Dessert/5 recipes

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.

Chinese-bakery style almond cookies with shortening, brown sugar, and a whole blanched almond pressed into each round. Egg yolk wash gives the signature glossy golden top from your favorite dim sum tray.

Maple apple spice cake with pure maple syrup, chopped apples, and cinnamon topped with cream cheese frosting. A moist, nutty fall cake baked in a 9-inch square pan.

Golden orange sponge cake leavened entirely with whipped eggs, flavoured with fresh orange juice and pulp plus a hit of lemon extract. A light, fat-free cake baked in a springform pan and inverted to cool.

Gingerbread cut-out cookies with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, plus a homemade egg white decorating frosting. A classic holiday cookie for decorating with kids.

When I go to potlucks, family gatherings or on hunting and fishing trips with my husband and son, this cake is one of my favorite desserts to bring. The flavorful cake stays moist as long as it lasts, which isn't long!

Easy chocolate-covered cherry cookies from a brownie mix: fudgy chocolate drop cookies studded with pecans and maraschino cherries, baked just until set for a soft, brownie-like center. A quick holiday cookie.

Vintage ribbon cake: plain vanilla and spiced molasses batters layered in stripes with a tart lemon-raisin filling between. An old-fashioned American cake worth reviving.

Kris Kringle no-bake bars layer crisp rice cereal with peanut butter and corn syrup, topped with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips. Six ingredients, 30 minutes, no oven needed.

A frozen no-bake chocolate orange pie with cream cheese, condensed milk, and orange juice concentrate in a chocolate crust. Swap in Grand Marnier or Cointreau for a boozy twist.

Authentic Italian cinnamon walnut biscotti: twice-baked cookies with toasted walnuts, orange zest, and a cinnamon-sugar crust. Crisp enough to dip into coffee, sturdy enough to ship.

Classic New York-style cheesecake with cream cheese, sour cream, and lemon juice on a graham cracker crust. Baked low and slow with a one-hour oven cool to prevent cracking.

Frozen fruit yogurt popsicles made with just three ingredients: yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit, and honey. No ice cream maker needed.

Coffee-soaked sponge cake set with gelatin and sweetened condensed milk for a chilled, custardy coffee dessert. Four ingredients, no baking required if you start with a store-bought sponge.

Banana Cake Aloha Oe is a vintage Hawaiian-style layer cake with a soft, banana-rich crumb finished with real banana frosting. Tender cake flour layers, mashed banana in every bite.

Christmas hazelnut balls rolled in powdered sugar, a buttery shortbread-style cookie with ground hazelnuts and vanilla. No eggs needed, melt-in-your-mouth tender.