Dessert, Baked Good Recipes

Scottish shortbread from a simple flour, sugar, and butter mix: buttery, crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth wedges baked pale and gold. A classic three-ingredient treat that doubles as a gift-in-a-jar mix.

Sweet milk cakes made from pancake mix with extra sugar, egg, milk, and melted shortening. Quick griddle cakes with a slightly sweeter flavor than regular pancakes.

Classic peanut butter cookies with the signature fork crisscross top, made with butter, equal parts brown and granulated sugar, and a full cup of peanut butter. Yields five dozen and freezes well.

Sweet green tomato pie: thin-sliced unripe tomatoes baked like fruit in a spiced, double-crust pie. Tart and tangy with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, it tastes surprisingly like old-fashioned apple pie.

Lemon custard cake layers torn angel food cake with a fluffy lemon custard made from egg yolks, fresh lemon juice, and meringue, then chills until set. A no-bake showstopper.

Modern fruitcake loaf with pecans, dates, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and rum, topped with white chocolate cream cheese frosting. A fruitcake even fruitcake haters will love.

No bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies set up on the stovetop in 20 minutes. Crunchy peanut butter, cocoa, and quick oats give them fudgy centers and chewy edges.

Madeleines are delicate French shell-shaped sponge cakes, scented here with orange flower water and made from a simple batter of eggs, cake flour and melted butter. Buttery, light, and dusted with powdered sugar.

Soft orange drop cookies made with frozen orange juice concentrate and powdered sugar, topped with a bright orange frosting. A retro citrus cookie with a tender bite and clean orange flavor.

Buttery almond shortbread thumbprint cookies filled with raspberry jam and finished with an almond-scented glaze drizzle. Classic Christmas cookie that freezes for three months.

Low-fat lemon chiffon pie with lemon gelatin, fresh lemon juice and zest, and whipped topping in a graham cracker crust. A no-bake dessert with bright citrus flavor and airy texture.

Orange butter cakes are petite tartlet-tin cakes perfumed with Grand Marnier and candied orange peel, then dipped in orange liqueur glaze. Elegant 36-cake batch for gifts or a holiday tray.

Apple-cherry pie with a flaky shortening crust, quick tapioca thickener, and a nutmeg-sugar finish. The tart cherries brighten up classic apple pie in a way plain apples never do.

Died-And-Went-To-Heaven Light Chocolate Cake recipe

Milk chocolate chip cheesecake built on nonfat cream cheese and egg whites, studded with milk chocolate chips throughout. A lighter cheesecake recipe that delivers the chocolate-and-cream flavor without the heavy fat content.

Benne wafers with a savory twist: toasted sesame seeds, cayenne, chili, and celery salt baked into crisp little rounds. A Southern-inspired cocktail cracker with real kick.