Baked Good Recipes

Old-fashioned buttermilk doughnuts spiced with ginger and nutmeg, fried golden in just minutes. Tender, cake-style doughnuts with a slight tang from real buttermilk.

Lo-fat holiday cheesecake made with nonfat cream cheese, lemon yogurt, and egg substitute on a graham crust, topped with cherry pie filling. Lighter classic for the dessert table.

Individual rosemary-polenta pizzettas made with a food-processor dough blending white, whole wheat, and cornmeal flours. Rustic party-size bases for personalized Italian toppings.

Classic peanut butter cookies with the signature fork crisscross top, made with butter, equal parts brown and granulated sugar, and a full cup of peanut butter. Yields five dozen and freezes well.

Pepsi-Cola cake is a fudgy chocolate sheet cake made with real Pepsi, buttermilk, cocoa, and mini marshmallows, topped with a broiled peanut butter and brown sugar frosting studded with chopped peanuts.

Mystery cake is a self-saucing chocolate pudding cake: pour batter into a pan, sprinkle cocoa sugar on top, then douse with cold coffee. As it bakes, the topping sinks into pudding under a tender cake layer.

White chocolate macadamia nut cookies with chunks of real white chocolate (not chips) and buttery toasted macadamias. Soft centers, lightly browned edges, classic bakery-style cookies.

Classic French apple tarte Tatin with Granny Smith apples caramelized in a skillet and topped with buttery homemade pastry. A stunning upside-down dessert with deep golden caramel.

Illinois apple pie stars Granny Smith apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg tucked under a milk-washed, sugar-dusted double crust. A Midwestern classic that bakes up golden and bubbly.

Mocha nut rounds are slice-and-bake icebox cookies flavored with instant coffee and semi-sweet chocolate. Edges dipped in milk chocolate, then rolled in chopped pistachios for a striking holiday cookie tray finish.

Kay's apple pie is a classic double-crust pie with pared apples tossed in sugar and cinnamon, dotted with butter and finished with a milk-brushed, sugar-dusted top crust.

Make-ahead brownie mix yields 12 fudgy brownies plus five mix-in variations: mint, coconut almond, raspberry hazelnut, cherry, and caramel pecan layered. The pantry shortcut you actually want.

German almond cookies with fresh lemon zest, ground unblanched almonds, and a buttery crumb that shatters at first bite. Overnight chilling builds flavor and makes rolling easy.

Soft yeasted cinnamon rolls with brown sugar filling and a vanilla glaze, baked together in a 13x9 pan. Pull-apart pastries that fill the kitchen with the smell of cinnamon and yeast.

Chocolate oatmeal chippers: spiced chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, and quick oats. Chewy center, crisp edges, classic drop cookie.

Peanut butter and jelly muffins with chunky peanut butter baked into buttermilk batter, then topped with melted jelly and chopped peanuts fresh from the oven.