Dessert/5 recipes

Jewelled fruitcake studded with candied cherries, pineapple, dried apricots, and pecans in a mincemeat batter with sweetened condensed milk. A festive holiday cake.

Chocolate applesauce cake baked in canning jars and sealed while hot. A moist, fudgy cake with almond extract that makes a unique homemade gift.

I made this chocolate chip pecan pie with a homemade buttery and flakey pie crust. When it hit the dinner table, it vanished within a flash, so the pie must be good then :)

This Tex-Mex style tres leches splits a golden sponge cake in half and drenches both layers in a vanilla-rum milk bath. Topped with crunchy pecans, it's pure indulgence that only gets better overnight.

The name of these triple chocolate cookies says it all- or almost. Serve them only to guests who you don't want to have leave- ever!

Two-layer carrot cake bursting with orange marmalade, toasted walnuts, and grated carrots, finished with a citrus cream cheese frosting and a stunning lattice top.

Mocha cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. An airy sponge cake soaked in orange syrup, filled and frosted with a coffee-chocolate buttercream made from Italian meringue.

Meringue pecan pie binds Ritz cracker crumbs and chopped pecans into a stiff egg-white meringue, then bakes into a chewy-crisp slice. No pie crust required. Top with ice cream or fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Savory peanut butter and sharp cheddar cookies with a buttery crumble. No sugar needed. These crispy, golden bites are the snack you didn't know you were craving.

This deep-dish pumpkin pie swaps the traditional pastry crust for a buttery brown sugar crumb topping with chopped nuts. Sweetened condensed milk and warm spices like cinnamon and allspice make every bite rich and creamy.

Decadent fudge pie with amaretti cookie crust and rich chocolate filling spiked with amaretto. Dense, brownie-like texture with a boozy almond edge.

Juicy blueberries and raspberries bubble beneath a buttery lattice crust that shatters at first bite, perfect for celebrating milestones or summer picnics.

Lighter cheesecake made with Neufchatel and blended cottage cheese for a tangy, creamy filling with less fat than classic versions. Graham cracker dusted pan, no crust fuss.

Louisiana banana cake with mashed bananas in a buttermilk batter, topped with sliced fresh bananas and a broiled coconut-brown sugar topping. A Southern sheet cake served warm.

Chocolate toffee icebox cake layers crisp chocolate wafers with vanilla pudding cream and crunchy Heath bar bits. A no-bake make-ahead dessert that slices into striking dark and creamy ribbons.

Luscious caramel banana pie layers oven-caramelized sweetened condensed milk over fresh banana slices in a graham crust, finished with whipped cream and crumbled toffee. Banoffee-style without the stovetop work.