dates, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, figs, and mango that lined her cake pan. Over the years, I’ve made her recipe my own with little tweaks, like flavoring the glutinous sweet rice with ...

To serve, spoon some date purée onto two plates. Spoon over a little of the caper and raisin vinaigrette. Add some roasted figs and aubergines on top and scatter over the Medjool dates.

We turn to Ina Garten for the best dessert recipes — but what sweet treats does the Barefoot Contessa herself enjoy whipping up in the kitchen?