Dessert/7 recipes

Oven-baked fruit compote of dried apricots, apples, peaches, and raisins slow-cooked with honey, fresh lemon, and orange slices. Serve warm or chilled as a naturally sweet dessert.

Ann's chiffon cake: a tall, light tube cake with the richness of butter cake and the lift of angel food. Whipped egg whites fold into an oil-based batter and bake into a tender, springy crumb.

Upside-down bread pudding with a caramelized sugar crust, dried figs, and chopped almonds baked in a loaf pan. Flip it out for a golden, sticky-topped dessert.

Surprise the kids after dinner with this scrumptious chocolate cake that doesn't take much to make.

I used to make this cake when I lived in Germany back in the 80's, and it always got raves. I lost the book the recipe was in during a move, and was really glad to find the recipe here. The cake is in the oven as I write! It makes a great coffee cake in the morning or for dessert.

NOTE: HIGH ALTITUDE-Above 3500 Feet: Add 1/4 cup flour to dry cake mix.

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.

Creamy cheesecake with poppy seeds throughout, almond crust, and sour cream topping. Ultra-low temperature baking creates silky texture in this two-hour cheesecake.

Fudgy two-layer chocolate cake made with a full cup of unsweetened cocoa, buttermilk, and a 50/50 brown sugar mix for moisture. Topped with a glossy chocolate-butter frosting that sets to a soft, sliceable finish.

Boston cream pie from scratch: tender vanilla butter cake split into four layers, filled with a homemade vanilla pastry custard, and crowned with a glossy milk chocolate glaze.

Interesting way to make your own cookies. Tasty and easy.

Three-ingredient no-bake butterscotch drops made with melted butterscotch chips, salted peanuts, and crunchy chow mein noodles. Salty, sweet, and crunchy little clusters that take 5 minutes to make.

Cranberry sauce for holiday meringues: a glossy, ruby-red dessert sauce made from cranberry juice, sugar, lemon, and a touch of cornstarch. Perfect spooned over crisp meringues, ice cream, or pavlova.

Soft applesauce spice drop cookies with cold coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, raisins, and nuts. One batch makes 7 dozen with just a 7-minute bake time - a holiday baking staple.

This dessert is a favorite on the menus at many Houston, Mexican and South American restaurants.

Magic coconut custard pie that makes its own crust while baking. Easy blender dessert with vanilla custard and toasted coconut topping in 50 minutes.