Dessert Recipes

Diabetic-friendly pecan oatmeal cookies made with egg whites instead of whole eggs, plus bran flakes for extra fiber. Crisp edges, chewy centers, and lighter than traditional oatmeal cookies.

Pina Colada party cake: white cake mix doctored with pineapple juice and toasted coconut, soaked with pineapple syrup, topped with rum-extract frosting. Tropical island flavor, no booze required.

Brown sugar apple pie with a spiced crumb topping of cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace. Five cups of sliced apples heaped into a flaky shell and baked golden.

Broiled bananas au gratin over a smooth vanilla-lemon cottage cheese base, topped with graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon. A low-calorie warm dessert ready in 20 minutes.

Made without butter, and with cocoa powder instead of chocolate, the cake is like a souffle that rises, then sinks as it cools.

Honey icing made with a boiled sugar-honey syrup poured over beaten egg whites with melted marshmallows. A fluffy, glossy frosting with floral honey sweetness for cakes.

Self-saucing chocolate pudding cake that creates its own hot fudge layer as it bakes. Pour boiling water over cocoa-sugar topped batter and the oven does the rest. Flip it for a gooey, saucy revelation.

Mexican wedding cookies (polvorones) made with butter, finely chopped pecans, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon, rolled in powdered sugar while still warm. Tender, crumbly, and melt-in-your-mouth.

Mock cheesecake uses blended tofu, honey, lemon juice, and vanilla in place of cream cheese for a vegan-friendly, dairy-free dessert baked into a graham cracker crust. Surprisingly creamy and bright.

Four-ingredient cherry crunch with a buttery yellow cake mix crust, cherry pie filling, and a pecan crumble topping. Warm, crunchy, and ready in one hour.

Fat-free chocolate cake with cocoa powder, egg whites, and corn syrup for moisture, finished with a quick cocoa glaze. Surprising richness with zero added butter or oil.

Low fat lemon poppy seed Bundt cake using yogurt and egg substitute for tender crumb without the butter. Bright citrus glaze finishes each slice.

Whole wheat pumpkin tea ring with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and raisins. Honey-dipped dough balls baked in a tube pan for a pull-apart fall bread.

No-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies with coconut. Boil the sugar mixture for one minute, stir everything together, and drop on wax paper to set.

Vegan nut torte with a caramelized walnut and marzipan filling in a lemon shortcrust pastry. A dairy-free, egg-free European-style dessert baked golden in a springform pan.

I received this recipe from a friend who knows I love dates. It is an outstanding chocolate square, it is moist, keeps well and freezes nicely.