10,000 batter recipes

Berlin Doughnuts (Bismarks) are classic German jam-filled yeasted doughnuts with rum extract and orange juice in the dough, deep-fried and sugared. Makes 12 pillowy doughnuts.

Lemon cream dream: a no-bake layered dessert with lemon cookie crust, lemon pudding-cream cheese filling, whipped topping, and fresh strawberries and blueberries. A summer crowd-pleaser for six.

Honey Whole Wheat Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies: chewy whole grain cookies sweetened with honey, packed with rolled oats, raisins, and shredded zucchini. Four dozen wholesome bites.

Thick-cut pork chops stuffed with a caraway rye bread and mushroom filling, pan-seared golden then finished with a tangy vinegar pan sauce.

Poppyseed thumbprint cookies with Grand Marnier, orange zest, and currant jelly centers. Buttery shortbread-style cookies with a subtle crunch and jewel-toned filling.

Low-fat brown sugar apple pie made with fat-free margarine crust and Butter Buds in place of real butter. Granny Smith apples spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh lemon zest.

Elephant ears with pecan filling: puff pastry rolled with cinnamon-cardamom-pecan filling, sliced and baked into butterfly-shaped pastries. Bakery-style breakfast treat at home.

Flounder, shrimp, and sea scallops baked in parchment pouches with mushrooms, wine sauce, and fresh herbs. A stunning French en papillote technique that's easier than it looks.

Buttermilk whoopie pies: pillowy chocolate cake cookies sandwiched around fluffy marshmallow buttercream. The classic New England diner dessert, soft, sweet, and snack-cake delicious.

French onion soup with Coca-Cola added to the beef broth for extra caramel sweetness and depth. Topped with broiled French bread and Parmesan cheese for a bubbly, golden crust.

Dump chicken rice casserole layers chicken breasts over uncooked rice with three cans of cream soup and butter, then bakes hands-off until tender. The ultimate set-and-forget weeknight dinner.

French onion soup gratinee slow-cooks sliced onions in butter, simmers in beef stock and white wine, then crowns each bowl with toasted French bread and Gruyere bubbled to golden under the broiler.

Cinnamon and cloves perfume these twisted Greek sesame cookies with golden crusts and soft centers. Makes 72 cookies perfect for Mediterranean holiday cookie exchanges or gift tins.

Macadamia nut fudge made the old-fashioned way with a candy thermometer, two kinds of chocolate, marshmallows, and buttery macadamias in every square.

Caramel pecan pie with a silky custard filling and billowy meringue topping. Caramelized sugar, toasted pecans, and vanilla custard pour into a flaky crust for a Southern-style holiday dessert.

What a great way to cook with seasonal veggies. I used both green zucchini and yellow summer squash that grew in my garden as well as tomato, and it was yummy and refreshing.