Dessert Recipes

The name translates to pepper nuts in German, Danish and Dutch, describing their spicy taste as well as the fact that the recipe calls for a small amount of pepper.

In our extended family this version of pumpkin pie has earned the title!

Turkish baklava layered with cinnamon-and-clove spiced walnuts between dozens of buttered phyllo sheets, then drenched in fragrant clove syrup. Crisp, flaky, and honey-sweet, cut into the classic diamond pieces.

Dark Christmas cake is the real, old-fashioned fruitcake: dense with raisins, currants, figs, dates, and almonds, deepened with brown sugar, prune juice, and brandy, then aged in brandy-soaked cheesecloth. Make it now, slice it at Christmas.

Enjoy the taste of pumpkins with this scrumptious cookie that is perfect for a snack in between meals.

An easy-to-make cake which is a perfect way to welcome the Autumn season!

Banana nut carrot cake squares blend mashed banana, grated carrot, walnuts, and warm cinnamon-clove spice into moist sheet-pan bars sweetened with brown sugar and honey.

Spiced pumpkin custard fills mini tart shells, then gets topped with a broiled pecan-sugar crust. These two-bite holiday tarts balance creamy filling with crunchy caramelized nut topping.

Super moist and crumbly. They are ideal for breakfast or a delicious and nutritious snack at any time of the day.

Rich West Indian Christmas cake soaked in rum and sherry with dried fruits, warm spices, and browning for deep color. Start the fruit a month ahead for a dense, boozy holiday cake worth the wait.

Christmas spice cookies: rolled-and-cut holiday cookies with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and molasses. Soft or crunchy depending on bake time. Makes four dozen.

Classic buttermilk spice cake with cinnamon, cloves, and a pinch of black pepper. A vintage McCall's recipe with brown and white sugar for deep, warm flavor.

Old-fashioned soft molasses cookies spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, topped with a shiny boiled gelatin frosting. Makes 4 dozen from an overnight chilled dough.

Barbadians make Black Cake for weddings, birthdays and at Christimas time. Indeed, no Christmas holiday is felt to be complete without black Cake. People from many of the islands make a similar cake. This Black Cake derived from the British Plum Pudding which is a must on their Christmas menu.

An old Welsh steamed carrot pudding -- This is a good steamed pudding, despite the list of ingredients that are "good for you". The sauce (following the recipe) is not a necessity for good taste, only for authenticity, although I LIKE it with the sauce.

Pumpkin pie squares with a crumbly oat-and-brown-sugar shortbread crust and a fully spiced pumpkin custard. Bakes in one pan, cuts into 16 squares, and travels better than a round pie.