22 sweetmeat recipes

Sugar-crusted pecans spiked with habanero chile powder, folded into chocolate cake batter for a sweet-heat surprise in every bite. Five ingredients, ten minutes, and your chocolate cake will never be boring again.

Pork tacos with tropical papaya salsa bring sweet heat to Taco Tuesday. Baked with melty Monterey Jack, crowned with lime-bright papaya, pineapple, mint, and red chili for a fresh twist on the classic.

A gourmet vegan black bean chili loaded with chanterelle and shiitake mushrooms, five types of chiles, spelt berries, fresh corn, and dried sour cherries. Simmered in tomato and orange juice for layers of earthy, smoky, sweet heat.

Buche de Marrons au Chocolat, a French chestnut and chocolate log (no-bake variation of buche de Noel) with Calvados, wrapped in whipped cream bark and garnished with candied violets. A show-stopping Christmas dessert.

Quick-fix cookies turn store-bought refrigerated cookie dough into two bakery-style treats: chocolate-drizzled chocolate chip sticks and orange-cinnamon sugar leaves. Two batches, twenty minutes of work.

A naturally gluten-free flourless chocolate cake with ground almonds and whipped egg whites, finished with a glossy chocolate-honey glaze. Dense, rich, and intensely chocolatey with a crusty top and silky interior.