Dessert/9 recipes

Chocolate cherry cheesecake with a cherry liqueur-spiked filling, chocolate wafer crust, and glossy cherry pie filling on top. Melted chocolate chips and heavy cream create a silky, truffle-like texture. A make-ahead showpiece that needs 24 hours to set.

Pawpaw chiffon pie or parfait with North America's native tropical fruit folded into a gelatin-set egg white mousse. A taste of the Eastern woodlands in cool, custard form.

Homemade hot fudge sauce with unsweetened and semi-sweet chocolate, butter, corn syrup, and vanilla. A thick, glossy ice cream topping ready in 20 minutes.

A layered cherry pie with amaretto-spiked cherry filling, silky almond cream custard, and stabilized whipped cream topped with white chocolate. A true Oregon gem.

Apple turnovers with a tender homemade cream cheese pastry, cinnamon-spiced apple filling, and a dusting of powdered sugar. The cream cheese in the dough makes it impossibly flaky.

A no-bake cream cheese pie set with sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice, piled high with fresh strawberries and glossy strawberry glaze. Ten minutes of work, then the fridge does the rest.

Deep dish cranapple pie with sliced apples and whole berry cranberry sauce under decorative pastry cutouts. Spiced with apple pie spice and orange zest for a festive holiday dessert.

Nutty choco-pumpkin ice cream pie layers vanilla ice cream studded with toffee candy bars under a spiced pumpkin ice cream layer in a chocolate cookie crust. No-bake fall freezer pie that lives in the freezer until needed.

Traditional German Kasekuchen made with sieved cottage cheese, sour cream, and raisins in a buttery cookie crust. A lighter, tangier European-style cheesecake.

Low-fat apple bread pudding sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugar. Egg whites and skim milk keep it light while apples and raisins add natural sweetness. A guilt-free comfort dessert.

Quick chocolate macaroons with just four ingredients: unsweetened chocolate, shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Fudgy, chewy coconut cookies baked in 30 minutes flat.

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Layered pumpkin walnut pie hides a buttery brown-sugar walnut praline beneath a creamy, cream-cheese-rich pumpkin custard in a shortbread crust, crowned with baked pastry leaves. A Thanksgiving showpiece.

To make good pralines, a candy or a digital kitchen thermometer is essential.

German chocolate cake layered with gooey caramel, chocolate chips, and nuts for a candy bar-inspired dessert that tastes like Snickers in cake form.

Crispy drop cookies built around your choice of cereal flakes (oat, bran, or Grape Nut). A pantry-friendly cookie that turns breakfast cereal into chewy, golden treats.