2,556 bitter recipes

Summer fruit bread for the bread machine with frozen blueberries, chopped peaches, whole wheat flour, and warm spices. A fruity, lightly sweet loaf with purple-streaked crumb.

Five-grain bread baked in terra cotta flower pots with cracked wheat, rye, whole wheat, oatmeal, and rice. Honey and malt extract add natural sweetness to this rustic multigrain loaf.

Sourdough rye bread made in a bread machine with sourdough starter, rye flour, barley flour, caraway seeds, and dried onion. A tangy, dense loaf with old-world rye flavor.

Pasta with chicken in a creamy tomato sauce blended with four Italian cheeses: Bel Paese, ricotta, Romano, and Gorgonzola. A rich, indulgent pasta dinner with plum tomatoes, heavy cream, and butter.

Warmly spiced chocolate cake with mayonnaise, sour cream, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, topped with a cocoa cream cheese frosting. A cozy, old-fashioned charmer.

Homemade vinegar pie crust filled with a creamy custard of eggs, half-and-half, sour cream, Swiss cheese, and spinach (or broccoli) with a surprising kick of horseradish. A versatile quiche from scratch.

Nana Keele's carrot cake with crushed pineapple, cinnamon, and nuts, topped with a hot buttermilk syrup that soaks right into the warm cake. A family heirloom recipe.

Chewy, loaded drop cookies hiding shredded zucchini inside a brown sugar batter packed with oats, coconut, raisins, nuts, and butterscotch chips. The zucchini keeps them soft and moist while the mix-ins bring all the crunch and sweetness.

Onion rye bread with chopped onion, caraway, sesame seeds, and Dijon baked into the dough. Deli-style oval loaf with a shiny egg-glazed crust for sandwiches or toast.

Invisible oatmeal cookies: small, soft drop cookies packed with raisins, chopped dates, pecans, warm cinnamon, and nutmeg. Called "invisible" because they disappear from the cookie jar fast.

Buttery drop cookies loaded with oats, vanilla milk chips, flaked coconut, and macadamia nuts. Sour cream keeps them soft and chewy. Makes 5 dozen for the holiday cookie swap.

Loaded carrot cake packed with crushed pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and cinnamon, topped with chocolate cream cheese frosting. A moist, oil-based cake baked in two loaf pans.

Peanut crispies with oats, corn flakes, brown sugar, and salted peanuts rolled into balls and baked until golden. Crunchy, nutty cookies with satisfying texture.

Apricot almond bars with a buttery shortbread crust, spiced almond meringue topping, apricot glaze, and chocolate drizzle. Four layers of European-style pastry in every square.

New England chuck roast slow-cooked with carrots, onions, celery, and cabbage wedges, served with a homemade horseradish gravy from the pot broth.

Buttery spritz cookie bars filled with a date, candied cherry, and nut filling flavored with orange zest. Pressed through a cookie press and cut into bars.