Dessert/9 recipes

Double chocolate chip cookies with two cups of chocolate melted right into the dough and two more folded in whole. Deep, fudgy, brownie-like cookies packed with chips.

Torta: a rich, golden anise-scented yeast cake made with egg yolks and butter, brushed with melted butter and topped with grated cheese and sugar. An Old-World Mediterranean sweet bread for holidays and celebrations.

To see a very similar dessert I made this summer, check out my Grilled Peaches with Coconut Milk Ice Cream recipe.

Easy cranberry cheesecake with tart cranberries and bright orange zest folded into a creamy filling and baked in a graham-dusted pie plate. A festive, holiday-ready dessert with a sweet-tart balance.

Kolachkes are Polish-American cream cheese cookies: a tender butter-and-cream-cheese dough wrapped around fruit jam, walnut, or sweet cheese filling. Rolled in powdered sugar instead of flour.

Make these delicious brownie cupcakes for your Easter party, not only kids will love them, but also grown-ups.

Cream puff cake built on a from-scratch choux pastry crust, layered with a vanilla pudding and cream cheese filling, whipped topping, and a chocolate drizzle. Tastes like a giant eclair in 9x13 form.

Old-fashioned sour cream raisin pie with chopped raisins folded into a tangy custard finished with nutmeg and a touch of lemon juice. Serves equally well warm, at room temperature, or chilled the next day.

Lite cheesecake with raspberry sauce uses nonfat cream cheese and 2% cottage cheese for a silky, tangy slice without the guilt. Topped with bright homemade raspberry sauce.

English Derby cheesecake folds whipped egg whites into a cream cheese, sour cream, and lemon batter for a tall, cloud-light texture. A classic British baked cheesecake with a slow oven cool that prevents cracks.

Apple sour cream pie with Granny Smith apples and golden raisins in a tangy custard filling under a lattice crust. A creamy twist on classic apple pie where the sour cream adds richness and a slight tang.

Double chocolate bar cake with melted milk chocolate, cocoa, and sour cream batter, filled and frosted with whipped chocolate cream. A light, airy three-layer stunner.

Lenny's cheesecake: a crustless, velvety sour cream cheesecake baked in a water bath for that silky-smooth texture. Five ingredients, zero fuss, pure New York diner classic.

A rich sour cream chocolate cake with a cocoa fudge filling marbled through the batter, creating "craters" as it bakes. Topped with chopped nuts and a dusting of powdered sugar. One pan, zero fuss.

Cream cheese frosting with butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Thick, spreadable, and made for carrot cake or zucchini cake. Comes together in 15 minutes with just 4 ingredients.

Star-shaped chocolate sandwich cookies cut from a chewy cocoa-and-chip sheet bake, then filled with sweet cream cheese frosting. A festive holiday cookie that looks fancy but skips the rolled-dough fuss.