Dessert Recipes

Southern blackberry jam cake spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Buttermilk tang, raisins, and nuts in a moist layer cake straight out of an Appalachian heirloom box.

Old Dominion chocolate pie layers a buttery hand-cut crust with rich unsweetened chocolate custard, cooked low on the stovetop until thick and glossy. A Virginia classic with deep cocoa flavor.

Chocolate, orange and cream create this delicious and moist bread pudding that has been popular all year round at our place!

Finnish curd cake (rahkakakku) built on a buttered breadcrumb crust with sieved cottage cheese, cardamom, ginger, and citrus zest folded through a tender flour batter.

Baci di Dama are Italian "lady's kisses": delicate ground almond cookies with candied orange peel, sandwiched together with melted chocolate. Gluten-light, flourless-forward, and elegant enough for gifting.

Pineapple Dream: light no-bake dessert mousse with pureed pineapple and cottage cheese set with gelatin, topped with toasted coconut. Tropical-tasting low-calorie treat for eight.

Dense, jewel-toned fruit cake packed with whole dates, walnuts, and candied cherries held together by just enough batter. A showstopper for holiday giving.

Gingerbread baked right in canning jars with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Charming homemade holiday gift with fabric-topped lids, eat within a few days for safety.

Apple raisin drop cookies from a cake mix with sour cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Soft, cakey cookies loaded with shredded apple, dusted with powdered sugar.

Banana cake sweetened with fruit sweetener instead of refined sugar, with sour cream, chopped nuts, and optional coconut. A naturally sweetened banana cake that bakes in 25 minutes.

Yeasted apple crescents with a maple syrup whole wheat dough and a fresh apple and date filling. Make the dough overnight and bake golden, buttery rolls the next morning.

San Francisco-style crustless honey and spice cheesecake with dark honey, ground cloves, allspice, and a shot of espresso. A dense, creamy dessert for dinner-party finales.

Three-layer chocolate almond cake with cocoa buttermilk layers, almond cream filling, and rich chocolate frosting. A showstopper from-scratch layer cake.

Wartime impossible pie from South London with one batter that splits into crust, custard, and filling as it bakes. Use it sweet with coconut and vanilla, or savoury with canned tuna or salmon and frozen vegetables. Pantry magic.

Creme caramel is a great favorite in many restaurants. It is basically a super rich baked egg custard made with added heavy cream.

Fruitcake drop cookies with brandy, candied cherries, dates, candied pineapple, and nuts. All the holiday fruitcake flavor in a bite-sized cookie that bakes in 12 minutes.