Dessert Recipes

Chewy oatmeal raisin cookies spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, sweetened with sugar substitute instead of sugar. A built-in lower-fat option swaps half the margarine for applesauce or banana. Diabetic-friendly baking made easy.

Victorian jewels, glistening mini fruitcakes: brandy-soaked candied fruit and raisins in a spiced walnut batter, baked as bite-size muffins and glazed with melted jelly so they shine. A jewel-like holiday gift.

Pumpkin Frangelico cheesecake: a spiced pumpkin cheesecake on a gingersnap crust, spiked with hazelnut Frangelico liqueur and topped with a boozy sour cream layer. The Thanksgiving cheesecake adults reach for first.

Holiday fruit cake bakes candied pineapple, red and green cherries, golden and dark raisins, pecans, and oats into a nutmeg-mace spiced loaf. Wraps and keeps for weeks.

Joe Frogger cookies from Marblehead, Massachusetts with molasses, rum, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Oversized, crackle-topped New England cookies with maritime history.

Pineapple crumble with fresh pear and crushed pineapple filling under a matzo meal, walnut, and brown sugar crumb topping. A Passover-friendly, dairy-free dessert with real fruit sweetness.

Traditional German Pfeffernusse cookies with five warm spices, candied citron, and lemon. Tiny spiced rounds that dry overnight and ripen for days before eating.

Layers of tart Granny Smith apples and sweet pears with buttered whole wheat bread cubes, brown sugar, and warm spices. This comforting brown betty bakes until bubbly. Serve with custard.

A delightful from scratch apple spice cake features a classic blend of warm spices and a superb texture, studded with raisins.

A densely spiced cake loaded with chopped dates, walnuts, and hot applesauce, finished with a brown sugar base that bakes into moist perfection.

A warmly spiced sheet cake made with sourdough starter, homemade burnt sugar syrup, golden raisins, and chopped nuts. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg fill every bite with cozy autumn flavor.

When I go to potlucks, family gatherings or on hunting and fishing trips with my husband and son, this cake is one of my favorite desserts to bring. The flavorful cake stays moist as long as it lasts, which isn't long!

For as far as I can remember my Aunt made this custard filled cake that has what seemed like 100's of layers. Unbelievably good.

Wholesome sweet potato cookies made with whole-wheat flour, oats, coconut, wheat germ, and chopped nuts, sweetened with honey and brown sugar. Soft, chewy, and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Makes 4 dozen.

Fresh peach cobbler bubbles tender peaches in a cornstarch-thickened nutmeg syrup under tender drop biscuits. Old-fashioned Southern summer dessert, served warm with ice cream.

Dense, buttery pound cake infused with apple cider and warming fall spices gets drizzled with a simmered buttermilk glaze. This autumn dessert feeds a crowd and slices beautifully for gatherings.