Dessert Recipes

Lavender-pepper pears are ripe Bartlett pears sprinkled with crumbled lavender, cracked black pepper, and lemon juice. An elegant no-cook fruit dessert.

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.

No-bake lemon poppy seed tarts with vanilla pudding filling, graham cracker crusts, and lemon whipped topping. A light, low-calorie dessert that sets in the fridge.

Lemonade wafers: crisp, egg-free drop cookies bright with fresh lemon zest and juice, optional coconut topping. Light, sunny cookie that tastes like summer in a single bite.

Maple mocha topping made from whipped egg whites, maple syrup, instant coffee, and vanilla. A light, fluffy no-cook sauce for ice cream or angel food cake with zero fat.

No-churn mango cantaloupe sorbet sweetened with maple syrup and brightened with lime juice. A low-fat, dairy-free frozen dessert made entirely in a blender and freezer.

Microwave apricot-strawberry compote in white wine and cranberry juice with crystallized ginger and lemon zest. A no-sugar-added fruit dessert ready in minutes.

Chewy molasses oatmeal cookies with pecans, raisins, cinnamon, and cloves, drizzled with melted chocolate. Three cups of oats give these a hearty, old-fashioned chew.

Mom's homemade apple pie pairs a flaky shortening crust with canned apple filling for a from-scratch taste in half the time. Brushed with milk and dusted with sugar, the top crust bakes up golden and crackly.

Simple almond-cinnamon nut filling for cookies made with finely ground almonds, sugar, and cinnamon. A three-ingredient filling for rugelach, kolacky, or any filled cookie recipe.

Homemade oatmeal citrus face scrub with dried lemon and orange peels, oats, and blanched almonds ground into a fine exfoliating powder. All-natural, 3 ingredients, stores for months.

Sugar-free orange cookies with fresh orange juice, zest, and buttermilk. Made with sugar replacement for a diabetic-friendly drop cookie with real citrus flavor.

Orange fruit cremes made with sugar-free gelatin, orange juice, ice cubes, and lowfat milk. A light, creamy dessert that sets in minutes with a dreamsicle-like flavor.

Old-fashioned peach ice made with fresh peaches, sugar syrup, and beaten egg whites for a light, airy texture. A vintage frozen dessert from the days before electric ice cream makers.

Peanut butter shortbread: round pan-pressed shortbread with peanut butter in the dough and a peanut butter icing topped with melted white chocolate drizzle. Two pan-rounds.

This sorbet, based simply on commercially canned pears, can be enhanced with the flavor of eau-de-vie de poire (pear liqueur) or, if preferred, with fresh lemon juice.