310 better recipes

Banana loaf with lemon zest, dried apricots, and nuts in a moist quick bread batter. A citrus-bright twist on classic banana bread with chewy fruit pieces throughout.

Cherry and almond Christmas cake: maraschino cherries, apricots, ginger, and almonds macerated in amaretto and brandy, baked into a lighter apple-puree batter, then soaked in more amaretto. A boozy, fruit-packed festive cake that keeps for a month.

Marbled pumpkin cheesecake squares swirl a tangy cream cheese topping into a spiced pumpkin batter built with prune puree instead of butter or oil. Lower-fat fall dessert with cinnamon, ginger and clove.

Beer-battered hush puppies with cornmeal, self-rising flour, and chopped onions. Beer adds lightness and tang. Drop in hot oil, fry until crisp for pub-style cornbread bites.

Honey bran muffins made in the microwave with All-Bran cereal, buttermilk, and honey. Keep the batter in the fridge and microwave fresh muffins in under 3 minutes anytime.

Baked apple pancake with cinnamon-sugar sliced apples beneath a simple egg batter, baked until the edges are golden and crisp. A one-pan breakfast for the whole family.

Chinese-style caramel fried apples or bananas battered and deep-fried, then coated in crackly spun sugar with sesame seeds. Dipped in ice water for a shatteringly crisp shell.

Golden fruitcake with dried apricots, raisins, candied cherries, orange peel, citron, and shaved almonds in a light cake flour batter. Baked low and slow for 4 gorgeous holiday loaves.

Old-fashioned prune muffins with brown sugar, nutmeg, and soft cooked prunes that melt into the batter. A simple mix-and-bake recipe with domed tops and tender crumb.

Baked bananas and pancakes with quartered bananas, beer-batter pancakes, Calvados or Grand Marnier, orange juice, and molasses. A British-style pudding-dessert that's part crepe, part bananas Foster.

Holiday muffin mix blends whole wheat, white flour, cinnamon, and cloves into a DIY dry mix for gifting. Jar it up with a label for instant spiced-muffin batter.

Cape Cod blueberry cake folds fresh blueberries and bran flakes cereal into a lightly spiced one-bowl batter. A New England farmhouse cake with a tender, fiber-rich crumb served warm with whipped topping.

Old-fashioned apple ring fritters: peeled apple slices dipped in a quick milk-and-egg batter, pan-fried in shortening until golden, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. A 30-minute dessert from grandma's kitchen.

Polvo frito is a classic Portuguese dish of tender precooked octopus dipped in a parsley-flecked egg batter and shallow-fried in olive oil until golden. Simple, briny, and crisp at the edges.

Crispy Belgian apple fritters made with just 3 ingredients: sliced apple rings dipped in a light beer batter and fried golden. Serve with custard or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Crispy Thai eggplant fritters dipped in a light egg batter and deep-fried to golden perfection. This quick Makhua Chub Khai Thord recipe needs just 5 ingredients and 20 minutes.