Dessert/5 recipes

Raspberry chocolate swirl cheesecake on a cocoa-vanilla wafer crust. Two batters marbled together for a dramatic black-and-pink presentation.

Lemon cake mix topped with a sweet ricotta and cinnamon spread that tastes just like cannoli filling. All the Italian bakery flavor with a fraction of the fuss. Dot with cherries for a festive finish.

Double-cocoa chocolate cookies studded with mint chips, then drizzled with a glossy homemade chocolate glaze. Fudgy, minty, and intensely chocolatey with crispy edges that shatter on the first bite.

A no-bake vanilla wafer crumb crust made with just three ingredients. Press into a pie pan, chill, and fill with your favorite pudding, cream, or fruit filling.

No-bake gianduja truffle cake with a praline and pirouette cookie base, topped with bittersweet chocolate mousse, dusted in dark cocoa. A restaurant-quality dessert.

Buttery yeasted beignets scented with orange zest and rum, fried until golden, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with a warm homemade butterscotch dipping sauce.

A novelty cake shaped like a giant hamburger! Golden pound cake topped with toasted sesame seeds, penuche frosting, cocoa "meat," and strawberry preserve "ketchup." A total showstopper for kids' parties.

For best results slice the cake chilled, but let sit 1/2 hour at room temperature before serving.

Red and white peppermint pinwheel cookies with a buttery almond dough, rolled jelly-roll style and topped with crushed candy canes. A festive Christmas cookie classic.

Italian almond-hazelnut biscotti twice-bake to crisp dipping cookies with lemon zest, almond extract, and toasted nuts. Lower-fat traditional Italian style, keeps a month in a tin.

Flourless chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate, ten eggs, butter, and orange liqueur. Dense, fudgy, and gluten-free with a brittle, crackly top.

Chocolate-filled cake roll with a light sponge cake and chocolate pudding filling, dusted with cocoa. A lighter jelly roll dessert made with reduced sugar and skim milk.

Alsatian apple cake with four pounds of Golden Delicious apples, honey, rum, and a caramelized egg-butter-brown sugar topping. A rustic French apple dessert.

No-bake chocolate wafer icebox cake made with whipped topping and chocolate cookies. Just stack, chill, and slice for a creamy layered dessert kids and adults love.

Soft maple walnut oatmeal cookies with brown sugar and cinnamon, topped with maple-flavored frosting and a walnut half. Chewy, sweet, and warmly spiced.

Pumpkin cake with a buttery yellow cake mix crust, spiced pumpkin custard filling, and crumbly streusel topping. Freezer-friendly and perfect for fall gatherings.