Holiday dessert recipes: Cakes, pies, tarts and more

APPLE GALETTE WITH CRANBERRIES: Shave time by using a ready-to-bake pie-crust for this company-friendly dessert. See the recipe.

BROWNIE PIE: An incredibly fast and easy dessert that can be dressed with ice cream, chocolate shavings and fresh pomegranate seeds. See the recipe.

PEANUT BUTTER BLONDIES: WIth chocolate icing and burnt peanuts, it's a good thing this recipe makes two dozen cookies. See the recipe.

BALSAMIC-BROWN SUGAR CARAMELIZED PEAR GALETTE: Ditch the usual apples in favor of pears with this easier-than-it-looks tart. See the recipe.

CRANBERRY-PISTACHIO CRUMBLE BARS: The tartness of the fruit is balanced nicely by the meaty nuts. See the recipe.

BANANA-MERINGUE PUDDING: This tried-and-true dessert is adapted from the one on the Nilla Wafers box. See the recipe.