Fruited cheesecake: a creamy ricotta cheesecake on a vanilla wafer crust, crowned with fresh fruit arranged in concentric circles and glazed with currant jelly. A bakery-style summer dessert for eight.
Halloween black cat cookies turn rich chocolate cookie dough into spooky-cute pops, with pinched ears, fork-pressed whiskers, candy corn eyes, and red-hot noses. A fun bake the kids can help shape.
German chocolate pies: two pies at once, gooey cocoa-pecan-coconut filling in flaky shells. One to eat now, one to freeze. A Southern dessert for holidays and church suppers.
Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern cupcakes made with pumpkin, buttermilk, and pumpkin pie spice, topped with pumpkin frosting and decorated with black licorice faces and green gumdrop stems.
Oatmeal walnut cookies pack whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oats, raisins, and walnuts into a chewy cookie sweetened with brown sugar and orange juice concentrate. Hearty and wholesome.
Old-fashioned cut-out sugar cookies brushed with egg-white glaze and sprinkled with nuts or sugar. A versatile rolled cookie that goes thin and crisp or thick and soft to suit any occasion.
Beer-battered hush puppies with cornmeal, self-rising flour, and chopped onions. Beer adds lightness and tang. Drop in hot oil, fry until crisp for pub-style cornbread bites.
Stuffed veal breast with an herb filling of bacon, mushrooms, ground beef, dill, and tarragon, roasted in a Dutch oven with a sour cream pan gravy. A classic German Sunday roast.
Cioccolata cheesecake is an Italian-style crustless ricotta cheesecake spiked with rum, cocoa and a whisper of chocolate flavoring. Lighter and tangier than cream cheese versions, with a dense, custardy crumb and a cocoa-dark top.
Open-faced cod sandwiches on English muffins with broiled tomato, topped with a sharp cheddar cheese sauce spiked with mustard, cayenne, and Worcestershire. A hot seafood lunch.
Tender asparagus spears drizzled with a warm garlic-lemon butter sauce and chopped hard-boiled egg. A classic European side dish ready in just 15 minutes.
Easy maple apple bread made with refrigerated crescent roll dough, chopped apples, walnuts, and a vanilla glaze. A shortcut pull-apart loaf with cinnamon-maple filling in every layer.
Roll-and-cut almond cookies with toasted sliced almonds folded into a buttery dough and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Crisp edges, tender centers, and a double hit of vanilla and almond extract.
Triple-layer chocolate-glazed cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust, a dark chocolate layer, a brown sugar pecan layer, and a classic cream cheese layer, all topped with warm chocolate glaze. A show-stopping celebration dessert.
Potato omelette with sliced boiled potatoes, sauteed onions, and beaten eggs cooked together in a skillet until firm. A hearty, old-school breakfast with just five simple ingredients.
Indian chicken pies with flaky lard-and-margarine pastry wrapped around garam masala-spiced chicken, mushrooms, and corn. Handheld curry-pot pies worth the weekend effort.