Dessert
3839 recipes found
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Brazo de Mercedes (Filipino Meringue Roll)
This pillowy Filipino meringue roll filled with rich lemon-scented custard is a true celebration of eggs.
Pistachio-Almond Cookies
Cardamom has a mysterious flavor that’s hard to describe — sweet, peppery, sharp, a hint of citrus. It’s an outstanding spice that can be put to good use in many types of baked goods. Long cherished in the Middle East and India, pistachios are having a moment in the United States: Many bakeries are now featuring pistachio-filled croissants, for instance. These cookies have a slightly soft center, with a crisp exterior.
Chocolate Fondue
Chocolate fondue is not a traditional dessert but a creation of the 1960s, first conjured up at Chalet Suisse, an alpine-themed restaurant in New York, by Konrad Egli, a Swiss chef and restaurateur far from home. This version is a simple equation of chocolate and heavy cream — essentially ganache, but in different proportions. Warm the cream, pour it over the chocolate and stir. A touch of salt brings the flavor into focus. You don’t need a fondue pot or even a double boiler: Just jury-rig a heatproof rack over a candle, or fill a pot or bowl with boiling water and tuck a smaller bowl inside it. (The key is not to melt the chocolate directly over flame, as this may result in scorching or a grainy, broken mixture.) Serve with whatever you think a little gilding with chocolate makes better: maybe bright crescents of clementines, candied yuzu peel, chewy stubs of mochi, butter-heavy pound cake or whole strawberries like fat little hearts.
Suspiro a la Limeña (Caramel Pudding With Port Meringue)
Suspiro a la limeña, sometimes called suspiro de limeña, is one of Peru’s most popular desserts. The dessert may have originated in Lima, Peru, more than 100 years ago. According to lore, the wife of José Gálvez Barrenechea, a Peruvian poet, made him a custard dessert topped with fresh meringue that was spiked with port. The story goes that he loved the dessert so much that he decided to name it “suspiro a la limeña,” which translates loosely to the sigh of a lady from Lima. This recipe, adapted from “Peru: The Cookbook” (Phaidon, 2015) by Gastón Acurio, a renowned Peruvian chef who opened restaurants like La Mar and Tanta, uses evaporated and condensed milks to make a sweet base that’s reminiscent of dulce de leche. The dessert takes some patience, but the results are sublime.
Angel Food Cake
The magic behind angel food cake’s light-as-air-texture is its meringue-based batter. No leaveners or fats are used in this fluffy dessert; instead, cake flour is folded into egg whites and whipped to stiff peaks with superfine sugar. (Make sure the egg whites have no trace of yolks and that the bowl of your stand mixer is very clean.) An ungreased angel food cake tube pan ensures the cake rises properly, and using one with a removable center helps it more easily release. Cool the cake upside down to maintain its structure (if your pan doesn't have feet, rest it over a wine bottle). Angel food cake is glorious served with barely sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries, or drizzled with chocolate or strawberry sauce.
Mochi
Sticky, chewy and pleasantly sweet, these Japanese rice cakes are fairly simple to make at home, but getting the right dough texture and assembly requires a little time and attention. Mochiko, a glutinous sweet rice flour, is simply combined with sugar and water to make the dough. Some recipes call for steaming the dough on the stove but here, the microwave is used to speed up the process, transforming it from opaque to glossy and almost translucent. To ensure the dough doesn’t stick when rolling it out, don’t be shy with the cornstarch, and keep a bowl of water on hand for dipping any utensils. For a pop of color, add a few drops of food coloring, then fill the rounds of dough with your favorite ice cream. (They can also be filled with red bean paste; see alternative method.) Mochi is enjoyed year-round, but it’s traditionally eaten around Japanese New Year festivities.
Ferni (Iranian Rice Flour Pudding)
Ferni (also called fereni or firni) is a nostalgic and comforting rose-scented Iranian pudding thickened with rice flour. Variations, with different names, can be found in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and beyond. This version is adapted from Fariba Nafissi, an Iranian pastry chef and the owner of Zozobaking in Los Angeles. Ferni can be served cold, as a delicately sweetened dessert, topped with fresh or dried fruits. It can also be served warm on chillier days. In Iranian culture, the hot version is used to comfort the body during an illness, like a sore throat or a stomach ache, according to Ms. Nafissi. The infusion of rosewater is one of the hallmarks of ferni, but you can also use the same amount of orange blossom water, or vanilla extract (about 1 teaspoon), if you prefer. The pudding has a custardlike consistency and comes together very quickly. But you will be required to continually whisk so that the pudding is smooth and does not stick to the bottom of the pan – resist the urge to walk away as it thickens. Ms. Nafissi recommends using a 2-quart nonstick saucepan. (If using another type of pan, lower and adjust the heat accordingly.)
Zeppole
Warm, fluffy and dusted generously with sugar, these rustic doughnuts have an ancient Roman history but are now fixtures at Italian-American street fairs. For a sweet treat at home, zeppole can be made with everyday pantry ingredients and no special equipment. The dough comes together quickly — it’s wet and sticky, more like a batter. The bite-sized doughnuts are formed by scooping tablespoonfuls of the dough into hot oil (no shaping required!), and they puff and brown as they cook. Finish them with a classic sprinkling of powdered sugar, roll them in granulated sugar for added crunch, or try a combination of granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Black Sesame Rice Krispies Treats
The combination of butter-fried black sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil creates an aromatic whammy of nutty sesame flavor in otherwise classic Rice Krispies treats. To quickly and evenly distribute the cereal in the sticky melted marshmallows, it helps to use two utensils and stir the blend like you’re frying rice. Pressing the mixture into a 9-inch square baking pan turns out perfect squares, but the size and shape of your vessel is up to you. Another option is to spread out the mixture on a greased sheet pan into airy clusters. If you want to feel like a kid (or are one), you can put those clusters into a bowl and pour over milk to enjoy as cereal.
Maple Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
These soft, lightly spiced oatmeal cookies have a sweet surprise in the middle: a pocket of syrupy blueberry-maple jam.The jam helps keep the cookies soft and tender for days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature, so you can bake a batch over the weekend and snack on them all week long. If you can find frozen wild blueberries to make the compote, these will have an even more intense berry flavor, but any blueberries will work in these homey treats.
Pistachio Chocolate Bark
Not so much a dessert as a little something sweet to nibble on, chocolate bark is easy to make and always popular. This one calls for just two ingredients and a little time for something everyone will talk about. Serve on a platter at the center of a dinner party table, or pack some up for everyone to take home.
Rosca de Reyes
For many Mexicans and Mexican Americans celebrating Epiphany on January 6, Three Kings Day begins by picking up a rosca de reyes from a local bakery and enjoying the sweet, ring-shaped bread with family members. This traditional recipe comes from La Monarca Bakery in Los Angeles, which sells at least 5,000 of these festive desserts every year. The bread’s design is symbolic: The circular form represents eternal love from God, and the colorful decorations resemble the jewels on the crowns of the Magi. Many bakeries in the United States and Mexico use red and green strips of acitrón — a candy made from cactus — but because the cactus is endangered, the candy can be difficult to find. Home cooks often substitute quince paste, guava paste or dried fruits like those in fruitcake. Similar to king cake, the bread often has a figurine (or fava bean or walnut) tucked inside from the bottom after it is done baking; the person who finds it is often tasked with hosting a Candlemas feast on February 2. Rosca de reyes is typically served with champurrado, café de olla or hot chocolate.
Cannoli
Although the filling for traditional Sicilian cannoli is made with sheep’s-milk ricotta, which is a little funkier and more complex than cow’s milk, it’s hard to find in the United States, so just look for the absolute best-quality whole-milk ricotta you can find (preferably one that’s locally made). The ingredients are fairly easy to find, but you will need some equipment for this recipe: a set of eight 5 1/2- to 6-inch cannoli molds, which you can easily purchase online.
Açaí Bowl
The star of this refreshing and vibrant bowl is the açaí berry, a small, round fruit native to the Amazon rainforest. When picked from the palm on which it grows, the fruit is bitter with hints of chocolate, and slightly tangy; by the time the berries reach supermarkets (açaí is widely available nowadays), they have been pitted and turned into a frozen purée. Simply thaw the packets for a couple minutes and combine with milk and a handful of other frozen fruits in a high-powered blender for a quick breakfast or dessert. Be mindful not to thin it out too much — the consistency should be thicker than a smoothie so you can eat it with a spoon. Top açaí bowls as you like, with a variety of fruits, nuts, granola and honey.
Dulce de Leche
A can and a plan: That’s all it takes to make the simplest version of dulce de leche, the thick, caramel-like spread found throughout Latin and South America. Pop an unopened tin of sweetened condensed milk into a pot and fill with water; after a few hours of simmering, you’ll open the can to find it’s turned deeply golden brown. Drizzle homemade dulce de leche over ice cream, use it in desserts such as banoffee pie or dulce de leche icebox cake, or sub it anywhere you’d typically use caramel. (To make with whole milk on the stovetop — the more traditional but slightly more complicated way — see Tip.)
Big Chocolate Tart
For how elegant this looks and how complex it tastes, this dessert is incredibly easy to put together. Instead of a dense ganache filling, this one has a shiny top that hovers between the delicate softness of custard and the creaminess of pudding. The crisp-tender cocoa crust is pressed only into the bottom and forgoes the usual sides of a tart because it’s baked in a standard metal cake pan. Not only is this easier to pull off — no rolling sticky pastry or trying to unmold it after baking — it makes a tart big enough to feed a crowd. With a pure chocolate taste that’s great on its own, it also can be customized: simply sprinkle each piece with toppings of your choice.
Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake
This tart and tangy cheesecake utilizes lots of lemon zest and juice for a punchy, bright flavor, plus Greek yogurt for a smooth, light texture that is irresistible. The filling is tucked into a straightforward graham cracker crust, but you could easily substitute an equal amount of gingersnaps for the grahams. Make sure to cool the cooked cheesecake in the oven, with the door slightly ajar, to help avoid cracks. (But if you do end up getting a few cracks, you can just cover them with whipped cream or fresh fruit and no one will be the wiser.) For impressively crisp-edged slices, run a knife under hot water and dry it in between cuts.
Pecan Pralines
To make pralines is to show a great deal of love and care for the recipient of these resplendent treats. This incredible tradition should be embraced: They are perfect to wrap in glassine bags and hand out one by one, or place in a tin by the dozen as gifts. They’re also perfect to eat standing up in your kitchen. A nod to the Louisiana gas station treats of yore, this version cuts through the sweetness with a bit of salt and vanilla paste. For Southerners, the pralines feel like a bit of a homecoming in their warm, sweet (with a bit of salty) nature.
Maritozzi (Sweet Cream Buns)
Soft and stuffed with cream, these buttery buns also have a smear of jam for an additional pop of sweetness in this version of the traditional Italian treat. Maritozzi are a variation of quaresimali, Roman breads made with almond flour and sweetened with honey and dried fruit. Maritozzi are usually made without dried fruit and they’re small, the size of your cupped hand, distinct with their generous filling of cream. Sold in bakeries across Rome, and increasingly around the world, they’re a fun project to make at home too since the steps can be done ahead of time and in stages. This version is tangy with buttermilk and spiced with a hint of nutmeg. They are best enjoyed soon after assembly and can be finished with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar for a bit of extra flair.
Sugared Doughnuts
Made from a delicate yet sturdy brioche dough with rich pats of good butter folded in, these doughnuts are soft with almost feathery middles and a delicious deep golden-brown crust. This recipe begins by letting part of the yeasty dough sit for 20 minutes in what’s known among bakers as a pre-ferment. This simple step, along with full-fat buttermilk, gives the doughnuts a lovely tang, and fresh grated nutmeg adds a hint of spice. Like most yeasted doughs, this recipe will require some time on your part, but the steps can be done ahead of time and in stages. These doughnuts are best had while warm, and a quick toss in granulated sugar delivers crunch with every bite.
Rainbow Rave Cookies
This recipe is adapted from “Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook” by Sohla El-Waylly and is originally titled Lisa Frank Cookies. It earns that name by being a big sucker punch of sugary nostalgia. A trio of extracts (pure vanilla, imitation vanilla and almond) is key to giving these cookies the aura of that prepackaged baked good you might’ve tucked into your lunchbox as a kid, but they’re better because you’re making them fresh. Best of all, they come together in a snap, stirred up in one bowl and baked on the same day. You can throw a rainbow rave for your mouth almost instantly.
Gingerbread Blondies
With the chewy texture of the best fudgy brownie and all the festive flavors of your favorite gingerbread cookies, these spicy bars make a bold statement for the holidays. Browning the butter gives them a deep, caramelized flavor, which rounds out the warming brown sugar and fragrant spices. The white chocolate drizzle on top is purely for looks, so feel free to leave it out if you’re short on time. These bars taste just as good without it.
Matcha Latte Cookies
This is a matcha latte in cookie form. Atop the chewy, Grinch-green cookie sits a cloud of ermine icing, an old-fashioned boiled-milk frosting (like the kind you might find in midcentury American baking and grocery-store cupcakes), whose sugared lightness balances out the more intense, bittersweet base. Out of the oven, these cookies might look puffy, but as they cool on their pans, they will continue to cook and deflate, becoming their truest chewiest selves. If you want to skip the frosting, a little powdered sugar is a lovely, snowy finish.
Lemon Butter Curls
Delicate but sturdy, these lemon butter shortbreads are perfect for a casual afternoon treat or relaxed holiday cookie. A combination of butter, egg yolks and a bit of cornstarch ensures a texture that melts in your mouth. Lemon zest adds a bright sparkle, and a light glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar lends a tart finish. Make these into curls as shown or pipe them into any shape you prefer: Rings, squiggle or pushing the dough through a cookie press can all be fun. You also can roll and shape the dough by hand instead of piping or pressing it.