Patty Ann's cheese cake tarts: bite-size cream cheese pastry shells with two fillings, pecan and coconut. Muffin-tin desserts for holiday cookie trays.
Creamy baked cheesecake pie in a brown sugar graham cracker crust, lightened with whipped egg whites and topped with glossy glazed cherries. Served chilled.
The ultimate sweet-and-salty cookie: buttery dough loaded with butterscotch chips and crushed potato chips. Crispy edges, chewy centers, totally addictive. Makes 5 dozen.
Apple cranberry upside-down cake baked in a cast iron skillet with brown sugar and butter. A fall harvest dessert with caramelized fruit topping, best served warm.
Thick, chewy oatmeal cookies studded with plump raisins and warmly spiced with cinnamon—yields 6 dozen bakery-style treats.
Layered banana pudding made from scratch with brown sugar custard, whipped cream, sliced bananas, and optional walnuts. Rich, creamy, and no box mix needed.
Vegan sweet and sour stir-fry with mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, bell pepper, and squash in a ginger-soy-brown sugar glaze. No oil needed. Serve over brown rice.
Crisp-edged spice cookies with warm cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice folded into buttery dough, then flattened with sugar for a crackled golden finish.
Buttery brown sugar shortbread cut into triangles, topped with a glossy chocolate dollop and a crunchy shower of toffee bits. Makes 8 dozen bite-sized treats for holiday platters.
Individual fruit crumbles baked in ramekins with a crunchy oat, almond, and brown sugar topping. Use any fresh or frozen fruit you have on hand for a lighter, healthier dessert in under 40 minutes.
Hot apple pandowdy is an early-American upside-down apple dessert: cinnamon-sugar apples baked under a soft butter cake batter, then inverted and served warm with whipped cream.
Drop cookies loaded with peanut butter, oats, and chopped peanuts. Chewy, hearty cookies with both peanut butter and whole peanut crunch in every bite. Makes 4 dozen.
Pumpkin onion cookies with sweet Vidalia onion sauteed in orange juice, brown sugar, warm spices, and chopped pecans. An unexpectedly savory-sweet cookie that actually works.
Sweet rhubarb quick bread with brown sugar, chopped nuts, and a homemade buttermilk made from milk and vinegar. Makes two moist loaves that freeze well.
Copycat Wingers Sticky Fingers: crispy breaded chicken tenders tossed in a sweet, tangy, spicy brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, then baked until sticky and caramelized.
Orange coconut refrigerator cookies with fresh orange zest and flaked coconut, sliced thin from a chilled log and baked crisp. Make the dough ahead and freeze for up to 3 months.