Dessert recipes

Fig honey cookies with dried figs, coconut, orange zest, and lemon extract in a honey-sweetened drop cookie. Chewy fruit-filled bites with a warm citrus fragrance.

Chewy Greek almond macaroons made with ground almonds, egg whites, and fragrant rosewater create gluten-free cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

This recipe, though fussy to make, is attractive and tasty. Cheryl Kaufenberg of Darien said it came from a very old Better Homes & Gardens magazine

Chocolate lover's cake with four thin layers of sour cream chocolate cake sandwiched with fudge frosting and topped with chopped pecans. Bare sides show off the dramatic layered interior.

Warm pear pudding cake with pecans, cinnamon, and cloves baked under a bubbling brown sugar caramel sauce. An old-fashioned comfort dessert best served hot with ice cream or whipped cream.

Homemade German-style mustard with whole mustard seeds, cider vinegar, cinnamon, allspice, and honey. Bold, grainy, and fiery. Keeps in the fridge for months. Gift-jar worthy.

Two-egg layer cake with seven-minute frosting: a classic butter-and-milk yellow cake paired with the legendary cloud-like boiled egg-white frosting. Retro Americana baking at its finest.

Banana orange chiffon cake: light and fluffy as angel food but moister and richer, scented with mashed banana and fresh orange juice. Topped with a glossy orange-zest powdered sugar frosting.

No-bake crispy rice squares sweetened with rice syrup instead of marshmallows, bound with almond butter and tahini, studded with chocolate chips, almonds, and coconut. Vegan-friendly.

Sweet corn syrup custard studded with flaked coconut, baked in a flaky pie shell. Simple Southern dessert with vanilla and almond.

Diabetic-friendly pineapple bundt cake: sugar-substitute cake with chunks of unsweetened pineapple and a juice soak. Low-sugar dessert for diabetic meal plans without losing flavor.

No-bake peanut butter rocky road bars made in the microwave with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, marshmallows, and salted peanuts. Ready in 10 minutes, chilled in 1 hour.

If you're looking for a new dessert for Christmas dinner, try this delicious cake that is scrumptious to the last bite.

Lower-calorie chocolate ripple cake baked in a clay pot with a coconut cream cheese swirl. Made with nonfat cream cheese, egg whites, and fat-free sour cream. Serves 12.

No-bake cheesecake filling on a cinnamon cookie crust, topped with golden meringue. The filling sets from condensed milk and lemon juice, no water bath needed.

Pound cake brownies blend buttery pound cake richness with melted chocolate and chopped nuts. Dense, fudgy bars with a tender crumb, dusted with powdered sugar.