“Asking ‘what’s for dessert?’ is more than a nightly routine, it’s a personal exercise.” Truer, more beautiful words have never been written. In her new cookbook, What’s for Dessert, former Bon Appétit editor, Gourmet Makes star, and overall baking hero Claire Saffitz provides over 100 delicious answers. “Historically, dessert to me has always meant something baked,” Saffitz writes, “but this book expands that definition.”
While her first book, Dessert Person, offers recipes for showstoppers of all difficulties (I still have dreams about the tarte Tatin), Saffitz’s second book takes several factors into consideration—time, kitchen space, and budget—for recipes that are as approachable as possible. None of them require a stand mixer, only about half require a hand mixer, and plenty of them are no-bake.
From festive cookies worthy of any holiday tin to sophisticated cakes that look like they took hours to make (they didn’t), we selected five of our favorite recipes—all right answers to the age-old question: What’s for dessert?
Tiramisù-y Icebox Cake
Saffitz counts this stunner of an icebox cake as one of her favorite recipes in What’s for Dessert. Her first taste “was a light, coffee-flavored revelation.” It hinges on store-bought ladyfingers (soaked in coffee and Kahlúa) and can be made days in advance.
This light, coffee-flavored cake is a fun twist on the decadent classic, with layers of Kahlúa-soaked ladyfingers set between a sweet mascarpone filling.
Mango-Yogurt Mousse
For a do-ahead sweet that can go from fridge to table at a moment’s notice, look no further than this mango-lassi-inspired Mango-Yogurt Mousse. Here the flavors of the beloved South Asian drink—sweet mango, tart yogurt, and floral cardamom—come together to create a refreshing dessert.
Inspired by the refreshing sweet-tart flavors of mango lassi, this cold and silky mousse hits all the spots for a perfect after-dinner treat.
Flourless Chocolate Meringue Cake
Flourless chocolate cake is good. Flourless chocolate cake with meringue is even better. Saffitz learned meringue could be baked directly on top of a cake when she saw Tartine Bakery founder Liz Prueitt’s recipe for Sweet Potato Tea Cake With Meringue. On first glance this masterpiece may seem too complicated, but remember: Meringue is nothing more than egg whites whipped with a slow and steady stream of sugar. You can do it.
This flourless chocolate cake features meringue both in the batter and on top, which bakes into a light and crispy shell with beautiful swirls.
Raspberry-Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Loosely based on ricciarelli, a cookie native to Siena, Italy, these vibrant macaron-like almond cookies would make a welcome addition to any cookie swap. Thanks to a double dose of raspberry—the dough is flavored with both raspberry jam and freeze-dried raspberries—each bite is sure to satisfy your resident berry lover, especially when the fresh fruit is out of season.
Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, these raspberry-jam-filled almond thumbprint cookies are the perfect teatime snack.
Lime Squiggles
With a name like Lime Squiggles, how could anyone resist these melt-in-your-mouth cookies? These treats are a style of shortbread called meltaways; adding cornstarch to the dough hinders gluten development, making them wonderfully tender. Saffitz swaps butter for cream cheese, which brings bonus tang on top of the lime juice and zest. If you’re worried about transporting a Key lime pie to your next party, these cookies are the next best thing.
Make these irresistible melt-in-your mouth shortbread-style cookies, which are topped with lime glaze and zest for a tangy and citrusy punch.
Collected by Cookingtom
Original Article
I’m Brian Danny Max, a chef and a writer at cookingtom.com. I’m here to talk about food and cooking, and to share some of my favorite recipes with you all! I’ve been interested in food and cooking since I was a child. My parents are both great cooks, and they taught me a lot about the kitchen. I’ve been cooking professionally for about 10 years now, and I’ve loved every minute of it! I specialize in healthy, flavorful recipes that are easy to make at home. I believe that anyone can cook a delicious meal, no matter their skill level. I’m here to help you learn how to cook, and to show you that it’s not as difficult as you might think! I hope you’ll check out my blog and my recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you!