Dessert/8 recipes

Spiced meringue cookies with crushed gingersnaps folded into whipped egg whites with cinnamon and ginger. Crisp, airy, and virtually fat-free with a snappy ginger crunch.

Soft gingerbread cookies with molasses, hot coffee, cinnamon, cloves, and ground ginger. A rollout cookie dough for gingerbread men with a tender, cake-like texture instead of a crisp snap.

Mock apple pie made with crackers instead of apples, boiled in sugar syrup with cream of tartar. A Depression-era trick pie that tastes surprisingly like real apple pie without a single apple.

Tropical quesadillas filled with ripe banana, green chilies, and Monterey Jack cheese with a squeeze of lime. A sweet-savory snack or dessert ready in 15 minutes.

Baked rice souffle with a creamy milk-cooked rice base, whipped egg whites for lift, and a homemade raspberry sauce. A light, elegant French-style dessert with a golden top.

No-bake key lime pie made with lime gelatin, sweetened condensed milk, fresh lime juice, and zest folded into a beaten egg-white cloud. A retro Florida pie that sets up cold without an oven.

Thin, lacy sesame wafers with nutty toasted sesame seeds and brown sugar. These crisp, buttery cookies spread into golden wafers as they bake, making 4 dozen irresistible treats.

Mix-in-pan carrot cake: stir all ingredients directly in the baking pan with a fork, no extra bowls or mixers. Spiced with cinnamon and allspice, topped with classic cream cheese frosting.

Buttermilk pie whisks tangy buttermilk with sugar, eggs, melted margarine, flour, and lemon extract into a sweet-tangy single-crust pie. Classic Southern five-minute pie filling.

Monkey tails are frozen chocolate-dipped bananas on a stick, brushed with orange juice to prevent browning. A fun, easy no-bake treat kids can help make.

Soft orange poppy seed cookies made with cream cheese, fresh orange zest, and orange juice. Light, cakey, and bright with citrus in every bite.

Orange shortbread bars with fresh orange zest and cornstarch for a melt-in-your-mouth sandy texture. Score before baking for clean, even cuts.

Four-ingredient cookie crust with butter, flour, and sugar pressed into a sheet pan. Golden, buttery base for bars, cheesecakes, and dessert squares.

A silky baked custard made with just 4 ingredients: mint chocolate chips, milk, sweetened condensed milk, and eggs. Cooked in a gentle water bath for a spoonable, minty chocolate treat.

Lemon roll-out cookies with sour cream in the dough for a tender crumb, brushed with lemon juice and sprinkled with sugar before baking. The bright citrusy cookie cutter staple for any holiday tray.

Four-ingredient homemade crumb crust with flour, butter, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Mixes in 5 minutes for a buttery, lightly spiced pie base or streusel topping.