Dessert recipe collection

Hedgehog cookies rolled in coconut with dates, nuts, and brown sugar. These no-flour, five-ingredient baked treats toast golden and crunchy with a chewy, caramel center.

Old-fashioned three-layer chocolate cake built with brown sugar, buttermilk, and melted unsweetened chocolate. A heritage American layer cake decorated with walnuts and frosted between every tier.

Bourbon whiskey loaf cake loaded with golden raisins and pecans, flavored with molasses and nutmeg. A dense, boozy fruitcake that improves as it ages in the fridge.

Hostess-Style Cupcakes with deep chocolate cake, silky vanilla pastry cream filling, dark chocolate ganache glaze and the signature white loop squiggle on top. A homemade copycat that buries the store-bought version.

Ischler hearts: Austrian sandwich cookies with almond shortbread, apricot jam filling, and a glossy chocolate-rum glaze. Named after the spa town Bad Ischl, favorite of Emperor Franz Joseph.

Classic French tarte Tatin with 5 pounds of Golden Delicious apples baked in caramel and topped with flaky puff pastry. A showstopping upside-down dessert worth the effort.

Lemon bars with an oat-brown sugar crumble crust and a tangy sweetened condensed milk lemon filling. Crumbly, creamy, and tart in every bite.

Lemon cats' paw cookies piped from almond dough with lemon zest and vanilla, sandwiched and dipped in dark chocolate. An elegant bakery-style cookie worth the effort.

Light fruitcake is the pale, buttery holiday classic: candied pineapple, cherries and citron with golden raisins, pecans and walnuts, brightened with lemon and vanilla, then brandy-soaked and aged for weeks.

Bolognese sponge cake layered with vanilla custard and rum, frosted in coffee zabaglione buttercream, then crowned with chocolate-dipped almonds and walnut sides. From Il Cantoncino restaurant in Bologna.

French Canadian date doughnuts (beignets) with chopped dates, nutmeg, and lemon extract, dropped by the spoonful into hot oil and fried golden in 3 minutes. From the Quebec kitchen tradition.

No-bake marshmallow candy balls with ground candied cherries and blanched almonds rolled in shredded coconut. A vintage Christmas-tin confection that's chewy, sweet, and oven-free.

Mexican Kings Cake (Rosca de Reyes), a yeast-risen Epiphany bread scented with orange flower water, studded with raisins and pecans, and hiding a lucky bean inside. Soft, sweet, and crowned with confectioners' icing.

Southern sweet potato pie with mashed sweet potatoes, warm spices, and a brightening splash of fresh lemon or orange juice. Pecan halves on top add Southern charm. The two-stage bake delivers a custard that sets without cracking.

Monster chunk cookies with hand-cut chocolate chunks, rolled oats, dark brown sugar, and butter baked low and slow for thick, chewy centers and golden edges.

Wartime impossible pie from South London with one batter that splits into crust, custard, and filling as it bakes. Use it sweet with coconut and vanilla, or savoury with canned tuna or salmon and frozen vegetables. Pantry magic.