Dessert recipes

These scrumptious breakfast muffins are made with buttermilk, diced rhubarb and chopped nuts.

A light, airy cherry souffle made with just pureed sour cherries, egg whites, lemon juice, and sugar. Only five ingredients stand between you and French pastry glory.

Maple mocha topping made from whipped egg whites, maple syrup, instant coffee, and vanilla. A light, fluffy no-cook sauce for ice cream or angel food cake with zero fat.

Maple macadamia nut parfait made with real maple syrup set with gelatin, whipped until fluffy, and served in glasses with whipped cream, nuts, and cherries.

Homemade grainy raspberry mustard with whole mustard seeds, raspberry vinegar, white wine, and seedless raspberry jam. A sweet-sharp condiment that keeps for up to a month.

Light lemon mousse with fresh lemon juice and zest, set with gelatin and folded with whipped egg whites. Topped with sweetened cream and a raspberry puree.

Three-layer pineapple meringue torte with crushed pineapple cake, cashew-studded meringue baked right on top, and a pineapple whipped cream frosting.

Fresh pineapple sherbet made from a whole pineapple with just sugar, lemon juice, and water. Cooked, blended smooth, frozen, then beaten light and served in the pineapple shell.

Homemade whipped cream beats heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla into pillowy soft peaks. Three ingredients, ready in 5 minutes, no canned topping required.

Cherry cream frosting made with maraschino cherries and juice for natural pink color and sweet cherry flavor. A 5-minute powdered sugar icing for cakes, cupcakes, or cookies.

Fried bread crumbs: dry crumbs sauteed in melted butter until deeply golden and crisp. A two-ingredient finishing topping for pasta, vegetables, casseroles and gratins.

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.

Zesty apricot cream filling combines apricot jam with sherry, lemon zest, and orange juice for a bright pastry cream. Egg yolks thicken it into a silken filling for tarts, eclairs, or layer cakes.

Super-rich creme brulee made with nine egg yolks, heavy cream, and a whole vanilla bean, baked low in a water bath until just set, then crowned with a crackly caramelized sugar crust. Silkier than any restaurant version.

Bananas in Phyllo Nests serves warm banana slices in an orange-Grand Marnier syrup spooned into crispy phyllo shells. An elegant 20-minute dessert for entertaining that looks far harder than it is.

Irish coffee pudding, a light, chilled coffee mousse spiked with Irish whiskey and lightened with whipped cream and egg whites. Set tall like a cold souffle and crowned with cream and walnuts.