Kay's apple pie is a classic double-crust pie with pared apples tossed in sugar and cinnamon, dotted with butter and finished with a milk-brushed, sugar-dusted top crust.
Garlic soup with chicken built on a homemade broth enriched with mashed roasted garlic and a buttery flour roux. Warming, savory, and deeply restorative.
Cocoa-laced cookie dough studded with semisweet chocolate chips and crowned with a chocolate Kiss pressed into the warm center. Three layers of chocolate in every bite.
Double chocolate chip cookies with two cups of chocolate melted right into the dough and two more folded in whole. Deep, fudgy, brownie-like cookies packed with chips.
Soft, melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies made with both butter and oil for extra tenderness. Pressed flat with a sugar-dipped glass and baked golden. Makes 6 to 7 dozen.
Granny's chocolate cake is a one-bowl wonder with cocoa, hot water, and egg whites baked into a moist single-layer square. Old-fashioned weeknight cake dusted with powdered sugar.
Old-fashioned chocolate cream pie with cocoa, milk, and egg yolk custard cooked in a double boiler. The Grandma classic with deep chocolate flavor and silky pudding texture.
Classic three-ingredient shortbread made with just butter, superfine sugar, and flour. Knead until smooth, chill, then bake low and slow for a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth Scottish-style cookie.
Cocoa sponge cake hearts cut from a sheet pan, dusted with powdered sugar, and plated with pools of raspberry sauce and chocolate syrup. A stunning Valentine's Day or special occasion dessert for 8.
Lacy, golden spiderweb cookies made from a thin batter squeezed through a bottle into a hot skillet. A fun Halloween treat dusted with powdered sugar.
Curried prawns and scallops in a creamy apple juice sauce with banana and dill. A sweet-savory seafood curry served over rice with Austrian-Indian flair.
Layers of White Castle sliders, sliced zucchini, ricotta, and spaghetti sauce baked into a cheesy casserole. Served on garlic-toasted buns for a wild weeknight meal.
Whole chicken slow-cooked on a bed of potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery with basil and seasoned salt. The cooking liquid turns into a savory thyme and soy sauce gravy.
Set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker chicken smothered in creamy celery soup with zucchini, tomatoes, and herbs. Just 10 minutes of prep for a tender, saucy dinner after a long day.
Teisen Sir Fon: a traditional Welsh fruit cake from Anglesey, made with lard, molasses, mixed spice, ginger, and dried fruit. Humble, deeply flavored, and rooted in North Wales tea-time baking.
An elegant chilled walnut custard cream spiked with kirsch, unmolded and drizzled with warm chocolate sauce. A make-ahead French-inspired dinner party dessert that serves 10.