Dessert/5 recipes

Italian country spice cake (torta speziata): cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with raisins plumped in warm water and a hit of brewed espresso in the batter.

Pretty pink jelly combining apple juice and fresh crushed strawberries with liquid pectin. Boils for just 1 minute. Seal with paraffin wax for shelf-stable preserves. Makes 3.5 cups.

A moist three-layer carrot cake loaded with freshly grated carrots and warm cinnamon, topped with rich cream cheese icing. Garnish with pecans for the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

Arizona pecan chocolate rum pie with an all-lard pastry crust and a filling of unsweetened chocolate, dark corn syrup, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and a splash of rum.

Chocolate cherry cake with chocolate frosting: a Black Forest-inspired cake mix shortcut using devil's food, sour cream, almond extract, and cherry pie filling, topped with warm chocolate-almond frosting.

Simple cheesecake with graham cracker crust and three-ingredient filling: cream cheese, eggs, and sugar baked 20 minutes, then topped with fresh fruit or flavored with coffee, almonds, or pumpkin.

I would strongly suggest using libby’s pumpkin puree. Semi sweet chips make for a more savory cookie and an excellent addition to a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Butter Cookie Cups W. Chocolate.Almond Filling recipe

Layers of graham cracker crust, sweet cream cheese filling, chocolate-butterscotch pudding, and fluffy whipped topping. No oven needed for this retro icebox pie that feeds a crowd.

Chocolate maple cake with unsweetened chocolate, folded egg whites, and a maple walnut buttercream frosting. Split into four layers for an impressive celebration cake.

Tomato and basil puff pastry tarts with vine-ripened slices over a thick tomato coulis. Shatteringly crisp pastry, no soggy bottoms, six individual rounds.

Irish whiskey pie is a no-bake chiffon dessert: a light, boozy whiskey-spiked custard set with gelatin, folded with whipped cream, and chilled in a pie shell under shaved chocolate. A grown-up treat.

Classic cocoa crinkle cookies rolled in powdered sugar that cracks into a snowy pattern as they bake. Chewy centers, crackled tops, and a deep chocolate flavor from real cocoa powder. Makes 2 dozen.

Black and white cake: tender white egg-white layer cake with vanilla and almond extracts, finished with a split cream cheese frosting half vanilla and half chocolate-amaretto.

A tropical coconut cheesecake with cream of coconut in the filling, a coconut-graham cracker crust, and fresh mango slices on top with mango puree. Rich, creamy, and vacation-worthy.

Chewy coconut almond macaroons made with homemade almond paste, ground coconut, and egg whites. Naturally gluten-free, crisp on the outside, soft in the middle. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.