No baking necessary: Bayer’s cookbook features 80 easy recipes

Quick look: None of these 80 desserts need an oven.

What’s inside: Cheesecake is Julianne Bayer’s favorite dessert. She loves to eat them, but hates to bake them. So she perfected no-bake techniques and recipes for not only cheesecakes but all kinds of desserts.

Chapters include no-bake pies, no-bake layered desserts and icebox cakes, no-bake tarts, ice cream and frozen treats, puddings and parfaits, and no-bake cookies, bars and other treats. Plus, the 223-page paperback includes an entire chapter devoted to helpful hints – such as using a vegetable peeler to make chocolate shavings – as well as tools and key ingredients.

Some recipes could be used for seasonal holidays, such as Champagne Cranberry Cheesecake and Pumpkin Mousse Pie. Many rely on store-bought cookies, such as Oreos and Nutter Butters, for crusts. Potato chips and graham crackers are also used in crusts.

Assorted cheesecakes include Banana Cream Pudding, Lemon Macaroon, Blueberry Crumble and Red Velvet.

Look, also, for Hot Mess Nutella Snickers Pie, Peanut Butter Marshmallow Dream Pie, Apple Pie Lasagna, Tiramisu Pudding Cake, Raspberry Margarita Cream Tarts and Salty Chocolate Bacon Mini Tarts.

There are sweet and rich dessert dips, too, such as Nutella Peanut Butter Cup and Chocolate Swirled Butterfinger.

What’s not: No-bake doesn’t mean no-cook. Some recipes call for melting butter or doing a little light stove-top cooking, but none require the oven.

Irish Cream Frozen Mousse Cake

For the crust

1 (14-ounce) package chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the ice cream

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup Irish cream liquor such as Baileys Irish Cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the mousse

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon Irish cream liquor such as Baileys Irish Cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons hot fudge sauce for garnish (optional)

For the crust: Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil, wrapping it around the removable bottom of the pan. grind the cookies into fine crumbs using either a food processor or a blender. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter for 45 to 60 seconds until the butter is melted. In a separate medium-size bowl, pour the melted butter into the cookie crumbs and stir until there are no dry crumbs left. Pour the crumbs into your springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides to create a thick crust.

For the ice cream: Prepare the whipped cream first by placing the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until the cream gets bubbly. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Slowly add the granulated sugar into the cream cheese while beating the mixture. Next, add the liquor and vanilla extract. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure it’s well mixed. Then fold the prepared whipped cream into the cream cheese until they are well combined to form your ice cream. Pour the ice cream into the prepared crust and spread it evenly.

For the mousse: Prepare a second batch of whipped cream in a chilled bowl as described above. Add the liquor and beat the heavy cream until it’s bubbly. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and beat until stiff peaks form. Pour the mousse on top of the ice cream and spread it evenly. Cover it with parchment paper or foil and freeze for 4 to 6 hours until the ice cream is firm.

Remove it from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. When you are ready to remove the springform edge, you may need to run a flat-edged knife around the inside edge of the pan to help separate the cake. As an optional topping, heat the hot fudge according to instructions on the jar and drizzle it over the top of the cake before serving.

Yield: 10 to 12 slices

Easy Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse Tart

For the crust

2 1/4 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, such as Oreos

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the filling

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup chopped chocolate bar

For the topping

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce for garnish

Chocolate shavings, for garnish

For the crust: Before measuring, grind the cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or blender. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter for 45 to 60 seconds until it is melted. In a separate medium-size bowl, pour the melted butter into the cookie crumbs and stir until there are no dry crumbs left. If you want to remove the tart from the bottom of the pan, cut a parchment circle the same size as the bottom of the pan. Pour the crumbs into the tart pan and press firmly against the sides and bottom to form the crust.

For the filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese at a low speed for 30 seconds with the whisk attachment to eliminate any lumps. Increase the mixer speed to medium and slowly start adding the heavy whipping cream, about 1/4 cup at a time. The idea is to slowly add the whipping cream so that the mascarpone cheese will not be lumpy; it should have a liquid consistency. Once all of the heavy cream has been added, increase the speed to high until the mixture becomes bubbly. Slowly add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold the chopped chocolate into your mousse filling, and then pour the mousse into the prepared crust. The mousse will tower high above your pan.

For the topping: Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until the cream gets bubbly. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe the whipped cream in a large circle motion, creating 8 or so peaks of whipped cream along the edge of the tart. Heat the hot fudge sauce in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, until it runs off your spoon. Drizzle the hot fudge sauce over the whipped cream. If you wish, finish your tart by sprinkling it with chocolate shavings.

Yield: 8 slices