Dessert/7 recipes

Banana layer cake stacks two tender 8-inch rounds and slathers them in a real banana frosting brightened with lemon juice. Twice the banana, twice the reason to skip the boxed mix.

Oatmeal crisps are thin, crackle-edged cookies pressed flat before baking for maximum crunch. Brown sugar, rolled oats, and a splash of soured milk give a deep caramel chew at the center and snap on every bite.

Hot milk cake topped with toasted coconut and brown sugar. A vintage sponge cake made by adding boiling milk to beaten eggs, then finished with a broiled coconut topping.

White chocolate glazed anisette biscotti with toasted hazelnuts, crushed star anise, and almond extract. Crisp twice-baked Italian cookies with a creamy sweet glaze.

Buttercream filled oatmeal sandwich cookies: chewy oat-and-corn-syrup rounds sandwiched around a silky cooked-yolk buttercream. Bakery-style sandwich cookies for tins and dessert trays.

Italian biscotti with toasted walnuts, orange zest, and black pepper. The savory-sweet hybrid that pairs with dessert wine, cheese, or after-dinner coffee.

Mocha truffle cake: a flourless dark chocolate cake built with a pound of chocolate, a pound of butter, eight eggs, and strong coffee. Chilled overnight and frosted with vanilla whipped cream.

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies pack 2 1/2 cups of rolled oats with semi-sweet chocolate chips and optional nuts into a chewy or crisp drop cookie. Choose the bake time to nail your texture.

Fudge pudding cake that bakes into two layers: chocolate cake on top and a rich fudge sauce on the bottom. A self-saucing dessert with walnuts and real chocolate.

Lemon sours are three-layer cookie bars with a buttery shortbread base, coconut-nut filling, and tangy lemon glaze on top. A sweet-tart bar cookie that cuts into neat squares.

Slice-and-bake chocolate cookies made with melted unsweetened chocolate, Dr. Pepper soda, and chopped walnuts. The soda adds a subtle spiced sweetness you can't quite place but can't stop eating.

A from-scratch coconut custard pie with a silky cream and egg yolk filling loaded with shredded coconut, topped with billowy golden meringue. Old-fashioned diner pie done right at home.

Orange cherry biscotti: twice-baked Italian cookies studded with dried cherries and zested orange. Crisp, dunkable, and nearly fat-free. Pairs with coffee, tea, or sweet dessert wine.

Chocolate spritz cookies made with cocoa and real butter, pressed into shapes and drizzled with melted semi-sweet chocolate. A holiday cookie press classic.

Crisp, crumbly Swedish coconut cookies leavened with baker's ammonia for an ultra-light snap. Rolled into walnut-sized balls and baked until golden. Makes 4 dozen buttery, coconut-flecked treats in under an hour.

Peanut butter rounds rolled in egg white and coated in toasted wheat germ for a nutty, crunchy crust. Dark brown sugar, sesame seeds and a touch of nutmeg set these apart from the usual fork-criss-crossed peanut butter cookie.