simple as the restaurant's menu. It's an excellent cookbook for summer, with a spread of soups and salads that are doubly refreshing; once for the ingredients, and once for the effort you won't need to expend. It's all here, even the sourdough starter that launched Coumont's company.

For the next two weeks, we'll be sampling the eclectic and classic flavors that make up Le Pain Quotidien's desserts. Chia seed porridge flavored with blood oranges and a licorice liquor-infused banana pie are just the beginning. From indulgently rich chocolate tarts to screamingly fresh fruit (and canelés in between!) the ethos of simple, fresh, and beautiful food shines.

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Thanks to the generous folks over at Octopus Publishing, we are giving away five (5) copies of Le Pain Quotidien Cookbook this week. All you have to do is share your daily indulgence in the comments section below!

[Photograph: Stacy Newgent]

When the summer heat cranks lemonade cravings to Pavlovian levels, try these jelly squares from Bakeless Sweets. They're a delightfully jiggly version of the drink itself, made earthy with the addition of fresh basil.

Tips: If you're harvesting leaves from your own basil plant, use the large lower leaves for steeping, and the tiny, tender top leaves for garnish.

Tweaks: The recipe specifies using pulp-free orange juice to keep from clouding the jelly. Take the same care with the lemons; strain the pulp from the juice before adding to the basil leaves to steep. It's a simple extra step that makes an already simple recipe foolproof.

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Lemonade Jelly with Basil »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Bakeless Sweets to give away.

[Photograph: Stacy Newgent]

A sweeter version of its more savory incarnation, salted caramel risotto from Bakeless Sweets straddles the line between toasted and burnt with a dark caramel sauce swaddling toothsome grains of rice.

Tips: Toasting the rice is a very clever first step, and one not to be rushed. Keep an eye on the grains to make sure they go from opaque to translucent with a golden tinge. Don't go all the way brown; they'll harden.

Tweaks: Before serving, take a ramekin and spoon a little warm pudding into the bottom. Place a square of chocolate (the darker, the better) in the center, spooning more pudding on top of and around it. The chocolate will melt slightly, but remain in place to be discovered. I call it "coeur du chocolat", which is French for "Surprise!"

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Salted Caramel Risotto »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Bakeless Sweets to give away.

[Photograph: Stacy Newgent]

You've had frozen yogurt and many a mousse. But what about yogurt mousse? Tangy, sweet, and spiced with cardamom, Bakeless Sweets adds apricot to make a Mediterranean-tinged summer treat.

Tips: Don't let the gelatin sit too long; it'll go from an applesauce texture (want) to a solid (do not want). If this happens, warm the bowl containing the gelatin and it will dissolve into a liquid which you can then add to the recipe according to the instructions.

Tweaks: The recipe gives the option for using full fat or low fat Greek or strained yogurt. Go with full fat Greek. It's far more satisfying.

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Cardamom Yogurt Mousse with Apricots »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Bakeless Sweets to give away.

[Photograph: Stacy Newgent ]

Crème Brûlée? Without an oven? Bien sûr. Bakeless Sweets presents a recipe for sweet, milky mini-puddings with that inimitable burnt sugar crunch. The bonus: you get to use a torch.

Tips: To get the most out of your vanilla bean, lay it down and use a small, sharp knife to cut it lengthwise. Holding it over the saucepan, open it with your fingers and use a spoon or knife to scrape out the seeds. Don't toss the pod—once you remove it from the milk, quickly rinse and let dry on a paper towel. Soak it in bourbon or stuff it in sugar to infuse either with the essence of vanilla.

Tweaks: Normally, I advise bringing ingredients up to room temperature before combining. However, this recipe uses corn starch as its thickener, and the best way to avoid lumps is to combine it with cold liquids. So, in the first step, whisk in cold heavy cream straight from the fridge. A smooth slurry guarantees a silky finish.

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No-Bake Crème Brûlée »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Bakeless Sweets to give away.

[Photograph: Stacy Newgent]

Summer is imminent, and the last thing anyone wants to do is subject themselves to an extra blast of hot air. Enter Bakeless Sweets, the new cookbook from editor of The Kitchn Faith Durand which specializes in anything and everything sweet, without heat.

In seven chapters, Durand delivers a comprehensive spread of all things cold and creamy: mousses, jellies, puddings, and pies are all featured in various shades of flavor. More often than not, a recipe will feature an unexpected spice or ingredient that differentiates it from the standard end-of-meal offering, such as her Cardamom Yogurt Mousse with Apricots. To do this repeatedly in such a wide-ranging volume is a serious accomplishment.

Yes, some desserts are dairy free, and dozens more are free of gluten, but that isn't the focus of the book. Bakeless Sweets was written for those who indulge, the ones who "aren't averse to a spoonful of something truly, utterly delicious from time to time."

So, cook along with us as we begin with the basic (No-Bake Creme Brulee), get a little sticky (Salted Caramel Risotto), and finish with the aforementioned mousse and Lemonade Jelly with Basil, which are veritable squares of summer sunshine. No oven necessary.

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Thanks to the generous folks over at Abrams, we are giving away five (5) copies of Bakeless Sweets this week. All you have to do is share your favorite cold indulgence in the comments section below!

[Photograph: Grant Cornett]

Chess Pie is rumored to get its name from the chests it would be stored in while waiting for company to arrive. According to that legend, over time, "chest" became "chess". Regardless of where the name came from, it is undoubtedly a true Southern classic. Smoke & Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a new Southern Kitchen dirties it up with a blackened pineapple salsa.

Tips: The recipe says to wrap and store the pies once they've cooled. To keep them from getting soggy, use a layer of wax paper before swaddling them in plastic wrap. Even then, you don't want to wrap too tightly.

Tweaks: Peanut oil is suggested to fry the pineapple rings, and that's exactly what would be used down South. But if you don't have that, coconut oil works a treat. It's a stable oil, meaning it's suitable for frying at high temperatures. Plus it tastes amazing with pineapple.

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Chess Pie with Blackened Pineapple Salsa »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Smoke & Pickles to give away.

[Photograph: Grant Cornett]

Summer-sweet corn and buttermilk come together to make this soufflé from Smoke & Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a new Southern Kitchen. Boosted with a cup of cornmeal, this dessert takes the satisfying density of spoonbread and lightens it with a meringue.

Tips: This dessert is a combination of textures, but "soufflé" is in the title for a reason: these fall shortly after being taken out of the oven, so serve immediately. And speaking of soufflés, don't fret if you don't have soufflé molds. Chances are you do have 4-to-5 ounce ramekins, and those are exactly what you need.

Tweaks: Step 5 of the recipe says to whisk the egg yolks into the cooled corn mixture. It's not explicitly stated, but make sure the corn mixture isn't much warmer than room temperature before whisking. Same goes for the yolks: they shouldn't be refridgerator-cold. Put a little of the corn mix into the yolks before whisking in the yolks; it'll regulate the temperature and prevent separation.

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Sweet Spoonbread Soufflé »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Smoke & Pickles to give away.

[Photograph: Grant Cornett]

Do you find your favorite cookies missing a nicotine sting? Smoke & Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a new Southern Kitchen fixes that for you, featuring a sugar cookie dough infused with cigar leaves and topped with a boiled down mixture of coconut, molasses, and tobacco water.

Tips: This recipe is nothing without a good cigar. That being an uncommon ingredient for the home cook, we've consulted an up-and-coming connoisseur for the brand best suited to the task. These are his picks:

Romeo by Romeo y Julieta: One of the most recognizable names in the cigar industry, Romeo y Julieta has been around for more than 100 years. Ranked #3 on Cigar Aficionado's top 25 of 2012, the Romeo by Romeo y Julieta is a rare dark-wrappered Dominican cigar with a deep and spicy flavor.

The Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne: This mild and light cigar has heavy notes of coffee with creamy undertones and a nice hit of pepper.

Whichever cigar you choose to use, enjoy these with a glass of warmed milk. Spiked with whiskey.

Tweaks: Adding the chopped leaves to the cookie dough itself is optional; there's plenty of tobacco flavor in the water used to make the topping. If you go with the darker option (like the Romeo) you might want to leave it out of the cookie altogether. A milder cigar, like the Perdomo, will do well lending flavor throughout the dough and topping.

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Tobacco Cookies »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Smoke & Pickles to give away.

[Photograph: Grant Cornett]

This milkshake wasn't specifically designed as a dessert, but it will satisfy your sweet tooth. A handful of stale cornbread soaked in a couple scoops of ice cream and blended with sorghum syrup to taste is a slap-dash drink in typical Smoke & Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a new Southern Kitchen style.

Tips & Tweaks If you're dying to try this milkshake but don't want to make both the ice cream and the cornbread, skip it and use a really good handful of store-bought cornbread that you let sit out for a day or so. Make the buttermilk ice cream, which forms the base of this recipe. Once you have made the cornbread, try combining with different flavors of ice cream; Chef Lee has made this shake with strawberry and coffee, respectively. The sorghum syrup really makes it; look for it at a natural foods store near you or order online.

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Cornbread Sorghum Milkshake (or, Breakfast) »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Smoke & Pickles to give away.

[Photograph: Grant Cornett]

If umami is the fifth flavor, smoke is the sixth. So says Edward Lee, owner of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky, and author of Smoke & Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a new Southern Kitchen. Linking his Korean-American roots in Brooklyn to a sorghum and bourbon-fueled reinvention in the deep South, Lee's made "connections where others see contradictions" in food, cooking, and culture.

With a title like Smoke & Pickles, it's fair not to expect dessert; but you'd be wrong to assume it's been overlooked. The last chapter, "Buttermilk and Karaoke", waxes rhapsodic on the acquired taste of cultured milk and its ubiquitous presence in Southern cooking. The first time chef Lee tried buttermilk, he threw it out. Now, it forms the basis for recipes like Cornbread Sorghum Milkshake and Sweet Spoonbread Souffle, both of which we're featuring this week.

It seems the further Lee has traveled from home, the closer he's gotten to the flavors of his upbringing. Some dishes have an even balance of Korean and Southern, like kimchi poutine, and others are all Kentucky, as in Tobacco Cookies, a recipe that calls for "a good cigar" alongside butter and sugar. Rather than trying to meld two cuisines into one whole, he gives both ample space to play, apart and together. It's a very American way to re-make Southern food.

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Thanks to the generous folks over at Artisan, we are giving away five (5) copies of Smoke & Pickles this week. All you have to do is tell us about your favorite Southern sweet in the comments section below!

[Photograph: Oof Verschuren]

Rhubarb pie is a keenly seasonal dessert and we suggest making it while you can. Home Made Summer takes advantage of the season with a recipe for a sweetly spiced pie starring the stalk, supported by a cast of nutmeg, cinnamon, orange zest, and almond paste.

Tips: Capitalize on the offerings of your local farmers' market and pick up a big bunch to make this pie. It's healthy if it's got vegetables in it, right?

Tweaks: You can find almond paste at nearly any grocery store. But if you want to go seriously homemade, there are several recipes online you can try. Van Boven would be proud.

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Rhubarb Pie with Almond Paste »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Home Made Summer to give away.

[Photograph: Oof Verschuren]

Jelly? For dessert? But of course. Forget boxed flavors; sparkling wine and elderflower syrup give this Home Made Summer dessert plenty of adult flavor.

Tips: Some of you may shrink away at the idea of a jiggling dessert. Put your prejudgments aside and try this recipe. It's a far cry from Jello; the combination of elderflower and prosecco keep this off the kids' table.

Tweaks: If you've had St. Germain, you've tasted elderflower before. But don't use it in this recipe; elderflower syrup can be purchased online, or, of all places, at Ikea. Use remaining elderflower syrup to flavor gin drinks (a recipe for which exists inside Home Made Summer).

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Prosecco and Elderflower Jelly with Melon »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Home Made Summer to give away.

[Photograph: Oof Verschuren]

Creamy, refreshing, tangy, and sweet are key words for summer desserts. Home Made Summer combines them all into one cheesecake. Coconut and lime come together to make a unique cheesecake with a crunchy cookie crust.

Tips: This cheesecake is garnished with coconut—fresh coconut. The recipe calls for breaking one apart yourself and peeling the flesh into strips. Don't be daunted: once you've opened of the coconut "eyes" and drained the liquid, you'll notice a seam that runs between the eyes. Follow it to the equator. Using the blunt edge of a heavy knife (or a hammer), tap and rotate until the coconut splits completely open. That will give you two hemispheres to work with, rather than the shattered pieces that the recipe's method will leave you with.

Food Fact: Quark, used to make the filling for this cheesecake, is a smooth, creamy dairy product akin to sour cream. In Germany, it comes in three varieties, ranging from fat free to quark with added cream. The fattiest quark is most often used in dessert preparations, like this one. When looking for quark, try Whole Foods or a similar store; most likely, they will have the fattier type for sale.

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Coconut & Lime Cheesecake »

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Home Made Summer to give away.