Dessert/5 recipes

Pumpkin macaroons made with ground pecans, coconut, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup. Light and chewy egg white cookies sweetened naturally without refined sugar. Baked low and slow.

Soft spiced raisin drop cookies made with cookie mix, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, topped with a smooth vanilla butter frosting. A semi-homemade shortcut for holiday cookie trays.

Soft maple walnut oatmeal cookies with brown sugar and cinnamon, topped with maple-flavored frosting and a walnut half. Chewy, sweet, and warmly spiced.

Buttermilk chocolate cake made with real unsweetened chocolate and topped with a from-scratch dark chocolate frosting. A rich, tender two-layer cake with deep cocoa flavor.

Summer celebration chocolate cake swaps some oil for applesauce in a buttermilk-cocoa sheet cake, topped with quick chocolate frosting. A potluck-ready eggless crowd-pleaser.

Raisin-spice cookies made with oatmeal cookie mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, raisins, and chopped nuts. A quick drop cookie with warm holiday spices that makes four dozen in under 30 minutes.

Low-calorie blueberry parfaits layered with vanilla frozen yogurt, warm blueberry-apricot sauce, and slivered almonds. Four ingredients, 15 minutes, and gorgeous in a glass.

Chocolate Pecan Shortbread with Chocolate Glaze recipe

Hand-shaped vanilla almond cookies baked low and slow for a tender, shortbread-like crumb. Simple butter cookie dough with finely chopped almonds throughout.

Crunchy apple pie with chopped pecans, brown sugar, and a foamy egg white batter baked in a single crust. Open-faced with a crisp, golden top.

Deep-fried choux pastry bites with pecans and maple extract, tossed in powdered sugar. A crispy, nutty treat using classic pate a choux dough ready in 15 minutes.

Amaretto cookies fold flaked coconut, chopped almonds, and amaretto liqueur into a stiff egg white meringue base. Crisp-outside, chewy-inside macaroon-style drops with a grown-up almond-liqueur backbone.

Poppy seed ravioli cookies filled with a blended almond-poppy seed-honey filling, folded like tiny ravioli, and brushed with honey after baking. A unique holiday cookie project.

Spiced sheet cake with brown sugar and warm spices gets topped with walnut meringue frosting that bakes on for a crunchy, marshmallow-like finish.

Flourless-style chocolate almond cake made with toasted ground almonds, melted dark chocolate, and just a quarter cup of flour. Light, fudgy, and lifted by whipped egg whites for a fallen souffle texture.

Little fruit cake squares packed with chopped dates, candied cherries, and pecans, baked in a 9-inch pan and rolled in powdered sugar. Bite-sized holiday treats.