Dessert Recipes

Mom's lemon pie cooks a fresh-lemon curd with the zest of two whole lemons over the stovetop, thickened with both flour and cornstarch. A traditional water-based lemon meringue pie filling.

Mom's red velvet cake with old-fashioned ermine frosting (the original red velvet topping). Buttermilk, cocoa, and vinegar give the cake its signature tang and tender crumb.

Wacky cake style chocolate layer cake made with no eggs, butter, or milk. A pantry-staple Depression-era recipe with deep cocoa flavor and a tender, fudgy crumb that's accidentally vegan.

Zucchini cake built on a yellow cake mix shortcut, with cinnamon, vanilla, grated zucchini, raisins, and walnuts baked in a tube pan. Moist, easy, and forgiving for new bakers.

Mother's Christmas cheese cakes: cream cheese pastry tartlets with two fillings, one pecan-brown sugar and one coconut-vanilla. A classic holiday cookie tin stalwart.

Butter cookie press poinsettias for Christmas with red flower shapes and hand-formed green leaves topped with silver dragees. A beautiful, festive holiday cookie with almond and vanilla flavor.

Marbled chocolate cookies with sour cream, melted chocolate folded into vanilla dough for a swirled effect. Soft, cakey, and baked low and slow for no browning.

Old-fashioned brownies with unsweetened chocolate, butter, pecans, and a simple creamed batter. A vintage one-bowl recipe that bakes in 25 minutes flat.

No-bake chocolate peanut butter mud pies with oats. One-minute boil, stir in the good stuff, drop on wax paper, and let them set. Fudgy, chewy, and no oven needed.

Mulled summer fruits in Chenin Blanc, a make-ahead dessert of peaches, berries, and apricots soaked in spiced white wine syrup. Served chilled with sorbet or whipped cream.

Mazurka cookie bars with an almond shortbread base topped with a fruity filling of apricots, figs, raisins, walnuts, and candied orange peel, finished with powdered sugar icing.

Microwave creme de menthe bundt cake, a boxed mix cake laced with mint liqueur and a chocolate syrup swirl, cooked entirely in the microwave in just ten minutes. A retro shortcut dessert with mint-chocolate magic.

Old-fashioned icebox cookies with dark brown sugar, butter, walnuts, and vanilla. Slice-and-bake in just 4 minutes for crispy, caramelized edges.

A lighter cheesecake made with blended cottage cheese instead of cream cheese, finished with a tangy yogurt topping. Higher in protein, lower in fat, and easy to make sugar-free.

Fruit solitaire tarts with orange-scented butter pastry shaped like playing card suits, filled with cherry and blueberry pie filling. A festive New Year's Eve dessert.

Nanaimo bars with a peppermint twist: cocoa graham cracker base, vanilla pudding buttercream middle, and a dark chocolate top layer. No-bake Canadian classic.