Baking

This cheesecake is silky, tangy, and mousselike, thanks to Creole cream cheese. (You can sub a mix of sour cream and buttermilk.) The tart-and-sweet apple topping makes it perfect for fall.

This isn’t your typical super-puffed Dutch baby; it’s creamy and custardy on the inside and airy around the edges, thanks to the inclusion of canned pumpkin purée.

Bound together with honey and nut butter, these just-sweet-enough bars are sturdy enough to throw in a beach bag and substantial enough to power you through til sunset.

Adding sweetened condensed milk to the crust gives this cake a candy-like texture that reminds me of a Twix bar (a childhood weakness I rarely get to indulge since marrying a chef!). That same sweetness accentuates the buttery quality of ripe avocados. Chill it thoroughly, then let the cake sit at room temperature for a bit before you slice it. It’s so refreshing on a hot day.

Zucchini keeps this cake incredibly moist, while scattered chocolate chips (or chocolate pyramids) and chopped walnuts add texture and dimension.

Eating fruit tarts is great. Rolling out dough on a brutally hot day isn't. Good thing this stunner has a no-fuss press-in crust.

Triple the sesame, triple the fun. Tahini teams up with toasted sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil to balance the sweetness of late summer peaches with rich, earthy nuttiness.

A simple fall dessert.

Use refined coconut oil for a vegan pie crust that's flaky without a noticeable coconut flavor.

What’s better than a brownie? A brownie with a layer of peanut butter cookie, that’s what.

This new tart from Tara O’Brady has an easy press-in pistachio crust and a few pounds of peaches, plums, or apricots coddled in a supple layer of custard.

This cake is a tie-dyed composition of textures and flavors that starts with a tahini-enriched blondie base and continues with vanilla ice cream layered with seedy maple syrup and bands of cooked plums.