This may be one of the best desserts in my collection. I’ve even been told by friends who claim they don’t like white chocolate that this is the best cheesecake they’ve ever eaten. If you want to make it extra decadent, substitute crème fraiche for the sour cream. It tastes richer and less tangy, and results in a creamier texture. Although this cheesecake is delicious on its own, it can be served with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or simply with berries and whipped cream.

One of my favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and orange, and these muffins showcase the duo perfectly. I learned to make muffins in high school home economics class, and I can still hear my teacher, Miss Craig telling us to not overmix the batter. We did tests with different muffins that were overmixed and those that weren’t. The ones that were, had big “tunnels” inside and were heavy and dense. The ones that had been mixed just until the flour disappeared were light and airy. It was as lesson I’ll always remember. Make a batch of these muffins for breakfast or dessert, and put the leftovers in the freezer, ready to be heated when you’re craving this marvelous flavor duo.

I’ve made this bread pudding so many times for dessert, breakfast, brunch, and parties. It is one of the most requested recipes I have, and it is so easy to prepare. The use of fresh blueberries and dried blueberries add two different flavors and textures. Be sure to use high quality white chocolate and never use whole wheat bread for this dessert.

This is a decadent dessert that is easy and a crowd-pleaser. You can prepare the batter and fill the ramekins hours before baking them. The key is to cook them until they have just a little “jiggle” when you shake the baking sheet. If you cook them too long, you won’t have the molten chocolate oozing out, but the cake is still delicious. 

Malabi is a traditional Israeli dessert made from milk. It’s similar to a custard or panna cotta, but a lighter version. I like to use coconut milk, for its flavor, but the real showcase in this dish is the toppings. This recipe uses a strawberry sauce, but you can add honey, nuts, coconut, pomegranate, orange segments, or whatever suits you.

These cookies take a bit of time to make since you must make a custard a few hours before forming the cookies. You can do this the day before you plan to bake them or just plan well ahead. I promise it’s worth the trouble because these cookies are unbelievably tasty. They’re best to be eaten the day you bake them, but if you store them in an air-tight container, they’ll keep a couple of days.

To make perfect cookies, I’ve got three tips: First, cream the butter and sugar really really well. Second, after adding the dry ingredients just stir to combine; don’t overmix. Lastly, use a cookie scoop to make the cookies uniform in size. These cookies freeze really well….if you actually have any leftovers.

This is my most popular cookie recipe, and I’ve used it to make a lot of people happy. Sometimes I make them big, and often I make small bite-sized cookies for larger events. Either way, this is how you win friends and put smiles on their faces!

It took several times making this recipe until it was perfectly lemony. Using edible quality lemon essential oil really amplified the flavors in this cheesecake! If you don’t have it you can double the lemon zest. This is that dessert you want to make for a special person who will love you for making the effort.

Key lime pie was invented in Key West, Florida in the 1800’s, but I’ve had versions of it many times in the Caribbean islands. My favorite was in Costa Rica at a beachside café where it was made with Mandarin limes, native to the island, and tasted less tart than a traditional key lime pie.

German Chocolate Cake originated in the United States, and has no German ties at all. The layers of chocolate cake are filled with a buttery coconut icing that is so rich and decadent, it doesn’t even need to be completely covered. But why not add some chocolate ganache drizzled on top to make it the perfect dessert for the chocolate lover in your life!

My mother made an apple pie once a year, and she always served the slices in a bowl with milk poured over.  I never had her recipe, but I’ve been making a yummy apple pie for many years, and this is my recipe. 

One of my favorite pastry cookbooks is Flour by Joanne Chang. Her recipes are easy to understand, and flawless. Her chocolate cream pie uses no starch in the filling, and the first time I made it I thought there was no way it would set up.

Sometimes I’m in the mood for an apple pie, but I don’t want to go to the trouble of making a full pie. The French created a perfect solution with the apple galette, which is a more casual type of pie

When I was in Sri Lanka I stayed in a guesthouse in the middle of a forest of palm trees and curry trees. It was hot during the day, and the cook made kulfi, a frozen dessert similar to ice cream. It was so refreshing, and made the heat much more bearable. At home I make this version of kulfi with toasted pistachios and saffron. If you don’t have saffron you can use lemon or orange zest.  It’s a great dessert to make for a crowd, and much easier than traditional ice cream.

Some of my fondest memories of childhood were when I visited my grandmother, Mammaw. When my sisters and I spent the night at her house one of her favorite sayings was, “Is everybody happy?” She wasn’t much of a cook, but on special occasions she made a dessert called Mystery Pie.

In the port city of Essaouira, I cooked with a woman named Alison at L’Atelier Madada. We spent the morning shopping in the spice souk for ingredients to prepare a fish dinner and ghriba (almond cookies) for dessert. We purchased plump almonds which we ground into flour for the dough scented with orange blossom water. After the meal, Alison wrapped the remaining cookies in paper and sent them with me for the long ride back to Marrakesh.