Dessert/7 recipes

Mocha icing whips butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, egg yolk, and coffee into a silky chocolate-coffee frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Three-ingredient base, ready in minutes.

Applesauce fudgy brownies use applesauce, egg whites, and a splash of Kahlua to slash the fat without losing the dense chew. Cocoa-forward, peanut butter accent, no oil.

French chocolate pots de creme: silky individual chocolate custards made with heavy cream, semi-sweet chocolate, egg yolks, and a hint of Kahlua. The classic French dinner-party finale, no oven required.

Poached mangoes in brown sugar and cinnamon syrup served over vanilla ice cream. A warm tropical fruit dessert that comes together in 30 minutes.

Marbled strawberry mousse swirls fresh berry puree with airy whipped cream and egg whites for a stunning two-tone dessert that rises proudly above the rim of a souffle dish.

Pepper poached pears simmer in white wine with black peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon and a whisper of chili heat, then chill in a syrup reduced from the poaching liquid. An elegant, lightly spiced dessert.

Hazelnut succes cake: two crisp hazelnut-meringue discs sandwiched with silky praline buttercream, crusted with crushed praline. A classic French patisserie showstopper.

Rich chocolate mousse is a light, sugar-free chocolate dessert built on cocoa powder, gelatin-set milk, and folded whipped topping. Sweetened with NutraSweet for a dessert that fits a lower-sugar plan.

Rhubarb ripple is an old-fashioned cobbler style dessert with tart baked rhubarb, a cinnamon stick, and a pecan-studded biscuit top. Rustic, deeply pink, and ideal with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Sweet cinnamon fettuccine is a dessert pasta: egg noodles rolled and cut by hand, scented with cinnamon and lemon zest, then deep-fried into crispy golden ribbons. Dust with powdered sugar for an Italian fairground treat.

Rasgulla, the classic Bengali cheese ball dessert of spongy homemade chenna simmered in light sugar syrup until pillowy and sweet. Four ingredients, big payoff.

Besan burfi, a traditional Indian fudge of chickpea flour slow-toasted in ghee with cardamom and sugar. A four-ingredient festival sweet cut into diamond pieces.

Old-fashioned peach ice made with fresh peaches, sugar syrup, and beaten egg whites for a light, airy texture. A vintage frozen dessert from the days before electric ice cream makers.

Mocha mousse made with semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate, brewed coffee, cocoa powder, and whipped cream. A triple-chocolate coffee dessert that's airy, rich, and intensely dark.

Pineapple pudding cake is a tropical poke cake soaked with sweet crushed pineapple and pudding, then topped with whipped cream and coconut. The poke-and-soak trick keeps every bite moist. An easy, make-ahead chilled dessert.

Herman coffee cake bakes a 10-day fed sourdough-style starter into a tender cinnamon-raisin coffee cake. The classic friendship cake passed jar-by-jar between neighbors.