Dessert/7 recipes

Molasses ginger bars with brown sugar, raisins, and a dusting of powdered sugar. Soft, chewy gingerbread-style cookie bars from a big-batch 13x9 pan that cuts into 36 pieces.

Puppy Chow is the classic no-bake party snack: Chex cereal coated in melted peanut butter and chocolate, tossed in powdered sugar until every piece looks like a sweet snowdrift. Addictive by the handful.

Microwave black bottom pie II with chocolate cookie crumb crust, vanilla pudding spiked with creme de cacao, and a fold of whipped cream. Easy chilled dessert that skips the oven entirely.

Make your own irresistable chocolate cake with this simple recipe that is extremely easy to follow and understand.

Checkerboard cookies made easy with a fudge marble cake mix: build a black-and-white checkerboard from vanilla and chocolate dough strips, chill, slice and bake. A showy slice-and-bake cookie without the fuss.

Sugar-free peppermint chocolate cake made with unsweetened chocolate, peppermint extract, and granulated sugar replacement. A diabetic-friendly chocolate cake with a cool mint kick.

Lightened key lime pie made with fat-free condensed milk, gelatin, and whipped skim evaporated milk. Graham crust, tart lime filling, and tiny piped meringues perched on lime slices.

A no-bake chocolate icebox cake layered with cubed pound cake and mocha-spiked chocolate pudding set with gelatin. Chill, slice, and serve. The easiest chocolate dessert you'll ever make.

Coconut cheesecake builds a creamy, coconut-scented filling on a cottage cheese base, bakes it gently in a water bath, then crowns it with a sour cream and coconut topping. A lighter, tropical twist on classic cheesecake.

A comforting dessert that fits perfectly alongside pumpkin pie. Homemade dumplings perched in rich and thick maple syrup.

Rich chocolate cookies with a gooey caramel candy hidden inside, topped with chopped pecans and drizzled with melted fondant. Makes 4 dozen stuffed cookies.

Fudgy homemade brownies made in one saucepan with cocoa powder, no melting chocolate required. A quick, moist, deeply chocolatey bake with optional walnuts for crunch.

Homemade teething cookies with just three ingredients: eggs, sugar, and flour. Baked hard in a doughnut shape for little hands to grip and gnaw on safely.

Friendship cake starter made with pineapple, cherries, and peaches layered with sugar and brandy over six weeks. A fermented fruit base for holiday fruitcakes.

Fruit cocktail bars with coconut, maraschino cherries, and a soft cake-like crumb. A vintage pantry-friendly bar cookie made with canned fruit cocktail syrup in the batter.

Traditional German Kasekuchen made with sieved cottage cheese, sour cream, and raisins in a buttery cookie crust. A lighter, tangier European-style cheesecake.