Dessert/3 recipes

Baked rice pudding infused with instant coffee and studded with sweet stewed figs. Served warm with vanilla whipped cream, this old-fashioned dessert is pure comfort in a bowl.

Maple custards baked in a water bath with reduced maple syrup, skim milk, and eggs. A silky, low-fat dessert with concentrated maple flavor, served warm or chilled.

A refreshing frozen citrus ice made with orange, grapefruit, and lemon juices thickened with gelatin and sweetened with sugar substitute. Light, tangy, and practically guilt-free, this diabetic-friendly dessert is pure frozen sunshine.

Coffee mud pie with a crushed chocolate wafer crust, softened coffee ice cream, and cold fudge sauce. The classic frozen Mississippi mud pie copycat that slices like a dream after a 10-hour freeze.

This sorbet, based simply on commercially canned pears, can be enhanced with the flavor of eau-de-vie de poire (pear liqueur) or, if preferred, with fresh lemon juice.

Marble cheesecake swirls dark chocolate batter through a classic vanilla cream cheese filling on a graham cracker crust. A two-tone showstopper baked in a springform pan.

Classic prune whip dessert with mashed prunes folded into stiff meringue with cooked oatmeal and cinnamon. A light, airy no-bake treat with no fat and minimal sugar.

Raspberry cranberry mousse: silky pink dessert with pureed raspberries, cranberry concentrate, whipped cream, and beaten egg whites. Light, tart, and ready for the holidays.

Light honey gelato made with skim milk, whipped egg whites, and unflavored gelatin. No ice cream maker needed. A fluffy, low-fat frozen dessert sweetened entirely with honey.

Peanut butter sundae with a warm homemade honey peanut butter sauce over vanilla ice milk, topped with wheat germ. Simple, nostalgic, and lighter than fudge.

Classic county fair funnel cakes fried golden and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. A simple egg, milk, and flour batter swirled into hot oil for crisp lacy edges and a tender middle.

Light brownies made with brown sugar, one egg, chocolate chips, and just a third cup of butter. Chewy, fudgy, and lower in fat than traditional recipes.

Old-fashioned pineapple ice made with fresh pineapple, sugar syrup, lemon juice, and meringue for a light, scoopable frozen dessert. No ice cream maker needed.

Frozen lime pie with a cooked egg yolk and lime curd base folded into whipped cream and stiff egg whites, set in a graham cracker crust. Light, mousse-like, and served frozen.

Nanaimo bars with a peppermint twist: cocoa graham cracker base, vanilla pudding buttercream middle, and a dark chocolate top layer. No-bake Canadian classic.

Refreshing low-calorie watermelon ice made with fresh melon, honey, lime juice, and a touch of gelatin. A frozen summer treat that's naturally light and bursting with fruit flavor.