10,000 bitter recipes

Buttery oat-and-pecan crumble bars layered with cherry pie filling and mini marshmallows, baked golden. Makes 4 dozen chewy, fruit-filled bars for bake sales or cookie trays.

You will be licking your fingers after trying this savory dish made with tomatoes, mushrooms and a variety of spices.

Savory no-bake Danish blue cheese pie on a pumpernickel crumb crust, topped with fresh green grapes. A bold, tangy appetizer that doubles as an elegant cheese course.

Turning now to cooking with cheese, here's a recipe for a yummy spinach and cheese soufflé. This recipe comes from Lynne Kaplan, a chef who owns the Victoria House Bed & Breakfast in Spring Lake, NJ. For a gourmet B&B check them out at victoriahouse.net.

Heritage sourdough dried apple cake rolled with spiced fruit and baked in a bubbling brown sugar-cinnamon syrup. This pioneer-style recipe turns pantry staples into a sticky, fragrant dessert that feeds a crowd.

Old-fashioned cream of lima bean soup simmered low and slow with butter, paprika, and a touch of cream. Thick, hearty, and full of homestyle comfort in every bowl.

Brown rice almond pilaf with raisins, chicken bouillon, and toasted slivered almonds. A nutty, one-pot side dish with stovetop and microwave instructions included.

Katharine Hepburn's legendary brownie recipe with just six ingredients and only a quarter cup of flour. Intensely fudgy, rich chocolate brownies with optional walnuts.

Anytime cake doctors up boxed chocolate cake mix with mashed banana and rum extract for a moist, lower-sugar loaf. Ready in 20 minutes start to finish, no eggs or oil needed.

Dive into the world of authentic Italian cooking with this scrumptious dish that will have you saying "Mama, mia!".

Overnight pull-apart coffee cake with frozen dough balls, butterscotch pudding, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. Prep the night before and bake golden in the morning.

Sole fillets wrapped around tender carrot strips and topped with buttery herb stuffing, baked until flaky. An elegant fish dinner that looks fancy but takes under 40 minutes.

Three-layer chocolate caramel bars with a fudgy brownie base, gooey pecan caramel topping, and a lacy semi-sweet chocolate drizzle. Makes 54 bars that store beautifully for 10 days. Think homemade turtle candy in cookie bar form.

This classic Bacardi Rum Cake bakes a yellow cake mix with vanilla pudding, dark rum, and pecans in a Bundt pan, then soaks it in a buttery rum-sugar glaze. Moist, boozy, and irresistible at any gathering.

Fish Florentine with tender fillets poached in court bouillon, layered over creamed spinach, and topped with a Swiss cheese sauce broiled until golden.

Butter-glazed onions simmer with beef stock, white wine, sherry, and garlic in the crockpot for a French onion soup topped with cheese-crusted toasted baguette.