149 dark recipes

French chocolate raspberry clafoutis with a cocoa custard batter, fresh raspberries, and chopped bittersweet chocolate. Blender-easy and on the table in just over an hour.

Coconut-rolled vanilla ice cream balls floating in hot cocoa spiked with cream of coconut and optional dark rum. Topped with chocolate sauce and a cherry. A showstopper hot chocolate dessert for 8.

Linzer thumbprint cookies with ground almonds, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, and cherry jam centers. An Austrian-inspired butter cookie with a tender, nutty crumb.

Victorian jewels mini fruitcakes: brandy-soaked candied fruit, raisins, and walnuts baked into tender two-bite cakes. A glossy jelly glaze gives each one its jewel-box shine. Holiday gifting star.

Greek-style macaroni pie (pastitsio) with feta cheese, cinnamon, oregano, mint, and tomatoes, topped with a creamy yogurt-egg-feta bechamel. A vegetarian baked pasta casserole cut into squares.

Bourbon pecan pie with a flaky homemade crust, gooey caramel filling made with light and dark corn syrups, melted butter, and a splash of whiskey. Holiday dessert at its most classic.

Raisin Puree is the basis for the dough of this rich-tasting, chewy bar. The combination of orange and chocolate is a classic favorite. We considered cutting the amount of chocolate in the recipe, thereby cut ting the fat, but in the end we agreed that the extra richness is worth the extra grams of fat.

Rich cheesecake swirled with brown sugar caramelized bananas on a toasted pecan crust. Baked in a water bath for a creamy, crack-free finish with an optional splash of dark rum.

Seared lamb shoulder chops smothered in a glossy pineapple-brown sugar sauce with tender carrots and green bell pepper. A sweet and sour twist on lamb that's ready in 35 minutes.

Glazed almond cookies rolled in sliced almonds, baked until golden, then drizzled or dipped in amaretto chocolate ganache. A festive nut cookie for cookie tins and holiday trays.

Cranberry apple quick bread with walnuts, warm spices, and a simple confectioners' sugar glaze. Tart cranberries and tender apples in every slice.

Glazed root vegetables with turnip, rutabaga, sweet potato, and winter squash baked in a brown sugar, ginger, and apple cider vinegar glaze, finished with toasted walnuts. Holiday side-dish gold.

Kentucky bourbon brown sugar pound cake: a tender bundt-style pound cake spiked with real bourbon and sweetened with dark brown sugar for a caramel-deep, slightly boozy Southern classic.

Banana caramel pie with a brown sugar custard cooked on the stovetop, sliced ripe bananas, and a whipped cream or meringue topping. A retro butterscotch-banana pie that beats anything from a box.

Buttery pull-apart bubble loaf made from soft yeast dough balls baked in a tube pan with a dark corn syrup and lemon glaze. A showstopper bread for weekend baking.

A golden, gooey pie with oats and black walnuts in a filling of dark corn syrup, brown sugar, and evaporated milk. Think pecan pie with a heartier, nuttier twist baked in a flaky crust.