Dessert/9 recipes

Fattigmann is a Norwegian fried pastry cookie flavored with cardamom or cinnamon, twisted into slit diamonds and crisped in lard. A traditional Scandinavian Christmas treat with powdered sugar.

Orange carrot cake baked in a tube pan with grated carrots, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest, finished with a tangy orange glaze. A bright twist on classic carrot cake.

Meringue pecan pie binds Ritz cracker crumbs and chopped pecans into a stiff egg-white meringue, then bakes into a chewy-crisp slice. No pie crust required. Top with ice cream or fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Christmas is never complete without a visit from the aromatic, sweet-tasting gingerbread kids.

No-egg applesauce cake with cocoa, warm spices, raisins, and nuts. Three cups of hot applesauce replace the eggs and most of the fat for an incredibly moist, spiced sheet cake.

Molasses ginger snaps with the classic crackled tops that form as the dough balls melt and spread. Warmly spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, these crisp-edged cookies are a holiday baking staple.

Fried apple pies with a cheddar cheese pastry and a cinnamon-apple filling with grated cheese. A Southern hand pie fried golden in a skillet.

Finnish pecan balls (Finnish snowballs) made with butter, cake flour, and toasted pecans, rolled twice in powdered sugar for a melt-in-your-mouth holiday cookie.

Meringue berry pie features an almond Pavlova-style shell holding vanilla ice cream, mixed fresh berries, and a homemade raspberry sauce. Crisp on the outside, marshmallow soft inside, with summer fruit on top.

Mexican wedding cookies (polvorones) made with butter, finely chopped pecans, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon, rolled in powdered sugar while still warm. Tender, crumbly, and melt-in-your-mouth.

Pecan shortbread cookies shaped into little ovals and rolled in powdered sugar. Only 4 ingredients, no eggs, mixed by hand, and they melt in your mouth. A Mexican wedding cookie cousin that makes 4 dozen.

Mandel-Halbmonde are German almond crescents: buttery shortbread cookies shaped like half-moons, baked pale, then rolled twice in powdered sugar. The kind of melt-in-your-mouth Christmas cookie every German bakery puts on the holiday plate.

Roll-and-cut almond cookies with toasted sliced almonds folded into a buttery dough and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Crisp edges, tender centers, and a double hit of vanilla and almond extract.

Simple Chinese almond cookies that stay pale and cream-colored, decorated with whole almonds or red food coloring dots. Traditional cookies perfect for celebrations.

Mediterranean almond cookies made with ground almonds, egg whites, and candied cherries. Low-temperature baked treats dusted with powdered sugar and optional rosewater.

Savory peanut butter and sharp cheddar cookies with a buttery crumble. No sugar needed. These crispy, golden bites are the snack you didn't know you were craving.