Dessert/6 recipes

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.

Homemade chocolate cream pie with a stovetop cocoa custard filling poured into a baked shell. Old-fashioned, no-bake-friendly, ready for meringue or whipped cream on top.

No-fail pound cake with butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, baked low and slow in a tube pan. Six ingredients, dense moist crumb, the kind of cake that makes you look like a pro.

Elegant tea cookies made from a slice-and-bake butter dough with cream and vanilla. Chill overnight, slice thin, and bake until crisp and golden.

Soft molasses cookies spiced with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. A classic LA Times recipe that bakes up thick, cakey, and deeply spiced.

Tres leches cake using store-bought pound cake soaked in a blend of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream, topped with broiled meringue. A shortcut Latin classic.

Jam-filled spice cookies with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves sandwiched with apricot or raspberry preserves. Buttery shortbread-style cutout cookies with a stained-glass window center.

Bite-sized wheat germ gem cookies rolled in toasted wheat germ for a nutty, crunchy coating. Brightened with orange zest and vanilla, these little rounds are a wholesome cookie jar staple.

Classic Southern chess pie with a custardy brown sugar and vanilla filling baked in a flaky pastry shell. A simple pantry pie with a crackly sugar top and silky middle.

German chocolate pretzel cookies (Schokoladenpretzel) hand-shaped from cocoa dough and topped with cocoa frosting. A fun baking project that makes about 2 dozen pretzel-shaped cookies.

Hand-shaped chocolate pretzel cookies made from a cocoa butter dough, baked until set, then frosted with a simple cocoa-powdered sugar icing. A playful baking project that yields about 2 dozen.