Recipes with flour

Diabetic-friendly cookies sweetened with raisins, dates, and apples instead of sugar. Drop cookies built around boiled fruit base with sugar substitute. Makes 3 dozen lower-glycemic cookies.

Almond crescent cookies with toasted ground almonds and a tender shortbread base, finished with a chocolate drizzle or powdered sugar dusting. A Christmas cookie tin classic that holds for a week or more.

Clam and shrimp chowder: a creamy New England-style seafood chowder with potatoes, corn, red pepper, and fennel seed. The anise note from fennel lifts it out of the ordinary.

Individual persimmon pies baked in ramekins with a from-scratch shortening crust, orange liqueur-spiked filling, vanilla ice cream, and caramel drizzle.

Chicken liver mousse baked in ramekins with shallots, thyme, garlic, and cream, unmolded and served with fresh tomato sauce and herb garnishes. A French restaurant classic, home-kitchen achievable.

Asparagus-cheese casserole with hard-cooked eggs, sharp cheddar, minced almonds, and a mace-seasoned cream sauce. Topped with buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan and baked until golden.

Make this delicious yet romantic cake for your Valentine's day to surprise your loved one.

Classic gingerbread people cookies with molasses, brown sugar, and warm spices. Makes 30 crisp-tender cookies, perfect for decorating with kids for Christmas baking.

Plum cake is the grand Victorian celebration fruitcake: pounds of raisins, currants, dates, citron, and almonds bound by spiced butter cake batter. Christmas, weddings, and christenings on a serious scale.

Layered pecan crust dessert with cream cheese, vanilla and chocolate pudding, and Cool Whip. No-bake except for the crust. Refrigerate overnight for best results.

Cottage pie made with cubed leftover roast beef, white wine gravy, corn, and a piped mashed potato top crowned with sharp cheddar. A British comfort-food classic for using up Sunday roast.

Illinois apple pie fills a flaky double-crust shortening pastry with thin-sliced Granny Smith apples spiced with cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Brushed with milk and dusted with sugar for a sparkling top.

Low calorie chocolate layer pie with a press-in flour crust, sweetened cream cheese middle, sugar-free chocolate pudding, and light whipped topping. Three layers, lighter guilt.

Orange-scented sweet crepes rolled around a cinnamon-sugared cottage cheese filling. A Central European-style blintz made in a cast iron skillet, served for breakfast or dessert.

Italian nut biscotti with almonds, hazelnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest. Shaped into logs, baked once, then sliced on the diagonal for a big batch of crunchy cookies.

Three-layer chocolate pudding cake with rich chocolate custard between cocoa sponge layers, baked in a water bath and served with a Grand Marnier bittersweet chocolate sauce.