Dessert/6 recipes

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.

Pecan fingers with a buttery shortbread base and a chewy brown sugar pecan topping, dusted with powdered sugar. Two-layer bar cookies made entirely in the microwave.