Dessert Recipes

Moist pumpkin cake rolled up with sweet cream cheese frosting and dusted with powdered sugar. This impressive fall dessert looks fancy but follows a simple jellyroll technique.

Mock apple pie (cracker pie) made famous on the back of the Ritz box during the Depression. Ritz crackers, sugar syrup, cream of tartar, and apple spices fool the tongue into thinking it's eating real apple pie.

Three-layer praline creme pumpkin pie with a spiced pumpkin custard, brown sugar pecan streusel topping, and an orange-scented cream cheese whipped topping. A holiday showstopper.

Strawberry rhubarb pie with quick-cooking tapioca for a thick, glossy filling under a buttery lattice crust. Tart and sweet spring fruit pie with a clean slice every time.

Buttermilk walnut bundt cake baked over a brown sugar and Karo syrup topping with whole walnuts. A sticky-bottomed cake with a tender, airy crumb from whipped egg whites.

Frozen ice cream pie with layers of Kahlua-spiked chocolate and vanilla ice cream on a chocolate cookie crust, loaded with crushed toffee bars and finished with whipped cream.

A retro meringue torte with a wild twist: crushed potato chips folded right into the meringue for a salty crunch. Two crisp rounds sandwich a rich homemade chocolate custard, finished with clouds of sweetened whipped cream.

Pumpkin walnut cheesecake layers a buttery crumb crust with a spiced pumpkin cream cheese filling and a brown sugar walnut streusel topping. Thanksgiving's two best desserts in one tall, fork-tender slice.

Passover cheesecake with a chocolate macaroon crust, creamy lemon-brightened filling studded with Brazil nuts, and a vanilla sour cream glaze. Flourless and fully kosher for the holiday table.

Apple butter pie: a creamy custard pie made with spiced apple butter, eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a single crust, topped with fresh nutmeg.

Here's a recipe that I make whenever I'm recruited to make dessert for a dinner party. It's perfect for Passover since it contains no flour, but I bake it 12 months of the year.

A British-style crumble cake with a buttery almond and cinnamon base, a layer of stewed blackberries and apples, and a golden crumble topping. Warm, fruity, and brilliant served with cream or custard.

Lighter cheesecake made with blended cottage cheese and low-fat sour cream on a graham cracker crust. A slimmed-down dessert topped with cherry pie filling or fresh fruit.

Orange-butterscotch cheesecake on an oat-and-brown-sugar crust, scented with orange zest and crowned with homemade butterscotch sauce. Bright citrus and deep caramel in one dramatic dessert.

Old-fashioned pumpkin preserves with lemon and mixed spices, slow-macerated overnight in sugar then boiled until clear and glossy. A heritage canning recipe for fall.

A colorful overnight fruit salad marinated in brandy, brown sugar, and cinnamon with peaches, apples, oranges, strawberries, and kiwi. Gorgeous in a glass bowl for brunch or dessert.