Dessert/7 recipes

Frozen chocolate peanut butter mousse cake shaped in a tilted loaf pan to form a dramatic triangular cross-section. A restaurant-style showstopper dessert.

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.

Easy one-layer chocolate cake made with melted unsweetened chocolate, applesauce, and pecans. Dense, fudgy, and finished with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.

Apple pie streusel folds chopped apples into a sour cream custard inside a single crust, then crowns it with a buttery cinnamon streusel topping. The Pennsylvania Dutch sour cream apple pie.

Old-fashioned lemon chess pie with butter, sugar, eggs, and fresh lemon juice and zest. The Southern five-ingredient classic, baked into two 9-inch pies with a self-formed crackly crust on top.

Classic savayar (savoiardi), Italian ladyfinger cookies piped from a sponge batter of egg yolks, whipped whites, sugar, and flour. Crisp outside, tender inside, the perfect tiramisu builder or dessert dunker.

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.

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.

Classic Italian biscotti studded with toasted walnuts and star anise, double-baked until crisp for perfect dunking in coffee or wine.

A light, airy no-bake peach lemon chiffon pie: gelatin-set peaches and tangy lemonade folded with whipped evaporated milk in a graham crust. A cool, fluffy summer dessert that skips the oven entirely.

Creamy maple syrup pie with chopped walnuts in a silky custard filling. A Quebec-style tarte au sirop d’érable cooked in a double boiler for pure, unburnt maple flavor.

Old-fashioned spice cake with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg, sweetened with brown sugar and studded with raisins. A tender crumb built on evaporated milk and topped with caramel frosting.

Best apple raspberry pie: tart Granny Smith apples and jewel-bright raspberries spiced with cinnamon under a flaky, folded lard crust. A sweet-tart twist on classic apple pie.

Flourless chocolate Chambord cake: a dense, fudgy dark chocolate cake spiked with black raspberry liqueur. Gluten-free dessert for Valentine's Day, dinner parties, or anytime indulgence.

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.