Dessert recipe collection

From the McCalls Great American recipe collection, a classic American carrot cake for the microwave.

German chocolate pie with a silky cocoa custard, flaked coconut and evaporated milk baked into a single crust. The flavors of the classic layer cake in a one-bowl pie.

Lily cookies: cream cheese pastry rounds folded around a jelly center and dusted with powdered sugar. Old-school holiday cookies shaped like opening lilies.

Low-fat s'mores cake bakes all the campfire flavor into a light graham-cracker crumb cake. Applesauce stands in for the butter, with broiled marshmallows and chocolate chips melting over the top.

Ladies will enjoy this decadent chocolate cake made with cream cheese and chopped pecans.

Better Than Sex Cake #3, the poke cake version: German chocolate cake riddled with sweetened condensed milk and butterscotch sauce, then topped with crushed Heath bars and whipped cream.

Better than sex cake is a four-layer chocolate-pecan icebox dessert: a buttery pecan shortbread crust, sweet cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and whipped topping. A make-ahead potluck legend.

Yellow cake studded with mandarin oranges and pecans, topped with a cooked pineapple glaze, sliced bananas, and a fluffy vanilla pudding-Cool Whip frosting loaded with coconut and nuts.

Monster cookies loaded with peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, M&M's, raisins and nuts. Flourless, chewy, and built for a crowd.

Pillowy soft almond cookies made with almond filling for intense flavor, topped with sliced blanched almonds. Lightly golden, tender, and fragrant. Makes 2-3 dozen.

A fruit-packed bundt cake with bananas, crushed pineapple, applesauce, and chopped nuts spiced with cinnamon. Stir-together batter, no mixer needed. Moist, dense, and dusted with powdered sugar.

This Biscochito Cake is a modern twist on New Mexico’s traditional biscochito cookie, featuring warm notes of star anise, a tender crumb, and a sweet cinnamon-sugar topping. Paired with a vibrant peach compote, it’s a comforting yet elegant dessert that’s easy to prepare and ideal for sharing at gatherings or enjoying as a cozy treat.

Biscotti crocanti, traditional Italian twice-baked cookies with whole almonds and a pairing of almond and anise extracts. The classic crisp Italian biscotti for dunking in espresso or vin santo.

Saffron-kissed almond biscotti with bright lemon zest and a glossy egg-white glaze. Twice-baked until dry and crisp, these Italian cookies actually improve after a few days in a paper bag.

Sicilian sesame seed cookies with a tender, crumbly interior coated in nutty toasted sesame. These Italian bakery favorites make 6 dozen and disappear twice as fast as you'd expect.

This delicious Italian snack is perfect with a cup of hot tea or coffee.