Passover Chocolate Mousse Cake

The Four Seasons Hotel Toronto has a renowned kosher kitchen that caters everything from weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs to conventions and dinners for hundreds of guests. Executive pastry chef Sitram Sharma shares this layered chocolate cake made especially for Passover with potato flour. "Chocolate is the No. 1 dessert, a very popular item on the kosher menu," he says. Garnish with red currants, red or golden raspberries, quartered strawberries or cape gooseberries.

Seafood Pie

Saffron adds a subtle accent to this deep-dish pie with its luxurious mix of seafood. Expect raves! You can replace the lobster with 12 oz (375 g) bay scallops; just simmer in cooking liquid until opaque, about 3 minutes.

Gruy?re and Bacon Quiche

Whether it's served for brunch, dinner or as a bite-size appetizer, quiche is always a crowd-pleaser. This classic version, also called Quiche Lorraine, has a deliciously creamy egg custard filling.

Cookies and Cream Sandwich Cookies

Stuffed with a creamy cookie-crumb filling, these soft chocolate cookies are a cocoa lover's dream. When breaking up the wafer cookies, be sure to leave a few larger chunks for a visually interesting effect.

Chocolate Hazelnut Trifle

Chunks of chocolate cake doused in hazelnut liqueur and layered with dollops of chocolate-hazelnut pastry cream make a spectacular dessert. Gold leaf, which adds a touch of elegance, can be found in many baking supply stores.

Angel Food Cake With Lemon Curd and Mascarpone Cream

This classic cake is a sweet ending to a lovely dinner any time of year. If you like, garnish it with curls of lemon rind. A citrus zester with a channel cutter makes this easy. To serve, cut it with a serrated knife.

Salmon Mushroom Coulibiac

This French adaptation of a Russian classic features and easy-to-handle cream cheese pastry.

Marzipan Star Cookies

For a shift from standard royal icing, we've topped these sugar cookies with marzipan, a mixture of sugar and almond paste, which is easy to roll out and adds rich flavour. The sky is the limit when it comes to decorating these star shapes. You can colour the marzipan in a variety of hues. Look for it in the baking aisle of your grocery store.

Classic Quiche Lorraine

Quiche is a menu workhorse. You can even freeze it to rewarm when needed.

Lamb & Herb Pies