Baked goods recipes

Buttery slice-and-bake pinwheel cookies swirled with cherry preserves and scented with vanilla and almond extract. Roll, freeze, slice, and bake to golden perfection.

Kentucky bourbon balls with pecans soaked in real bourbon, rolled in a buttery powdered-sugar fondant, then dipped in semi-sweet chocolate for that signature glossy shell. A classic Southern holiday confection worth the wait.

Classic chocolate cream pie with a deep two-chocolate filling spiked with rum and vanilla, topped with rum-laced whipped cream and grated chocolate. A make-ahead diner classic.

Cookies in a jiffy use a box of yellow cake mix plus oats, butter and an egg for fast, chewy drop cookies you can load with chocolate chips, butterscotch or M&M's. Five ingredients, ready in about 20 minutes.

These scrumptious cookies are a great treat for dessert after a hearty meal.

Apricot bread made with a full pound of dried apricots cooked in warm spices. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg give these two loaves a fragrant, fruit-studded crumb.

Small-batch walnut brownies baked in a loaf pan with cocoa powder, one egg, and vegetable shortening. Dense, fudgy, and scaled for two to four people instead of a crowd.

Individual pineapple upside-down cakes baked in small Pyrex dishes with a homemade cinnamon-pineapple syrup and a pineapple ring in each. Buttery, caramelized, and portion-perfect.

Soft banana cookies with brown butter penuche frosting: mashed ripe bananas in a cake-like dough, topped with a boiled brown sugar icing that hardens into a shiny, fudgy shell.

Grand slam cheesecake is a no-bake lemon Jello cheesecake folded with whipped evaporated milk and pressed into a graham cracker crust. Light, fluffy, and a vintage potluck favorite from the 1960s.

Lighter chocolate and raspberry cream torte with four layers of cocoa cake, raspberry jam, and a pink raspberry whipped cream. Made with skim milk and low-fat margarine for a lower-fat celebration dessert.

Italian macaroons made from almond paste kneaded with egg whites and sugar, baked into chewy, fragrant amaretti-style cookies. A short rest before baking gives them their crackly top and tender center.

Candy bar cookies with a buttery shortbread base, gooey caramel-pecan filling, and chocolate glaze topped with pecan halves. Three layers that taste like a homemade Turtle.

Egg-free, dairy-free chocolate wacky cupcakes with a sugar substitute option. Vinegar and baking soda create the lift in these surprisingly tender, fudgy treats that come together in one bowl.

Mint cheesecake squares on a chocolate wafer crust topped with sour cream chocolate ganache. Cool, creamy, and loaded with creme de menthe flavor.

Spice cookies with pumpkin dip: molasses-and-ginger cookies rolled in sugar, served with a creamy cream cheese and pumpkin pie dip. A holiday cookie plate with a dunking twist.