Dessert/2 recipes

Pears Helene is a classic French dessert of poached pear halves served with hot chocolate sauce and optional vanilla ice cream and chopped almonds. Elegant, timeless, and surprisingly simple to make at home.

Pistachio cheesecake uses instant pudding mix for guaranteed green color and nutty flavor, baked in a graham cracker crust with a glossy sour cream topping. A no-fuss cheesecake that delivers showstopper presentation.

Triple chocolate oatmeal cookies with blended oat flour, chocolate chips, grated Hershey bar, and chopped nuts. A massive 108-cookie batch baked in just 6 minutes each.

Traditional British Christmas plum pudding: a dense steamed pudding rich with suet, dried fruit, candied orange, and brandy. Made weeks ahead to mellow, then reheated and flamed for the holiday table.

Elegant lattice apple pie with orange-scented crust, honey-sweetened Granny Smith apples, and brown sugar crumb topping woven into the filling.

A vintage two-layer cake flavored with homemade burnt sugar syrup, folded with whipped egg whites for a light, tender crumb. An old-fashioned Southern classic that deserves a comeback.

Chewy banana peanut butter oat bars with dark brown sugar and no flour. Just 7 ingredients, one pan, and you've got 4 dozen snack bars that taste like a peanut butter granola bar.

Creamy white chocolate cheesecake on a graham cracker crust, topped with a glossy cranberry glaze and chocolate gratings. A stunning holiday dessert baked in a water bath for silky texture.

Rich cheesecake with dual liqueurs, vanilla wafer-almond crust, and sour cream topping. Amaretto and Irish cream create layers of boozy complexity.

Kolachkes are Polish-American cream cheese cookies: a tender butter-and-cream-cheese dough wrapped around fruit jam, walnut, or sweet cheese filling. Rolled in powdered sugar instead of flour.

No-bake chocolate pudding pies in single-serve graham cracker crusts with cinnamon, whipped topping, and chocolate curls. Ready in 10 minutes flat.

Scandinavian butter cookies spiced with cardamom and topped with egg white glaze and almonds. Delicate finger-shaped treats that freeze beautifully for three months.

Dense, moist brown sugar pound cake baked low and slow in a tube pan with maple flavoring and chopped pecans. A full package of brown sugar gives this Southern-style cake its deep caramel richness.

Healthy microwave cookies with soy flour, wheat germ, powdered milk, raisins, dates, cottage cheese, and honey: protein-packed snacks ready in 5 minutes.

Vegetarian mincemeat made with fresh pears, dried fruit, candied cherries, almonds, and a splash of whiskey. No suet needed. Spiced with allspice, nutmeg, and ginger for traditional Christmas mince pies.

No-bake gumdrop peanut popcorn cake: a Bundt-shaped tower of popcorn, peanuts, and rainbow gumdrops bound by melted marshmallows and butter. A retro birthday party showpiece.