Peanut butter and jelly streusel bars with a brown sugar PB cookie base, strawberry jam middle, and oat-crumble topping. The lunchbox sandwich reinvented for the cookie tray.
Granola scones studded with five-fruit cocktail, baked as one large round and cut into wedges. Crunchy granola clusters, tender crumb, and a sugar-sparkled top.
Homemade English muffins cooked on a griddle, not baked. Soft yeasted dough with cornmeal-dusted tops and bottoms, full of nooks and crannies for catching melted butter.
Lamb Creole gumbo with browned riblets, stewed tomatoes, okra, black-eyed peas, white wine, and lemon. A Cajun-Louisiana stew with a lamb twist that freezes well.
Butterscotch icebox cookies sandwich a cooked date-and-nut filling between thin slices of brown-sugar dough. A vintage refrigerator cookie that bakes up crisp and chewy.
Southern-style cheesy okra and crab casserole: fresh crabmeat baked with sliced okra, diced carrot and Tabasco in an egg custard, then topped with melted cheddar. A Gulf Coast main dish with Lowcountry roots.
Cream of artichoke soup with lemon and garlic, simmered in chicken broth and pureed smooth. A velvety, elegant soup with bright citrus notes and no cream needed.
Duck gumbo simmers deboned duck in a dark butter roux with okra, tomatoes, and the Cajun holy trinity for a rich bayou stew. Ladle over rice for a Louisiana cold-weather classic.
Twice-baked chocolate biscotti loaded with Dutch-process cocoa and toasted hazelnuts or walnuts. Crisp, sturdy, and dunkable, with a deep cocoa flavor and no butter or oil. The classic Italian coffee cookie, made dark.
Christmas is never complete without a visit from the aromatic, sweet-tasting gingerbread kids.
Crockpot pumpkin bread baked inside canning jars for cylindrical loaves. Pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, currants, and a wet pumpkin batter. Edible gift idea.
Old-fashioned custard pie with a lard-and-butter crust and a silky egg-milk filling dusted with nutmeg. Simple farmhouse dessert with a classic five-ingredient filling.
Swiss steak braised in ketchup with onions and garlic until fork-tender. Flour-dredged round steak slow-cooked on the stovetop in a tangy, slightly sweet tomato sauce.
Homemade beef pot pie, Pennsylvania Dutch style: no baked crust, just handmade dough squares and cubed potatoes simmered with tender stewing beef in its own rich broth. Old-fashioned and hearty.
Enchiladas verdes with corn tortillas layered flat with a garlic-infused green chile sauce, minced onion, and cheddar cheese, then baked until the cheese melts.
Apple cranberry pie with Granny Smith slices, whole cranberries, and an oat-cinnamon crumble topping. The Thanksgiving pie that combines pie and crisp.