10,000 batter recipes

Placek swiateczny is a Polish Christmas bread loaded with walnuts, raisins, orange peel, and a splash of vodka. Bake it days ahead for the best flavor.

Kahlua brownies with melted unsweetened chocolate, coffee liqueur, and instant coffee in the batter, topped with a boiled chocolate icing and scattered chocolate chips. Triple chocolate and coffee in every bite.

Foolproof cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, creamy filling blended smooth in a food processor, and a tangy sour cream topping. No water bath needed, no fussy technique.

Buttery orange tea muffins with fresh orange juice and zest in the batter, topped with a sugar cube soaked in orange juice that caramelizes during baking. A charming tea-time treat ready in 30 minutes.

Like muffins but they're called puffins. So quick and easy to make using Bisquick or similar biscuit baking mix. Lightly sweetened and enriched with cottage cheese and brightened with lemon, they're a puffin delight.

Impossible peaches and cream pie that builds its own crust as it bakes. Cinnamon-spiced peaches on the bottom, creamy vanilla custard in the middle, buttery almond streusel on top.

Cola cake: a Southern chocolate sheet cake made with real cola, melted marshmallows, cocoa, and tangy buttermilk. Fudgy, fizzy, and a one-bowl Saturday afternoon project.

Chewy muesli bars packed with oats, almonds, dried apples, and peanut butter for a high-fiber breakfast or snack that travels well.

Spiced applesauce chocolate cake topped with fluffy meringue-style chocolate frosting. Cinnamon, cocoa and applesauce make a moist, vintage 13x9 sheet cake.

Grilled steaks in a soy-ginger-curry marinade with torch bananas wrapped in foil with honey, coconut, and pineapple juice, finished with flaming brandy. A showstopper BBQ dinner.

Chicken pieces browned in ghee and simmered in coconut milk with cinnamon, cardamom, mace, curry powder, tomatoes, apples, and cream. A richly spiced, aromatic Indian chicken curry that feeds six.

Garlic chicken Provencal soup with golden-browned chicken breasts simmered in plum tomatoes and white wine, loaded with Italian vegetables and pasta. Served in shallow bowls with Parmesan.

A sophisticated chicken in wine that's good enough to telegraph home about.

Spiced pumpkin or winter squash cake with a classic cooked caramel frosting. Four autumn spices, buttermilk tenderness, and a rich old-fashioned finish worth the candy thermometer.

Freezer cinnamon fruit rolls with soft yeasted dough, a rich filling of brown sugar, golden raisins, dried apricots, pecans, and cinnamon, finished with a simple sugar glaze. Make ahead and freeze for up to 2 months.

Cornmeal crepes with a slight gritty sweetness, spread with apricot jam, folded into quarters, and served with sugared strawberries and vanilla yogurt. A light, fruity breakfast or dessert.