Recipes with cornstarch

Old-fashioned chocolate cream pie with a silky stovetop cocoa custard and a high-piled toasted meringue. The Sunday-supper dessert dads have been requesting since the 1950s.

Downeast blueberry bread pudding bakes wild Maine blueberries with stale white bread cubes and evaporated skim milk for a low-fat, low-sugar New England dessert.

Hearty venison stew loaded with potatoes, carrots, corn, green beans, and wax beans in a thick, seasoned broth. A big-batch hunter's stew that feeds a crowd.

A quick microwave cherry sauce made with dark sweet cherries, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spoon over ice cream or cake in under 10 minutes.

Mongolian beef stir-fry with flank steak, scallions, garlic, hoisin, and oyster sauce. A fast wok-fried takeout favorite with a sweet, savory, slightly spicy sauce.

Custard-style apple pie with Red Delicious apples in a cream, egg, and cornstarch filling with cinnamon and nutmeg. A double-crust pie dotted with butter.

Napa cabbage wok-braised with dried shrimp, Chinese mushrooms, mustard greens, sherry, and soy sauce, finished with rendered chicken fat. An authentic Chinese side with deep umami layers.

Chinese-style stir-fried chicken with toasted pine nuts, bamboo shoots, and a savory hoisin-oyster sauce. Cornstarch velveted chicken stays tender. Wok dinner in 30 minutes.

Pepper-crusted beef tenderloin seared and served over crisp-tender bell peppers and scallions, all draped in a tangy balsamic-soy sauce. A fast steak and peppers dinner that's easily made gluten-free with tamari.

Pork cubes marinated in five spice and sherry, wok-seared, then clay pot braised with brown bean sauce, dried orange peel, ginger, and fresh oysters. Cantonese surf-and-turf at its finest.

German beef rouladen: thin slices brushed with mustard, rolled around bacon and onion, then slow-braised in a paprika-tomato sauce finished with sour cream. Classic comfort food over potatoes or noodles.

Southern peanut butter pie with a creamy custard filling, crunchy peanut butter crumble layered on top and bottom, and golden meringue. An old-fashioned Georgia-style dessert.

Layered chocolate torte with a dried sour cherry and Marsala filling, coffee-soaked cake layers, and a cream cheese whipped cream. A multi-component holiday showpiece that tastes like Black Forest cake's sophisticated Italian cousin.

Sweet and sour pork stir fry with pineapple, cucumber, tomato, and red pepper in a fish sauce and vinegar glaze, finished with a light cornstarch coating. A 30-minute wok dinner.

Fluffy Bisquick dumplings steamed over a warm mandarin orange and cinnamon sauce, all made in the microwave in 30 minutes. A cozy, quick citrus dessert for two that uses pantry staples.

Vegan lemon tofu cheesecake with silken tofu, tahini, and lemon zest on a Grape-Nuts crust with maple syrup. Dairy-free and egg-free.