824 dessert recipes

Fruited cream puffs: shortcut pate a choux made with pancake mix, filled with ice cream and topped with sweetened strawberries. Ten elegant frozen desserts from pantry staples.

Light-as-air meringue kisses and edible shells made from egg whites, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Fill the shells with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Refrigerator cookies pack chopped dates, shredded coconut, and walnuts into a buttery slice-and-bake log rolled in extra nuts. Make-ahead icebox cookies for holiday baking or anytime.

Homemade herb yogurt cheese strained with thyme, basil, and pepper. A low-fat spread for crackers or baked potatoes that keeps for two weeks in the fridge.

Sugar-free fresh strawberry spread made with ripe berries, lemon juice, and unflavored gelatin. Low-calorie, no pectin needed, and ready in 15 minutes. Tastes like real fruit, not jam.

These are delicious. And no one ever guesses how easy they are.

Old-fashioned sour cream cookies with raisins, nuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Soft, cake-like drop cookies made with brown sugar and cake flour for an extra tender crumb.

Dried figs and dates stuffed with walnut halves and rolled in shredded coconut. A three-ingredient no-cook treat ready in five minutes.

Four ways to shape holiday butter cookie dough: cutouts with egg paint, spritz cookies, chocolate caramel marbles, and coconut macaroon wreaths. One dough, endless options.

Diabetic-friendly strawberries Romanoff: fresh strawberries folded into a sweetened yogurt with a whisper of nutmeg. Four ingredients, no sugar, five minutes to a guilt-free dessert.

This is excellent served as a spread over fresh French bread or roasted potatoes.

Every time I follow every step of this recipe, and the brownies are really good, I have never changed one thing. So nice.

This co-winner in the filled-cookie category from Gerry Cofta of Milwaukee has a great, rich flavor in the filling.

Honey mustard balsamic vinaigrette with Dijon, garlic, and a kick of hot sauce. A sweet-tangy, emulsified salad dressing that takes 5 minutes and beats anything store-bought.

Raspberry meringues are pink, pillowy egg-white cookies flavored with seedless raspberry preserves. Low-fat, gluten-free, and slow-baked to crisp-shell, tender-center perfection.

Chocolate chip cherry drop cookies with cream cheese in the dough, maraschino cherries, and a half-cherry crown on each cookie. Holiday-bright bite-sized treats.