10,000 bitter recipes

No-bake Halloween spider cookies made by stacking peppermint patties on butter cookies, then piping frosting legs and candy eyes. A spooky craft kids can eat!

Homemade fig newton bars with fresh fig filling inside a cinnamon-laced brown sugar dough, folded like a letter and baked golden. Better than store-bought.

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.

Famous Brown Derby red velvet cake with buttermilk-cocoa cake layers, vinegar reaction, and the original cooked-flour ermine frosting. Hollywood diner classic from the 1940s Wilshire icon.

Penne with wild mushroom sauce built on shallots, chicken stock, and a two-cheese melt of fontina and Parmigiano-Reggiano, finished with fresh basil and thyme. A rustic Italian weeknight pasta with earthy, silky depth.

A stunning dessert fried rice with caramelized sugar, vanilla-soaked dried fruit, toasted almonds, and warm cinnamon-clove spice. Wok-tossed in butter for a side dish that steals the show.

Blonde brownies with pecans, the chocolate-free butterscotch cousin of the classic brownie, made with light brown sugar, melted butter, and toasted pecans. Chewy, caramel-deep, and ready in under an hour.

Sauteed venison liver with butter-fried apple slices, brown sugar, and cinnamon. A quick wild game recipe garnished with crisp bacon and tomato wedges.

Chocolate caramel pecan cheesecake with a vanilla wafer crust, melted caramel and toasted pecan layer, and a rich semisweet chocolate cream cheese filling. A turtle-style cheesecake.

A retro salmon loaf made with canned salmon and oats, baked until firm and sliceable, then topped with a from-scratch creamed peas sauce. Comfort food from Grandma's kitchen that still holds up beautifully.

Halloween witches' broom sticks shape biscuit dough into twisted handles topped with fringed twig bundles, brushed with butter and Parmesan. A savory shaped snack kids can help craft for Halloween parties.

Russian torte: a yeast-leavened pastry layered with cinnamon-walnut filling and apricot preserves, then crowned with meringue and sugared nuts. The Old World dessert that disappears at every gathering.

Creamy wild rice soup with mushrooms, chicken broth, and a splash of wine, finished in the oven and topped with slivered almonds and grated carrots.

Make a delicious and sweet pizza with apples, almonds and dulce de leche glaze. It's good enough for both kids and grown-ups to keep picking up another slice.

Flour-dusted chicken browned in butter and olive oil, then oven-baked in a rustic white wine and tomato sauce with mushrooms. A French bistro classic made simple.

Chocolate Cake Florence: a tender chocolate layer cake soaked with Tia Maria coffee liqueur and frosted with an old-fashioned cooked fudge icing, then dusted with chopped nuts. A grown-up chocolate cake.