Dessert/8 recipes

Classic single 9-inch pie crust with shortening or lard. The reliable American home-baking standard, easy to roll and ready for any sweet or savory filling you have planned.

Mock apple pie (cracker pie) made famous on the back of the Ritz box during the Depression. Ritz crackers, sugar syrup, cream of tartar, and apple spices fool the tongue into thinking it's eating real apple pie.

Baked apples stuffed with dried figs, cinnamon, and lemon zest, basted in orange juice. A naturally sweet dessert with no added sugar or butter.

Make-ahead bread pudding layered with currants and soaked overnight in vanilla-nutmeg custard, then baked golden and served with a fresh homemade strawberry sauce. A gorgeous holiday dessert.

Chocolate espresso cheesecake: dense, dark cheesecake on a chocolate wafer crust, finished with a glossy chocolate-pecan glaze. Real brewed espresso amplifies every cocoa note.

Creamy vanilla cheesecake swirled with a cocoa-rich chocolate layer for a gorgeous marbled effect. A slow-cool oven method keeps the top crack-free and silky smooth.

Ginger spice cake with molasses, buttermilk, and orange juice, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. A deeply flavored, moist single-layer cake with warm holiday aromas.

Basic refrigerator cookies (icebox cookies) with butter, sugar, vanilla, and a simple slice-and-bake method. Make the dough ahead, chill, slice thin, and bake in 10 minutes.

Zwiebelkuchen, a traditional German onion tart with sauteed onions and bacon in a rich egg cream custard baked in a buttery homemade pastry crust. Served warm in wedges.

Apple pie with a sharp cheddar cheese crumble topping instead of a top crust. Tart apples spiced with cinnamon and cloves bake under a crispy, cheesy, buttery streusel that's golden and irresistible.

Basler Brunsli are flourless Swiss chocolate almond cookies spiced with cinnamon and cloves, cut into festive shapes. A traditional Basel Christmas cookie, chewy inside with a crackly crust.

Intensely moist chocolate layer cake with boiling water in the batter, topped with a rich cocoa buttercream frosting flavored with brandy and vanilla.

Italian-inspired layered dessert with sponge cake soaked in rum and orange liqueur, sweetened ricotta cream, and fresh berries. A boozy, elegant trifle for special occasions.

Egg-free yellow cake with cake flour, liquid egg substitute, and a touch of sugar substitute for a lighter, lower-sugar bake. Soft, tender crumb that proves you don't need eggs to get a classic vanilla cake.

Peach caramel crisp: ripe peaches baked over a hardened caramel base and crowned with ground almond praline streusel, served warm with vanilla ice cream. Summer fruit dessert elevated with French patisserie technique.

Crazy cake (depression cake) is an egg-free, dairy-free chocolate cake mixed directly in the baking pan with cocoa, oil, vinegar, and water. Vegan-friendly and ridiculously easy.