Dessert Recipes

Lower-fat banana cake with pureed prunes replacing most of the butter, nonfat vanilla yogurt, and egg whites. A moist sheet cake that cuts the fat without losing flavor.

Goblin Goodies oatmeal cookies with orange zest, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, and orange and brown chocolate candies. A festive Halloween drop cookie loaded with mix-ins.

Go-to brown sugar slice and bake cookies: a freezer-friendly cookie log that slices straight from frozen onto the baking sheet. Tender, caramel-sweet, and ready to bake any time you need cookies fast.

Mexican chocolate chiffon pie with Kahlua coffee liqueur, whipped cream, and toasted almonds in a baked pie shell. A silky, no-bake gelatin-set filling chilled overnight.

Elegant lattice apple pie with orange-scented crust, honey-sweetened Granny Smith apples, and brown sugar crumb topping woven into the filling.

Mango-coconut pie layers a graham cracker and toasted coconut crust with a vanilla bean coconut custard, diced fresh mango, and whipped cream. A bright mango coulis poured over each slice doubles down on the fruit.

Soft drop cookies made with mashed cooked carrots and finished with a warm orange glaze. The vintage Depression-era cookie that still makes sense today.

No-bake gumdrop peanut popcorn cake: a Bundt-shaped tower of popcorn, peanuts, and rainbow gumdrops bound by melted marshmallows and butter. A retro birthday party showpiece.

Rich fudge cake made with melted unsweetened chocolate, brown sugar, and sour cream, split into four layers with whipped cream filling and chocolate mocha frosting.

Creamy maple syrup pie with chopped walnuts in a silky custard filling. A Quebec-style tarte au sirop d’érable cooked in a double boiler for pure, unburnt maple flavor.

Strawberry ice cream pie with a spiced shortbread crust and a swirl of warm fudge topping. Make-ahead frozen dessert that comes together in under 30 minutes.

Traditional Chinese almond cookies with butter and shortening get an egg wash for glossy shine. Dough chills 2 hours, then slices into rounds topped with whole almonds.

Caramel snappers made with toasted pecan halves, melted vanilla caramels, and a semi-sweet chocolate top. A three-ingredient candy that looks like it came from a gourmet chocolate shop.

Rich chocolate layer cake with cocoa, hot coffee, and a hint of almond extract. Colette's recipe bakes into two moist 9-inch layers that are begging for your favorite frosting.

A proper bistro-style bread and butter pudding with layers of buttered French bread, raisins, and citrus zest baked in a rich custard of cream, eggs, and dark rum. Golden, crusty on top, silky underneath.

Spiced rhubarb-strawberry pie with a hint of pumpkin pie spice setting it apart from standard versions. Lattice-topped and baked hot for bubbling juice and golden crust. A spring classic with autumn warmth.