Dessert/6 recipes

Kahlua balls with crushed Oreo cookies, chopped nuts, powdered sugar, and Kahlua coffee liqueur rolled into bite-sized truffles. A no-bake, boozy cookie ball that chills overnight.

Pumpkin roll cake with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, chopped nuts, and a sweet cream cheese filling. Rolled in a sugared towel while warm, then filled and chilled.

A lighter peach brulee: ripe sliced peaches with orange juice, blanketed in tangy Greek yogurt and topped with a crackly broiled-sugar crust. The flavors of creme brulee with a fraction of the work.

Lighter tiramisu made with cooked egg whites, mascarpone, reduced-fat cream cheese, brandy, and espresso-soaked ladyfingers. No raw eggs, layered in a trifle bowl, and chilled overnight.

Sour cream lemon pie folds tangy sour cream into a stovetop lemon curd before pouring it into a pre-baked shell. The result is creamier and less sharp than classic lemon meringue, finished with whipped cream and lemon twists.

Soft French buttercream cookies made with powdered sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla. Tint the dough with food coloring and top with colored sugar for holidays or parties.

Old-fashioned griddle cakes made with sour milk and sour cream for an extra-tender, tangy pancake. Just six ingredients, no sugar needed. Makes 16 in about 25 minutes.

Lemon-lime poke cake with lime gelatin soaked into a lemon cake mix, topped with a fluffy lemon pudding whipped topping. A retro refrigerator sheet cake served chilled.

Fig and cherry cobbler with dried figs, cherry pie filling, cinnamon, and drop biscuit topping. A bubbly, old-fashioned fruit cobbler that starts hot and finishes at moderate heat.

Americana key lime pie: a vintage chiffon-style version with gelatin, fluffy egg whites, and folded whipped cream piled into a baked shell. Cool, mousse-light, garnished with pistachios.

Serve this sweet dish as an appetizer or a light snack!

Pecan pudding baked in a custard cup in the microwave: dark corn syrup, egg, and chopped pecans in a buttered cup, dusted with powdered sugar. Pecan pie filling in individual pudding form.

Tiramisu from scratch: Italian sponge soaked in espresso-brandy syrup, layered with a silky Marsala zabaglione mascarpone cream, and dusted with cinnamon and coffee. A refined take on the classic.

Moist butter pecan banana cake built on yellow cake mix with butter pecan pudding, mashed banana, and toasted pecans baked in a tube pan. A doctored-mix cake that tastes like it took all day.

Chocolate dipped macadamia nut shortbread cookies made with butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Slice-and-bake rounds dipped in melted chocolate for a Hawaiian-inspired treat.

Moist buttermilk rhubarb cake topped with brown sugar and chopped nuts. Tangy fresh rhubarb folded into a tender, fluffy crumb. A nostalgic spring dessert that turns out gorgeous with whipped cream.