1. Spoon Desserts. Puddings and other soft desserts—called spoonables—are big.

2. Layers. We are layering just about anything, so here’s a recipe to dress up the Otis Spunkmeyer Angel Food Muffin with a layer of jam and a cheesecake topping.

3. Hand Pies. The mini dessert has finally extended itself to the pie.

4. Midwestern Influence. One of the big trends for 2014 is Midwestern foods, and when it comes to desserts, that means cobblers, pies, crisps, tarts, upside-down cakes and bar cookies.

5. Mashups and Muffins. Muffins are the new doughnuts, or what some are calling the “duffin.”

6.Pepper, Flavored Salts and International Spices. New desserts on the menu are heavy on the stronger spices. Cracked pepper is particularly on the rise.

7. Dessert Butters. These are actually ground-up cookies turned into a soft filling that is perfect for rolling into a truffle or adding to a sandwich cookie, such as the PB and Chocolate Cookie.

8. Crêpes. People are looking to add adventure to their repertoires, and crêpes fit the bill.

9. Nuts. Nuts are big in desserts right now, particularly as we tally up the health benefits.

10.Small-Batch Desserts. We don’t have to make enough dessert to feed an army; it’s okay to just make a little.

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