Dessert/9 recipes

Experimentation led Mary Ann Zarczynski of Franklin to create this recipe, which she described as "very rich and delicious."

Lemon cream and nut cookies, buttery shortbread ovals spread with homemade lemon curd and crowned with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, prunes, rum-soaked raisins, and candied orange. A jewel-box holiday cookie.

Toffee crunch chocolate chip cookies with oats, chopped toffee candy bars, pecans, and semi-sweet chocolate. Made in a food processor for fast, even mixing and chewy-crisp texture.

Twice-baked Italian almond cookies studded with bright maraschino cherries, spiked with kirsch and Grand Marnier. Perfect holiday gift.

Classic Alsatian apple charlotte with milk-soaked bread, cinnamon-spiced apples, chopped almonds, and a splash of kirsch. Baked in a bundt pan until golden, this rustic French dessert is pure comfort.

Passover sponge cake with pineapple juice concentrate, almonds, lemon and orange zest, made with potato starch and cake meal. Light, airy, and flour-free.

Peanut butter cookies studded with chocolate toffee bits and crowned with peanut halves. Makes 7 dozen tender, chewy cookies with crispy edges in just 30 minutes.

Cranberry torte bundt cake loaded with dates, pecans, and fresh cranberries, soaked in a warm orange juice glaze. A dense, fruity holiday cake that improves overnight in the fridge.

A buttery banana sour cream cake swirled with cinnamon-brown sugar, chopped walnuts, and chocolate chips. Part coffee cake, part banana bread, all comfort. Feeds 16 happy people.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cake with cocoa, walnuts, and a double hit of chocolate chips baked into a dense, fudgy 9x13 sheet cake. No frosting needed.

Pumpkin chocolate chip bundt cake made with sweetened pumpkin pie filling and warm cinnamon, studded with semisweet chocolate chips. A one-bowl mix and pour into a tube pan, no special pans or steps needed.

Triple threat cookies from one dough split three ways: peanut butter cup, M&M with pecans, and classic chocolate chip. Three cookie varieties from a single batch of butter dough.

Chocolate cupcakes filled with creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting piped right into the center. Rich cocoa buttermilk cake with a surprise peanut butter filling in every bite.

Goblin Goodies oatmeal cookies with orange zest, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, and orange and brown chocolate candies. A festive Halloween drop cookie loaded with mix-ins.

Sugar-free raisin Bundt cake made with sweetener and warm spices, boiled with raisins for moisture, perfect for diabetic-friendly desserts.

Soft chocolate chunk cookies with a hidden boost of peanut butter for tenderness, plus chunks of dark chocolate and chopped walnuts in every bite. Baked low and slow for chewy centers.