9 Copycat Desserts of Yore That’ll Make You Weep Happy Tears…

My parents cooked often when I was growing up, but my sweets were more likely to come from the freezer section or the baked-goods aisle (what parent has the time to put a lovingly homemade dessert on the table night after night?). I still have a nostalgic soft spot for the flavors of the packaged cookies, snack cakes, and ice cream novelties of my youth: your Klondike Bars, your Keebler Fudge Stripes, and the like. While the adult me would sometimes prefer versions that are made with better-quality ingredients, and perhaps a tad more balance, the child in me refuses anything that resembles an attempt to tart up those dearly remembered favorites with fancy grown-up substitutions. Luckily, these recipes for DIY Oreos, Jell-O pudding, and more offer just the right compromise: Lovingly homemade, indeed, but retaining all the simple sweetness you crave, each one is sure to make you feel like a kid again.

August 2018