2,626 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.

Lavish Danish onion soup simmered with an entire bottle of dry champagne, Camembert cheese, and a silky port wine egg yolk liaison. Served over butter-fried bread. This is not your average onion soup.

Pecan and red onion bread made in a bread machine or by hand. Savory yeast bread with chopped nuts and sweet onion baked into a soft, buttery crumb.

Tender veal cutlets and sautéed mushrooms in a paprika-Marsala cream sauce, spooned over a nutty barley pilaf with shallots and zucchini. A complete one-hour dinner with serious depth.

Lincolnshire plum bread, a traditional English yeasted fruit loaf with prunes, currants, golden raisins, cinnamon, and allspice. A buttery, spiced bread that slices beautifully for tea.

Simmer pink lentils with turmeric and lemon juice until creamy, then finish with a sizzling ghee tempering of cumin, garlic, and ginger for North Indian comfort in a bowl.

Homemade barbecue sauce simmered with butter-softened onions, garlic, chili sauce, brown sugar, lemon, Worcestershire, and a full can of beer. The malty grilling sauce ready in the time it takes to fire up the coals.

Pork chops and kielbasa braised with 2 pounds of cabbage in white wine, cumin, thyme, and whole cloves. A hearty one-pot European-style braise ready in just over an hour.

Chocolate shots slice-and-bake cookies with oats, butter, and powdered sugar rolled in chocolate sprinkles. A make-ahead icebox cookie with a fun, crunchy sprinkle-coated edge.

Spiced apple cake loaded with chopped dates, walnuts, and tart apples, made moist with cold coffee. Bake in a bundt or sheet pan and finish with caramel glaze.

Chocolate-tipped butter cookies shaped into sticks, fork-pressed, and dipped in melted chocolate chips then rolled in chopped pecans or almonds. Elegant and melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Milky Way candy bar cake with six melted candy bars in the batter, buttermilk, and chopped nuts. A rich, fudgy Bundt cake with deep caramel-chocolate flavor.

Scandinavian braided cardamom coffee cake with a buttery egg yolk-enriched dough and a sparkling sugar crust. Makes two beautiful braided loaves from one batch.

Fruit cake cookies loaded with candied cherries, candied pineapple, white raisins, and pecans with brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Holiday baking in cookie form.

Neapolitan torte stacks chocolate, vanilla, and pink cake layers with green cream cheese filling and chocolate frosting. A retro Italian-flag-colored layer cake from boxed mixes.

Tender cocoa cut-out cookies made with cream cheese and almond extract, drizzled with a homemade cocoa glaze and topped with almonds. Dough chills overnight for clean, easy cutting. Makes 4 dozen.