Dessert recipes

Rich, glossy chocolate mint sauce made in the microwave in just 15 minutes. Drizzle over ice cream, brownies, or cake for a cool minty finish.

Golden amaranth shortcake made with amaranth flour, whole wheat pastry flour, tahini, and almonds, topped with crushed pineapple and a blended tofu cream. Dairy-free and honey-sweetened.

Moist, light and delicious plum bread is good for breakfast, or can be a light and refreshing dessert after the main course.

Low-calorie berry bars made with a tangy buttermilk batter topped with fresh or frozen blueberries and raspberries, finished with sugar and lemon zest. No butter needed. Just 48 calories per bar.

Cranberry ice with raspberry wine or liqueur, churned in an ice cream maker for a tart, refreshing low-fat frozen dessert. Garnished with fresh mint and sugared cranberries.

Heath bar mocha cheesecake: a coffee-spiked cream cheese filling on a chocolate cookie crust loaded with toffee bits, crowned with chocolate ganache and more crushed Heath bars. Coffee, toffee, and chocolate in one slice.

Bailey's fudge cake is a dense, boozy single-layer chocolate cake spiked with Irish cream and chocolate syrup, finished with a sour cream Bailey's glaze and chocolate-dipped pecan halves. Showpiece dessert, low effort.

Penny sous are handmade peanut butter ganache truffles dipped in tempered chocolate and topped with a single toasted peanut. Four-ingredient chocolatier-level dessert.

Heart shaped cookie bakes a giant chocolate chip cookie in a 9-inch heart pan, then crowns it with melted chocolate frosting. Edible Valentine's gift you frost and decorate at home.

Lighter pumpkin chiffon pie set in a crackling honey-brushed phyllo crust. Gelatin-stabilized filling with whipped egg whites for a cloud-soft texture and far less fat than custard pie.

Chocolate drop cookies are soft, cake-like buttermilk cookies made with melted unsweetened chocolate and chopped walnuts. An old-fashioned drop cookie recipe that yields 3 dozen.

Pfeffernuesse are traditional German Christmas peppernut cookies, fragrant with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and a hint of black pepper, studded with citron and almonds and a touch of brandy. A heritage holiday cookie.

Kahlua pecan pie cookies with a buttery brown sugar cookie cup filled with a caramel pecan center spiked with coffee liqueur. A two-bite spin on pecan pie.

Lemon oat lacies are crisp, lacy oatmeal cookies brightened with fresh lemon zest and dusted with powdered sugar. Buttery shortbread meets oatmeal in a delicate egg-free cookie.

A self-saucing cocoa espresso pudding cake that creates its own hot fudge layer as it bakes. Boiling water poured over the batter before baking does all the work. Serve warm for 6 to 8.

Double chocolate chip cookies with cocoa-rich dough, buttermilk for tang and tender texture, and semi-sweet chocolate chips throughout. Soft-set centers and chewy edges every time.