Dessert/9 recipes

Plum torte presses Italian prune plums into a buttery cake batter, dusts with cinnamon-sugar and lemon juice, and bakes for an hour. The classic NYT September torte that freezes for winter.

This passover chocolate roll takes some efforts, but it's well worth it. It comes out smooth, creamy and full of chocolate flavor, everyone will look for a second piece!

Low-fat barley kugel studded with cinnamon apples and plump raisins. This lighter twist on a Jewish comfort classic swaps butter for yogurt yet still delivers that creamy, custardy bite.

Festive slice-and-bake Christmas tree cookies kissed with almond extract, rolled in sparkly green sugar crystals. Shape, chill, slice, and bake for a show-stopping holiday cookie tray.

Lemon pound cake with a fine, buttery crumb and bright citrus zest, baked in a bundt or mini loaves. Old-fashioned five-egg richness with no leavening except properly creamed butter.

Boston cookies are an old-fashioned drop cookie with cinnamon, raisins and chopped walnuts in a simple butter-sugar base. Soft in the middle, lightly chewy at the edges, ready in 30 minutes.

Tomato ginger upside-down cake with fresh grated ginger, molasses, brown sugar, and sliced tomatoes baked under a spiced buttermilk batter. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Curry buttered popcorn tossed with golden raisins and fresh diced apple. A sweet, savory, and warmly spiced snack ready in 10 minutes flat.

Mom Stern's noodle kugel with wide egg noodles, sliced apples, raisins, and a sweet egg custard baked until crispy on top and springy inside. A classic Jewish comfort dessert.

Buttery cocoa crescent cookies loaded with ground pecans and rolled in powdered sugar. Melt-in-your-mouth tender with a deep chocolate twist on the classic Mexican wedding cookie. Makes about 3.5 dozen.

No-bake cheesecake with graham cracker walnut crust, applesauce-swirled filling, and warm spiced apple topping. Mix filling uses box convenience with fresh flavor from lemon and homemade sauce.

Low-fat cocoa brownie bars made with egg whites, nonfat yogurt, and cocoa powder instead of butter and chocolate. Fudgy brownie cookie bars dusted with powdered sugar.

Melt in your mouth Russian tea cookies with walnuts. Perfect accompaniment for a cup of tea.

No-bake Rice Krispie balls combine melted peanut butter and butter with crisp rice cereal and chopped nuts, rolled in powdered sugar. Five ingredients, 15 minutes, zero oven time.

Hawaiian macadamia nut cheesecake with a graham-macadamia crust, lilikoi (passion fruit) sauce, and strawberry sauce. A tropical island dessert with two fruit sauces.

Tomato and basil puff pastry tarts with vine-ripened slices over a thick tomato coulis. Shatteringly crisp pastry, no soggy bottoms, six individual rounds.