Dessert/9 recipes

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.

Hot fudge pudding cake that creates its own chocolate sauce as it bakes. Cocoa batter topped with sugar and hot water transforms into cake over a pool of rich fudge sauce.

Soft cocoa oatmeal cookies with plump raisins, made with egg whites instead of whole eggs. A lighter chocolate cookie that stays chewy and satisfying for days.

Family tree cookies are giant chocolate cookies shaped like trees with branches for piping family names. A fun baking project with kids using cocoa dough, chocolate chips, and royal icing.

Chocolate malt ice cream sandwiches pair slice-and-bake chocolate cookies with a homemade malted chocolate ice cream lightened with skim milk and egg whites. A nostalgic, from-scratch frozen treat.

Chocolate crossword cookies: thick, chewy chocolate bar cookies loaded with chocolate chips, baked in a pan and cut into squares. A bake-sale favorite with a brownie-cookie hybrid texture.

Buttery slice-and-bake cookies studded with chopped almonds or hazelnuts, then dipped in melted chocolate. Crisp, nutty, and elegant enough for a holiday cookie box.

Three-layer butter pecan cake filled with rich, from-scratch burnt-sugar caramel, frosted in buttercream and crusted with pecans. A classic Southern caramel cake worth the fuss.

Peanut butter cup cookies: soft peanut butter cookie dough baked in mini muffin tins, with a whole mini peanut butter cup pressed into each one straight out of the oven. A melt-in-the-middle Christmas favorite.

Beehive cookies are chewy, golden drop cookies made with honey, shredded coconut, walnuts, and chopped dates. Naturally sweet with no refined sugar, ready in 30 minutes.

Moist chocolate truffle cake with melted semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa, butter, and whipped egg whites. Dense, fudgy, and barely set in the center. Just a dusting of powdered sugar.