Dessert, Baked Good Recipes

Basic pastry pie crust: four-ingredient single crust from flour, salt, vegetable shortening, and cold water. The simplest flaky pastry to master for homemade pies and tarts.

Soft, cakey cranberry drop cookies loaded with whole fresh cranberries, walnuts, and a touch of lemon juice. Makes 3 dozen festive holiday cookies with a tender crumb.

Key lime cheesecake with strawberry butter sauce, made with a graham cracker crust, tangy fresh key lime juice, and separated eggs folded in for a lighter texture. A Florida-style dessert finished with a bright pink berry sauce.

Halloween dirt cake layered in a flowerpot with crushed Oreo crumbs, vanilla pudding, cream cheese, and whipped topping. No-bake party dessert topped with gummy worms for spooky season.

Flourless walnut cake with ground walnuts, whipped egg whites, and lemon zest. Naturally gluten-free, dramatically tall, dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa.

Impossible fudgy nut pie that makes its own crust as it bakes. Melted sweet chocolate, brown sugar, and biscuit mix blended smooth then topped with chopped nuts.

Light angel food cake rolled with a tangy lemon cream filling made from sweetened condensed milk and whipped topping. A stunning no-fuss dessert that starts with a box mix.

German cheese torte with a cinnamon graham crust top and bottom, filled with ricotta beaten with eggs, sugar, and a splash of heavy cream. Old-world dessert, baked in a springform.

Pumpkin snack cake spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, made lighter with egg substitute and low-fat milk. Soft, moist, and dusted with powdered sugar.

Soda cracker pie is a vintage Southern meringue pie made with whipped egg whites, saltine crumbs, and pecans. No crust, no flour, just a crackly meringue that tastes like toasted pecan candy.

Classic roll-and-cut butter cookies with brown sugar, vanilla, and just 7 ingredients. A versatile dough for cutout shapes, including a pink candy cane twist variation.

Whole wheat carrot cake sweetened with honey instead of sugar, spiced with cinnamon, and baked into a moist, dense sheet cake. A healthier spin on the classic.

Single-crust pastry pie shell with margarine, blind-baked at high heat until golden in 10 minutes. A basic flaky pastry that works as a base for cream pies, custards, and fruit fillings.

Lower calorie pie shell with less shortening than traditional crusts. Three simple ingredients, one hour chill, and a flaky crust for any pie recipe.

Mocha meringue kisses with espresso, cocoa powder, and a splash of creme de cacao. Crisp on the outside, soft in the center, and naturally fat-free.

A New Orleans-style charlotte: chocolate sponge rolled with almond paste, sliced and pressed into a springform, filled with amaretto-soaked chocolate mousse. A Mardi Gras showstopper.