Dessert/5 recipes

Rich chocolate cake bakes over boiling water to create a molten pudding layer underneath, delivering warm spoon-tender comfort in every bite.

Illinois apple pie stars Granny Smith apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg tucked under a milk-washed, sugar-dusted double crust. A Midwestern classic that bakes up golden and bubbly.

White chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts, chunky and bakery-sized at a third cup of dough each. Crispy golden edges with a soft, buttery center that freezes well for weeks.

Red velvet pound cake baked low and slow in a tube pan with cocoa, shortening, and seven eggs for a dense, velvety crumb. Topped with cream cheese icing.

Buttermilk chocolate cake with fudge icing, a moist, tender chocolate sheet cake made with buttermilk and boiling water, topped with a cooked, poured fudge frosting that sets glossy and rich.

French apple pie with a thick applesauce and honey filling topped with concentric rings of sliced Granny Smith apples and a glossy apricot glaze. An elegant, low-fat tart-style pie.

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.

Old-fashioned molasses gingersnaps with deep molasses flavor, a full tablespoon of ground ginger, and that signature crackled top. Crisp at the edges, slightly chewy in the center.

Semi-homemade chocolate cake with a gooey caramel, roasted peanut, and milk chocolate chip layer baked right into the center. Starts with a box mix and six ingredients. Tastes like a giant chocolate turtle bar in cake form.

Whole wheat carrot cake sweetened with honey instead of sugar, spiced with cinnamon, and baked into a moist, dense sheet cake. A healthier spin on the classic.

Low-fat lemon poppy seed bran pound cake with oat bran, non-fat lemon yogurt, and egg whites. The classic bright lemon-poppy flavor with a tender bundt crumb and a tangy lemon glaze.

Maple macadamia biscotti made with real maple syrup, maple extract, applesauce, and chopped macadamia nuts. Twice-baked to a crisp, dry crunch for dunking in coffee.

Honey beer cake baked in a tube pan with apple butter, orange juice, walnuts, raisins, and warm spices. A dense, fragrant cake with five layers of sweetness and a beer-malt backbone.

Buttery shortbread crust topped with sticky honey-pecan caramel that sets into chewy, candied perfection. Cut into diamonds and dust with powdered sugar for elegant cookie bars.

Potato Cake is a classic chocolate sheet cake with mashed potatoes folded into the batter - creating a tender, moist crumb without any potato flavor. Walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Better than sex cake is a four-layer chocolate-pecan icebox dessert: a buttery pecan shortbread crust, sweet cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and whipped topping. A make-ahead potluck legend.