Dessert/4 recipes

Shamrock cookies for St. Patrick's Day, a tender mint-scented shortbread tinted green, shaped from three little dough balls plus a stem and dusted with green sugar. A fun holiday baking project.

Butter Cookies are one of those traditional Christmas cookies that everyone adores. This homemade butter cookie recipe is much better than what you find in the tins at the store during the holidays.

Light strawberry Bavarian cream with fresh berries, gelatin, whipped cream, and folded egg whites for an airy mousse-like dessert. Spoons into glasses and chills overnight.

Stovetop fudge made with semisweet chocolate, butterscotch coating, and marshmallow cream for a two-toned candy that is rich, nutty, and smooth in every bite.

Old fashioned butterscotch cookies made with melted butter dissolved in brown sugar for pure caramel flavor. A thin, crispy drop cookie with just six pantry staples that bakes in 8 minutes.

Thumbprint buttercream cookies made with brown sugar, egg yolks, and shortening, coated in stiff egg whites and nuts, then filled with buttercream icing after baking.

Old fashioned gingersnaps with a double hit of ginger from ground and crystallized pieces, dark brown sugar, molasses, and allspice. Crispy, crackly, and deeply spiced.

Chocolate rice pudding made with Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla, set with gelatin and layered with Kahlua-spiked whipped cream. A rich Mexican-inspired dessert.

Grandma's red velvet cake: a true vintage Southern recipe with cocoa, buttermilk, and vinegar reacting with baking soda to give the cake its tender, tangy crumb. Two 9-inch layers, ready in 45 minutes.

Vegan banana bread made with soft tofu, whole-wheat flour, maple syrup, and poppy seeds. No eggs or dairy. Food processor method makes mixing fast and hands-off.

It was nice and moist, if a tad on the heavy side. The recipe is actually for cupcakes, but can make one big layer. The frosting is outstanding, a definite keeper.

Triple-ginger crumb crust made with gingersnap crumbs, crystallized ginger, and ground ginger. A spicy, fragrant pie shell that pairs with frozen or chilled fillings.

Melting moments cookies made with just 4 ingredients: flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and margarine. Baked low and slow, they crumble and dissolve on your tongue.

Buttery melt-in-your-mouth cookies made with cornstarch for an ultra-tender crumb, scented with almond and vanilla, then dusted in powdered sugar.

Paintbrush cookies are honey-sweetened sugar cookies decorated with edible egg yolk paint before baking. A fun kids' baking project where the painting is half the joy and the colors bake on vibrant.

Traditional Panforte di Siena with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, candied orange peel, citron, cocoa, and honey syrup cooked to soft ball stage. A dense Italian Christmas confection.