Dessert/7 recipes

This is one of those "ooooof!" cakes. Between the chocolate ganache and the chocolate mousse filling you might break out in some butter sweats, but it is very worth it. The cake is fluffy and moist, the mousse cool and airy, and the ganache smooth and creamy. A great show off cake for special occasions. Best of all, really easy to make!

Macadamia nut brittle with dried banana chips and coconut, made in the microwave. A tropical twist on classic peanut brittle that's ready in under 15 minutes.

Moosewood fudge brownies made with unsweetened chocolate, brown sugar and five eggs for an ultra-rich, fudgy bar. A classic from the Moosewood cookbook with just six pantry ingredients and no cocoa powder shortcuts.

Chewy orange granola cookies loaded with oats, raisins, sunflower seeds, and honey. Flavored with orange juice concentrate, cinnamon, and cloves for a spiced citrus twist.

Orange almond cheesecake with Amaretto, Cointreau, and fresh orange juice in a graham-almond crust, topped with a gelatin-set Cointreau whipped cream. Truly decadent.

Wholesome sweet potato cookies made with whole-wheat flour, oats, coconut, wheat germ, and chopped nuts, sweetened with honey and brown sugar. Soft, chewy, and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Makes 4 dozen.

Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake), a classic German yeast cake with a caramelized almond topping and vanilla pudding filling. A bakery favorite made at home.

Chewy chocolate peanut butter chip cookies bake up soft in the center with deep cocoa flavor and a full bag of peanut butter chips folded through the dough. A drop-and-bake batch cookie ready in 30 minutes.

Sourdough chocolate cookies, a discard recipe with rolled oats, unsweetened chocolate, and a splash of rum. Rolled and cut with cookie cutters for shaped cookies that taste like a tangier brownie.

Norwegian cookies (biscotti-style) with chocolate chips and a cinnamon sugar topping. Dough baked in long rolls, then sliced diagonally into crisp strips. One batch makes four dozen.

So very rich, so very wonderful. The candied cherries and raisins are sure to make you hungry for more.

California ricotta cake: devil's food cake layers brushed with orange liqueur, filled and frosted with sweet ricotta whipped with cream, orange zest, almonds, and chocolate chips.

Ukrainian almond crescents with a tender sour cream yeast pastry rolled around a ground almond and brown sugar filling. Flaky, nutty, and golden, these Eastern European cookies melt in your mouth.

Black Forest oatmeal cookies with white and semi-sweet chocolate chunks, maraschino cherries, toasted almonds, and almond extract. A bakery-style drop cookie.

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Georgia peanut butter pie baked with a light, fluffy filling made from whipped egg whites folded into peanut butter custard, topped with whipped cream and chopped peanuts.