Garlic-rubbed pork spareribs baked low and slow under a tropical glaze of pineapple, chili sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and dry mustard. Sticky, sweet, tangy, and falling off the bone.
Praline macaroons from Mississippi: chewy meringue cookies built on whipped egg whites, brown sugar, and toasted pecans, each one crowned with a whole pecan half. Crisp shell, soft center, pure Southern bakery counter.
Milwaukee-style pork stew braised in beer and chicken broth with caraway seeds, vinegar, and brown sugar. Tender, tangy, and built for cold-weather comfort.
Dense, fudgy chocolate pecan cake spiked with Irish cream liqueur and espresso, crowned with a glossy chocolate glaze and chocolate-dipped pecans. A showstopper for 10.
Pit barbecue sauce with butter, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and garlic. A tangy, buttery no-cook mop sauce that makes two quarts and needs no refrigeration.
Southern Thai grilled chicken: chicken rubbed with a fragrant spice paste, even under the skin, marinated, then grilled over low coals until charred and juicy. Big, bold Thai flavor off the grill.
Peanut mojhy, a Pennsylvania Dutch molasses and brown sugar candy loaded with peanuts. An old-fashioned hard crack candy poured onto buttered tins with just five ingredients.
Chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made with brown sugar, butter, and rolled oats. Just 9 ingredients and ready in about 20 minutes from bowl to cooling rack.
Vegan date walnut muffins built on a sticky date-water paste with brown sugar and crunchy walnuts folded in. No eggs, no dairy, just 12 tender muffins in 45 minutes.
Onion and corn relish slow-cooked with pearl onions, tomatoes, white wine, currants, and fennel seeds into a thick, sweet-tart condiment. A gourmet homemade relish for grilled meats and cheese boards.
Chewy chocolate chip cookies loaded with whole wheat flour, oats, and sunflower seeds. Rolled in seeds before baking for a nutty, crunchy coating that makes 6 dozen crowd-pleasers.
Warm brownie pudding cake bakes its own fudgy chocolate sauce underneath a soft cake top. Pour boiling water over the batter, don't stir, bake, then spoon out cake and sauce in one go.
Old fashioned butterscotch cookies made with melted butter dissolved in brown sugar for pure caramel flavor. A thin, crispy drop cookie with just six pantry staples that bakes in 8 minutes.
Black tea smoked chicken: Sichuan-and-five-spice-rubbed thighs hot-smoked over rice, black tea, and brown sugar, then tucked into lettuce cups with peanuts, scallion, and a soy-ginger glaze. An impressive, gluten-free-friendly appetizer.
Two-layer carrot cake bursting with orange marmalade, toasted walnuts, and grated carrots, finished with a citrus cream cheese frosting and a stunning lattice top.
Fruit vanilla yogurt dip: creamy low-fat vanilla yogurt brightened with orange juice concentrate, lime, and a touch of brown sugar. A quick, healthy four-ingredient dip for apples, pears, and peaches.