Recipes with butter

Dense, fudgy chocolate pie loaded with walnuts and spiked with coffee and rum flavoring. Baked in a flaky pie shell, it's rich enough to satisfy any serious chocolate craving.

Tender sweetbreads poached in milk, cubed, and served in a classic béchamel sauce. A refined old-world appetizer for adventurous cooks who appreciate offal done right.

Kouloura rolls and buns are traditional Greek yeast breads with a tender milk-and-egg crumb, brushed with egg yolk and topped with toasted sesame seeds. A timeless hand-shaped loaf or roll.

Silky broccoli bisque with a twist of curry powder and lime juice, garnished with sour cream and chives. Serve it hot in winter or chilled on warm summer evenings.

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with creamy chili-seasoned ground beef, baked in taco sauce under a blanket of melted cheddar, Monterey Jack, and crushed tortilla chips. Taco night meets stuffed shells.

A European-style almond and cinnamon torte with a buttery shortcrust pastry, raspberry jam filling, and a lattice top dusted with powdered sugar. Elegant enough for Christmas, simple enough for any weekend.

Käsetorte is the German cheesecake with a buttery shortcrust pressed into a springform and topped with cream cheese filling thickened by vanilla pudding mix. Lighter and softer than New York-style, with old-world Bavarian charm.

Helen's Cheesecake with a ground pecan and graham cracker crust, a lemon-kissed cream cheese filling, and a sour cream topping baked right on. Refrigerate 24 to 72 hours - patience is the secret ingredient.

Whole wheat spaghetti with red lentils, sauteed spinach, and toasted pine nuts. A protein-packed vegetarian pasta dinner with lemon brightness and a hint of nutmeg.

Individual almond cream tarts: buttery pastry shells filled with almond-scented vanilla cream and topped with fresh kiwi, strawberries, grapes, and a glossy apple jelly glaze. A classic French patisserie dessert made home-doable.

Salmon en papillote with ginger, lemongrass, water chestnuts, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Each fillet steams in its own foil packet for a clean, aromatic Asian-inspired dinner.

Springtime cream of fiddlehead soup with shallots, leeks, and carrots in chicken stock, enriched with an egg yolk and cream liaison. Garnished with whole boiled fiddleheads.

Manhattan clam linguine in a creamy white wine sauce with garlic, basil, thyme, and Parmesan. Pasta cooked in clam liquor for extra briny depth in every strand.

Noodle stroganoff with ground beef, mushrooms, Burgundy wine, and sour cream, made in one pan with the egg noodles cooked directly in the sauce. A 30-minute weeknight dinner for six.

Rock lobster or lump crab in a buttery cream sauce spiked with mustard, sherry, and hot sauce, finished with Parmesan and served in flaky pastry shells.

Apple sour cream coffee cake layers buttery batter with sliced apples and a cinnamon-sugar-nut streusel ribbon, topped with more streusel for a tender, bakery-style brunch cake.