Dessert/5 recipes

Frozen lemon mousse terrine with whipped cream, beaten egg whites, and gelatin, sliced and served with a vibrant black currant sauce. Light, elegant, and make-ahead friendly.

Platanos con crema: warm butter-softened bananas sprinkled with sweet sherry and sugar, topped with vanilla whipped cream. A quick Latin American dessert ready in minutes.

Original red velvet cake with old-school ermine frosting: tender buttermilk crumb tinted deep red, finished with the cooked-flour boiled milk icing that came before cream cheese took over.

Old-fashioned blackberry pudding with a simple batter that rises up around the berries as it bakes, finished with a sugar crust on top. Homestyle comfort in an 8x8 pan.

Vintage 5-ingredient mayonnaise cookies with no eggs, milk, or butter. Real mayo does all the heavy work for soft, tender sugar cookies with a classic fork-pressed top.

Feathery fudge cake: a light, airy two-layer chocolate cake with melted unsweetened chocolate and a creaming-method batter. Tender, fluffy crumb that takes any frosting beautifully.

Walk to school cookies: buttery slice-and-bake shortbread with chopped pecans, dusted with powdered sugar. Make-ahead icebox cookies sturdy enough to survive a backpack and lunchbox.

Classic buttermilk spice cake with cinnamon, cloves, and a pinch of black pepper. A vintage McCall's recipe with brown and white sugar for deep, warm flavor.

An old-fashioned steamed pudding studded with fresh blueberries, made with bread crumbs for a soft, cakey texture. Serve warm with your favorite sweet sauce for a nostalgic homestyle dessert.

Low-fat pumpkin raisin cake made with egg whites, no butter, and pumpkin pie spice. Served with a strained yogurt cream sauce for a lighter fall dessert.

Dirt dessert layers crushed Oreo cookies, chocolate pudding, and whipped topping in a flower pot for a fun no-bake treat. Add gummy worms for the full effect.

Traditional poppy seed kolache with a buttery almond dough and homemade filling of poppy seeds, honey, dates, and nuts. A Czech-style pastry that makes 60 pieces.

Granny's lemon bundt cake doctored with apricot nectar, oil, and eggs, finished with a tart lemon-juice and powdered sugar glaze. A vintage cake-mix classic that bakes up moist and citrus-bright.

Maple date cookies with brown sugar, chopped dates, and nuts baked into soft, chewy rounds. Maple extract gives these drop cookies a warm, caramel-like sweetness you won't find in ordinary cookie recipes.

Ginger molasses skillet cake baked in cast iron with brown sugar, five warm spices, pine nuts on top, and a sour cream whipped cream. Served warm from the pan.

Aunt Bee's apple pie tucks sliced apples in a pre-cooked sauce of orange juice, honey, cinnamon, and butter inside a tender cream cheese pastry. A Southern-style fall pie with a pre-cooked filling.