Dessert Recipes

Peach cake with sliced summer peaches dredged in flour and folded into a thick, oil-based cinnamon batter. Bakes up moist with a tender crumb, finished with a powdered sugar glaze or a dollop of whipped cream.

Rough puff pastry is the home cook's shortcut to puff pastry, made by folding walnut-sized chunks of cold fat through a soft dough four to five times. Flaky enough for tart shells, vol-au-vents, and turnovers.

Rich chocolate cream pie with a hint of cinnamon, cooked slow in a double boiler and crowned with golden meringue. Old-fashioned diner-style pie from scratch.

Golden biscotti packed with sliced and whole almonds, perfumed with orange zest and almond extract, then twice-baked into crunchy Italian cookies topped with cinnamon sugar. Keeps for months and begs for espresso.

Diabetic-friendly lemon pie uses sugar substitute and a meringue-lightened lemon filling on a graham cracker crust. Lower-sugar tang and lightness without sacrificing the classic lemon pie hit.

German apple cake made with baking mix, sliced apples, and a brown sugar cinnamon streusel topping. A simple one-bowl cake with tender fruit and a crumbly, spiced crust.

Pistachio kulfi pops made the traditional Indian way: whole milk slowly reduced to a concentrated, caramelized base, then frozen with chopped pistachios. No ice cream maker required.

Classic snickerdoodle cookies: tender soft cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, with the signature cream of tartar tang. Yields five dozen for the cookie tin.

Whole wheat snickerdoodles swap half the white flour for whole wheat, giving these classic cinnamon-sugar cookies a nuttier, heartier crumb. Cream of tartar gives them their signature tang and chewy texture. Three dozen from one batch.

Honey pear upside-down cake: tender pears glazed with honey, cinnamon, and orange zest under a soft orange-scented cake. Butter-free upside-down cake with real fall-dessert energy.

Oatmeal chocolate chip sheet cake with a boiling-water oat soak for a tender, moist crumb. Topped with walnuts and extra chips for a crackly crust.

Hazelnut butter balls: tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies loaded with chopped toasted hazelnuts, rolled in powdered sugar while warm. A buttery, nutty riff on the classic snowball cookie that disappears off any holiday tray.

Hello Dollys (magic cookie bars) layered with vanilla wafer crumbs, chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, and sweetened condensed milk. No mixing needed, just layer and bake for a gooey, chewy bar.

Poppy seed bundt cake using yellow cake mix and instant pudding for extra moisture. A dump-and-stir cake with tender crumb and crunchy poppy seeds, dusted with powdered sugar.

Stovetop fudge made with semisweet chocolate, butterscotch coating, and marshmallow cream for a two-toned candy that is rich, nutty, and smooth in every bite.

Swedish Christmas crescent cookies: tender almond shortbread shaped into half-moons and finished with cinnamon sugar. The classic Scandinavian holiday cookie that melts on the tongue.