Dessert recipe collection

Lighter pumpkin chiffon pie set in a crackling honey-brushed phyllo crust. Gelatin-stabilized filling with whipped egg whites for a cloud-soft texture and far less fat than custard pie.

Meringue cookies use just five pantry ingredients to make crisp, snowy puffs that melt on the tongue. Naturally fat-free and gluten-free, with a marshmallow-like interior and a delicate vanilla finish.

Pina colada sorbet made with crushed pineapple, cream of coconut, dark rum, and a simple syrup. No ice cream maker needed, just freeze, blend, and refreeze for tropical scoops.

Double-crust blackberry pie with a flaky shortening pastry and a simple sugar-and-flour-thickened filling. The kind of late-summer fruit pie that lets the berries do the talking.

Fresh pineapple sherbet made from a whole pineapple with just sugar, lemon juice, and water. Cooked, blended smooth, frozen, then beaten light and served in the pineapple shell.

Plains peach honey: a thick, clear old-fashioned Southern peach spread made with just two ingredients, ripe peaches and brown sugar. No pectin, no lemon, pure peach flavor.

Polynesian bombe is a three-layer frozen dessert of mango, raspberry, and lime ices molded into a showstopper dome. Make-ahead tropical finale with zero baking.

Pop cake (Jello cake) made by soaking a baked cake with strawberry soda and Jello, then frosted with Cool Whip and vanilla pudding. A retro no-bake dessert.

A light, fat-free poppy seed bundt cake built on apricot puree and egg-white meringue, finished with a tangy lemon glaze. A clever lower-cal cake that doesn't taste compromised.

Port wine jelly made with port, fresh grape juice, sugar, and liquid pectin. A jewel-toned preserve that pairs with cheese boards, roasted meats, and holiday gift giving.

Port-soaked dried figs stuffed with ricotta cheese and topped with a whole almond. An elegant make-ahead appetizer or dessert bite that needs overnight chilling.

Greek poached oranges in spiced mavrodaphne wine syrup with bay leaf and clove. A jewel-toned, make-ahead dessert that lets winter citrus shine without the oven.

Potato crisps with sour cream and caviar are crispy mini potato pancakes topped with cool sour cream and salty salmon roe. An elegant 35-minute cocktail appetizer that looks restaurant-worthy.

Classic prune whip dessert with mashed prunes folded into stiff meringue with cooked oatmeal and cinnamon. A light, airy no-bake treat with no fat and minimal sugar.

Flambeed peaches in a port wine and cherry jelly sauce with cinnamon and lime, spooned over lemon ice cream. A dramatic tableside dessert that goes from chafing dish to plate in 20 minutes.

Diabetic pumpkin custard: a sugar-free single-serve pumpkin custard sweetened with saccharin and baked in a water bath. A light fall dessert for anyone watching carbs.