Dessert Recipes

Strawberry crepes flambe fresh berries in a citrus-butter-brandy syrup, then fold them into delicate crepes glazed with the reduced sauce. Showy New Orleans-style dessert ready in 30 minutes.

Italian cheesecake blends silky mascarpone with creamy ricotta, brandy, and vanilla, then bakes into two graham cracker pies with a tender, lightly set filling. A no-water-bath cheesecake with old-country flavor and zero fuss.

Rice pudding with brandy-soaked currants, orange zest, and cinnamon, set with gelatin for a silky chilled dessert. Low-fat, make-ahead, and lightly boozy.

Sweet potato pie with warm brandy, fresh lemon zest, and a sprinkle of chopped citron over the top. The brandy-citrus brightness lifts the spiced filling into something more sophisticated than typical sweet potato pie.

Cooked tiramisu with a safe, heat-tempered egg yolk custard, ricotta cheese, whipped cream, and coffee-soaked ladyfingers. A make-ahead Italian dessert that freezes beautifully.

Classic Italian tiramisu layered with espresso-brandy soaked ladyfingers, creamy mascarpone filling, and dusted with cocoa. A no-bake make-ahead showstopper.

Traditional British Christmas plum pudding with cognac-soaked dried fruit, walnuts, suet, and warm spices, steamed in a mold and served with brandy butter sauce. A Victorian holiday classic.

Eggnog chiffon pie, an airy brandy-spiked custard set with gelatin and lightened with whipped egg whites, dusted with fresh nutmeg in a flaky homemade crust. A Christmas dessert worth the fuss.

Brandy-laced bundt pound cake served with a saffron-tinted lemon curd. The classic 1-1-1 pound cake gets a boozy lift, while saffron steeped in lemon juice turns the cream sunset gold.

Fermented mincemeat made with venison or beef tongue, suet, apples, dried fruit, red wine, cider, and brandy. A six-to-eight-week crock cure transforms the ingredients into the deep, boozy filling of old hunting cabin Christmas pies.

A scrumptious torte made with almonds, rum, brandy and semi-sweet chocolate.

Rio Grande-style biscocitos with butter, anise seed, and brandy, dusted in cinnamon sugar before baking. Crisp, fragrant, and easy to cut into festive shapes. Makes 3 dozen.

French cherry clafouti with brandy-macerated cherries baked in a puffy, golden custard scented with allspice and lemon zest. Rustic elegance that looks far harder than it is.

No-cook cheesecake dip with cream cheese, whipping cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, brandy-soaked raisins, and mini chocolate chips. Whips up in 10 minutes. Serve with fresh fruit, graham crackers, or just a spoon.

Award-winning gingerbread with molasses, brandy, orange juice, and four warm spices: ginger, cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg. A moist, deeply spiced loaf studded with raisins.

Mascarpone sandwiched between crispy ginger brandy wafers with caramelized fresh figs and orange sauce. A stunning restaurant-style plated dessert with snap and tuile textures.