Dessert, Baked Good Recipes

Pennsylvania Dutch cake-and-custard pie: a soft cake batter and a spiced applesauce-molasses custard poured into one crust bake into two distinct layers, finished with a coffee glaze. A clever heritage dessert.

Old-school cocoa drop cookies made with buttermilk and whole wheat flour, topped with a glossy homemade chocolate frosting. Quick to mix, quick to bake, and yields a big batch of 4 dozen.

Tyler pie with a creamy egg-and-butter custard kissed with vanilla and lemon, baked into a flaky crust until set and golden. The old Southern chess pie variation named for the Texas town.

Dense fudge truffle cheesecake on a chocolate cocoa-wafer crust. A pound and a half of cream cheese melted with sweetened condensed milk and 12 ounces of melted chocolate chips. Eats like a giant chocolate truffle.

Layers of chocolate and vanilla ice cream in a spicy gingersnap crust, drizzled with homemade chocolate ganache. This no-bake frozen pie needs just 15 minutes of hands-on work and zero oven time.

Oatmeal snickerdoodles with rolled oats, brown sugar, and a cinnamon-sugar topping. The classic snickerdoodle goes hearty with a chewy oat boost and that signature crackled cinnamon shell.

Watch this decadent cake recipe disappear swiftly. With its thick frosting and rich chocolate layers, it's a huge hit at any event.

Citrus angel pie features a baked meringue crust layered with lemon curd and whipped cream. The shell stays crisp at the edges while the cream and curd settle into a tangy, mousse-soft filling that chills until you're ready to serve.

Golden sugar cookies made with egg yolks, butter, lemon extract, and cream of tartar for a rich, tender crumb with a hint of citrus. Rolled into balls and baked until just golden.

Fresh raspberry pie with chopped mint, baked in a double crust until golden and bubbling. Unexpected herb twist on classic fruit pie.

Reduced-sugar chocolate cake uses egg substitute, margarine, and nonfat dry milk for a lighter tender cake. Cake flour gives a fine crumb in a 9-inch pan, cut into 16 modest squares.

Cocoa-espresso cake loaded with toasted ground hazelnuts and glazed with warm seedless raspberry jam. Topped with fresh raspberries and chopped hazelnuts for an elegant, butter-free finish.

No-bake pineapple orange chocolate cake with orange Jello, crushed pineapple, and whipped topping layered over pre-baked chocolate cake. A retro icebox-style dessert that chills instead of bakes.

Banana layer cake stacks two tender 8-inch rounds and slathers them in a real banana frosting brightened with lemon juice. Twice the banana, twice the reason to skip the boxed mix.

Chocolate pinon cookies with grated semi-sweet chocolate and toasted pine nuts in a buttery shortbread dough, dusted with powdered sugar. A Southwestern-inspired holiday cookie.

Caramel shortbread squares with a buttery crumble base and thick, chewy toffee layer made with condensed milk and corn syrup. Chills overnight and inverts for clean slicing.