Dessert recipes

Rolled animal cookies made from buttery sugar cookie dough with cream, cut into animal shapes and decorated with colored sugar, chocolate sprinkles, and raisins. Great for Christmas tree ornaments.

Kentucky Apple Festival Pie with Shortening Crust recipe

Pineapple meringue pie with a cornstarch-thickened pineapple-lemon filling under tall, glossy peaks of beaten egg white. A bright, citrusy twist on the classic lemon meringue.

Pear and apricot tart layers fanned pears and apricot halves over almond paste filling in a buttery almond pastry, then glazes with apple jelly. A bakery-worthy fruit tart for special occasions.

No-bake blueberry banana pie with a sweetened cream cheese layer, fresh banana slices, blueberry pie filling, and whipped cream in a pre-baked shell.

Macadamia white chocolate cookies with raspberry jam stirred into the batter for fruity sweetness. Buttery, chewy, and ready in under 30 minutes.

Tea timers, dainty triangle-cut sour cream cookies rolled in graham cracker crumbs and flecked with orange and pecans. Crisp, lightly sweet little wedges built for an afternoon teacup.

I was skeptical about savory cheddar cheese in a sweet cheesecake, but I still went on and made the cheesecake. I'm so glad that I did, because it actually tasted delicious.

A vegan chocolate-cinnamon torte made with tofu and sugar substitute, glazed with a glossy mocha fudge topping spiked with espresso. No eggs, no dairy, and completely plant-based without sacrificing richness.

Maple syrup oatmeal cookies use real maple syrup as the only sweetener (no white or brown sugar). Soft, chewy, and naturally sweetened with two dozen cookies in 35 minutes.

Chewy molasses drop cookies loaded with candied fruit and warm spices like cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, and allspice. These colorful Christmas Jewels look like stained glass on a cookie platter.

Divine Southern decadence cake: chocolate wafer and toasted coconut crust, dense fudgy chocolate-cashew filling with espresso and hazelnut liqueur, finished with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Oven-fried apple hand pies with a pizza-crust dough wrapped around a spiced dried apple filling. Easier than rolling pastry, golden in 17 minutes, ideal for lunchboxes and picnics.

Jamaican chocolate cake soaked in cinnamon rum syrup, coated in melted semi-sweet chocolate, and studded with almonds. A spiced, boozy Caribbean dessert worth the wait.

Flourless chocolate cream cake made with semi-sweet chocolate, pecans, and Irish cream liqueur, crowned with a pillowy Irish cream whipped cream topping.

Gluten-free sesame rice cookies made with tahini, honey, rice flour, and almonds. Nutty, naturally sweetened, and tender with a delicate crumb that melts on the tongue.