Sticky toffee pudding is a classic holiday favorite. Date cake is smothered with a toffee topping, lending the sticky element to the dessert. The cake is served with a pecan and crème fraîche topping.

This pumpkin cheesecake from Rose Levy Beranbaum is what it says: pure pumpkin flavor. It’s a great autumn treat that’s even better with a drizzle of caramel.

Dream bars–rich, nutty coconut bars–have been called Hello Dolly bars, seven layer bars, and magic bars. But there’s only one true Dream bar.

Bread pudding muffins are just that: bread pudding baked in muffin tins. These smaller, easier-to-handle puddings are great for breakfast—even on the go

This french molten chocolate cake flows seductive when cut into with a fork. A cinch to make, this molten chocolate cake is an elegant, impressive dessert.

These Kahlua truffle triangles are great bar cookies. Rich Kahlua truffle tops a vanilla crumb bottom. Serve these cookies as a snack or an elegant desert.

Grasshopper pie, the minty ice cream pie, is reworked. This version of the pie is made with homemade ice cream, less creme de menthe, and chocolate crust. You have to love it.

This steamed cranberry pudding is moist, and bright with bits of berries, and the mild, buttery sauce provides balancing richness and sweetness.

by Jill O’Connor
from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey, Treats for Kids
(Chronicle Books, 2009)
Serves 8
Do you nibble around the edges first? Do you swallow it quickly in two big bites? If you can tell me in vivid …

by Jill O’Connor
from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey, Treats for Kids
(Chronicle Books, 2009)
Makes about 2 dozen 4-inch meringue ghosts
I still remember my third-grade Halloween party. So when my oldest daughter, Olivia, was in the third …

by Sara Engram and Katie Luber with Kimberly Toqe
from The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices
(Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009)
Makes 12 cupcakes
Next time your kids mention gingerbread, surprise them with these gingerbread cupcakes with a …