Dessert/8 recipes

Lower-fat banana cake with pureed prunes replacing most of the butter, nonfat vanilla yogurt, and egg whites. A moist sheet cake that cuts the fat without losing flavor.

A moist bundt cake studded with chopped prunes and nuts, spiced with cinnamon and allspice, then dusted with powdered sugar for vintage elegance.

Imperial coconut flan made from scratch with a whole fresh coconut, homemade condensed milk, and separated eggs baked in a caramel-lined mold. A traditional Mexican showpiece.

Gingerbread bears: classic rolled and cut gingerbread cookies with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, molasses, and a lemon zest brightener. Chill the dough, roll thin, decorate as bears for the holidays.

Chocolate pudding cake bakes covered to develop a moist, dense crumb that lands between cake and pudding. A buttermilk-cocoa dessert that holds at room temp or chilled.

Go-to brown sugar slice and bake cookies: a freezer-friendly cookie log that slices straight from frozen onto the baking sheet. Tender, caramel-sweet, and ready to bake any time you need cookies fast.

Four-ingredient chocolate tofu pudding with silken tofu, dark chocolate chips and a touch of nutmeg. Silky vegan-friendly chocolate dessert ready in minutes.

Easy sweet potato pie with nutmeg, vanilla, and lemon extract blended smooth in a food processor and baked in a deep-dish crust. A Southern classic that comes together in 15 minutes of prep with a silky, custard-like filling.

Tofu pineapple cheesecake with a graham crust, sweetened naturally with honey and orange juice, topped with kiwi slices. A lower-calorie dairy-free cheesecake alternative.

Warmly spiced buttermilk layer cake with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. A one-bowl recipe that bakes into two tender layers ready for your favorite frosting.

Mexican wedding cookies (polvorones) made with butter, finely chopped pecans, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon, rolled in powdered sugar while still warm. Tender, crumbly, and melt-in-your-mouth.

Banana chocolate marble cake swirls melted semi-sweet chocolate into a moist sour cream banana batter, finished with a glossy orange-scented chocolate ganache.

Dump cake with pie filling, crushed pineapple, yellow cake mix, and melted butter topped with coconut and nuts. A no-mix dessert where you literally dump everything into the pan and bake.

Gingerbread drop cookies are soft, cake-like spice cookies sweetened with molasses and brown sugar, studded with raisins. A wholesome wheat germ-boosted twist on classic holiday cookies.

Flourless chocolate souffle cake with a full pound of semi-sweet chocolate, brandy, and nine eggs. Dense, fudgy, and gluten-free with no flour needed at all.

Old-fashioned peppernut cookies (pfeffernusse) with anise, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, dark corn syrup, and chopped nuts. Slice-and-bake holiday cookies, makes 4 dozen.