Recipe Sifter

Classic Italian ricotta torte in a double-crust pastry with ricotta, cream cheese, candied fruit, and a splash of rum or brandy. Silky, not heavy.

Ripple mousse with dark chocolate, brandy, and vanilla, topped with swirled dark and white chocolate for a stunning two-tone presentation. Rich, airy, and elegant.

Fudgy chocolate brownies with walnuts and a blender-made unsweetened chocolate frosting. Two-stage chocolate hit with rich crackly top and creamy frosting.

Rocky Road bars stack a fudgy chocolate brownie base with gooey marshmallows and a swirled chocolate-peanut-butter fudge topping. A rich, decadent three-layer treat with chewy, gooey, and fudgy in every bite.

Microwave rum cake with devil's food cake mix, rum-soaked layers, apricot preserves filling, and a glossy boiled frosting made from corn syrup and egg whites.

Italian rum cake with three sponge layers soaked in cherry-rum syrup, filled with pastillera cream, and frosted with whipped cream and roasted almonds. A showstopper.

Kentucky Derby-style chocolate walnut bourbon pie with a deep molasses backbone. The Run for the Roses pie has 3 tablespoons of bourbon, two cups of walnuts, and chocolate chips in a sweet syrup base.

Sad Face Cake made with Bisquick, brown sugar, coconut, chopped nuts, and eggs. A dense, chewy dump cake with a brownie-like texture and no frosting needed.

Salted peanut chews with a brown sugar shortbread crust, gooey marshmallow layer, and a crunchy peanut butter chip topping loaded with crisp rice cereal and salted peanuts.

Star-shaped chocolate sandwich cookies cut from a chewy cocoa-and-chip sheet bake, then filled with sweet cream cheese frosting. A festive holiday cookie that looks fancy but skips the rolled-dough fuss.

Santa sandwich cookies are slice-and-bake oat shortbread rounds sandwiched with tinted vanilla frosting and rolled in holiday sprinkles. A festive Christmas icebox cookie, fun to decorate.

Santa's Whiskers are festive slice-and-bake cookies with candied cherries and pecans in a buttery dough, rolled in flaked coconut for a snowy, whiskery edge.

A silky cooked vanilla sauce to spoon over plain cake, made from sugar, milk, butter, and a touch of flour to thicken. This old-fashioned dessert topping turns a simple slice into something special.

Homemade cinnamon rolls with lemon zest and raisins, shaped into sugar-dipped balls with a golden cinnamon crust. A unique twist on the classic yeast roll.

Fudgy cocoa brownies with a hidden layer of chocolate mint patties baked right inside. Rich, minty, and makes a big batch of 36 squares from a 9x13 pan.

Thick, fudgy peppermint pattie brownies with a whole layer of York-style mint candies sandwiched between cocoa batter. Makes 36 squares for parties and bake sales.