Dessert Recipes

Applique cookies stack contrasting chocolate-pepper and sugar cookie doughs, cut in different shapes and glued with egg white before baking, then drizzled with chocolate. A striking two-tone decorating technique.

A silky Belgian cream cheese tart with lemon juice and whipping cream, baked in an 8-inch tart shell and brushed with a glossy egg wash. Light, creamy, and elegant.

Frozen cinnamon walnut yogurt made with vanilla yogurt, whipping cream, and a pinch of cinnamon. Creamy, tangy, and crunchy, churned in an ice cream maker.

Lighter cocoa oatmeal cookies made with egg whites and nonfat yogurt instead of whole eggs and butter. Studded with mini chocolate chips and chewy with 3 cups of quick oats. Makes a whopping 66 cookies.

Chinese-style caramel fried apples or bananas battered and deep-fried, then coated in crackly spun sugar with sesame seeds. Dipped in ice water for a shatteringly crisp shell.

Frozen peach torte layered with white chocolate kirsch mousse, chopped peaches, and a toasted almond crumb crust. An elegant make-ahead summer dessert.

Grilled angel food cake with skewered nectarines basted in lemon-sugar glaze and topped with fresh blueberries. A light, summery grilled dessert.

British-style honey lemon cheesecake with curd cheese, sultanas, and a lattice pastry top baked in a shortcrust flan case. A light, European cheesecake with no refined sugar.

Upside-down apple tart with caramelized Golden Delicious apples on a flaky cake-flour crust, finished with a brown sugar yogurt drizzle. A lighter take on classic tarte Tatin.

Three layer no-bake fudge with a chocolate-coconut-graham cracker base, creamy vanilla filling, and glossy semi-sweet chocolate top. No cooking required.

Fruited cream puffs: shortcut pate a choux made with pancake mix, filled with ice cream and topped with sweetened strawberries. Ten elegant frozen desserts from pantry staples.

Mexican chocolate sauce made with unsweetened chocolate, Kahlua coffee liqueur, cream, butter, and corn syrup. Rich, pourable, and keeps in the fridge for up to three months.

Hot cherry fruit compote baked with rum, curry powder, candied ginger, and brown sugar. A retro holiday side dish for ham or turkey, or chill and serve as dessert with ice cream.

Fig garden party cakes layer sponge cake or lady fingers with a homemade dried-fig filling cooked down with peanut butter, butter, and lemon juice. A vintage tea-table dessert with surprising depth.

A silky, no-bake blueberry mousse sweetened with real maple syrup. Just 4 ingredients and no gelatin needed for this elegant, airy dessert that serves 8.

Fudgy bonbons: Hershey's Kiss-stuffed chocolate truffle cookies with chopped nuts, drizzled with white chocolate. A Pillsbury Bake-Off winner that still knocks cookie exchanges out of the park.