Recipes with sugar

Forgotten cookies are chocolate chip meringues baked for 2 minutes then left in the turned-off oven overnight. Crispy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that literally make themselves while you sleep.

Ripple mousse with dark chocolate, brandy, and vanilla, topped with swirled dark and white chocolate for a stunning two-tone presentation. Rich, airy, and elegant.

Lemon custard pie with a press-in oil crust, topped with fresh sliced strawberries glazed in melted jam. A make-ahead dessert with a light, soufflé-like lemon filling.

Middle Eastern lamb stew with allspice, cinnamon, turmeric, mushrooms, and plump raisins in a tomato-sherry broth. Boneless lamb shoulder simmered tender with warm spices.

Three-layer raspberry truffle brownies with a fudgy coffee-spiked base, raspberry cream cheese filling, and chocolate drizzle glaze. Rich, bakery-style, and make-ahead friendly.

Jack-o-lantern cookies with crushed lemon drops melted into the cutout eyes, nose, and mouth to create a glowing stained-glass effect. A fun Halloween baking project for kids.

Whipped cream frosting with raspberry sauce: sweetened whipped cream and a cornstarch-thickened raspberry coulis, both ready in under 20 minutes. A clean, fruity finish for cakes and desserts.

Old-fashioned chocolate fudge made with unsweetened chocolate, butter, and unflavored gelatin for a smooth, sliceable texture. Customize with nuts, coconut, or crushed candy mix-ins.

No-bake cocoa cream candy balls rolled in cocoa and powdered sugar with walnuts, milk, and vanilla. Old-fashioned chocolate truffles made without cooking in 10 minutes.

Cinnamon oatmeal topped with chopped apple, dates, sliced almonds, and brown sugar served with skim milk. A wholesome, low-calorie breakfast bowl.

Polo havidge loobia is a Persian layered rice pilau with sweet carrots, kidney beans, cinnamon, and a crisp potato tahdig crust. Aromatic, vegetarian, and deeply comforting.

Bread machine rye bread with caraway seeds and brown sugar for a slightly sweet, earthy loaf. Simple dump-and-start recipe with a classic deli-style flavor.

Slice and bake chocolate chip cookies with a make-ahead freezer dough. Shape four logs, freeze for up to 6 months, and bake fresh cookies anytime in 10 minutes.

Southwestern chicken with a brown sugar, lemon zest, and cayenne dry rub, finished on the grill with a beer-mustard basting sauce. Overnight-marinated bone-in chicken with deep smoky char.

Summer vegetable bowl with green beans, fresh corn on the cob, zucchini, baby onions, and bacon, all simmered together in a Dutch oven and finished with ripe tomato wedges. A peak-season harvest platter.

Chocolate tile cake with a flourless souffle cake layered with whipped truffle cream and covered in handmade chocolate tiles. A stunning, multi-component French-style showpiece dessert.

Toffee ice cream pie with a cinnamon chocolate-cookie crust, layers of coffee-toffee-crunch ice cream, and a rich espresso ganache sauce. Make-ahead frozen dessert that holds for two weeks.

Microwave upside-down brunch cake with ham, crushed pineapple, and brown sugar under a cornmeal batter. Sweet and savory in under 30 minutes.

Old-fashioned sour cream raisin pie with chopped raisins folded into a tangy custard finished with nutmeg and a touch of lemon juice. Serves equally well warm, at room temperature, or chilled the next day.

Three-ingredient lemon cookies made with cake mix, whipped topping, and an egg, rolled in powdered sugar for a crinkle-top finish. Soft, puffy, and ready in 20 minutes.

Nut gingerbread with molasses, brown sugar, and ground ginger topped with chopped nuts and a brown sugar crust. A warmly spiced, old-fashioned cake that fills the kitchen with aroma.

Orange coconut cake layers a tender almond-scented white cake with a tangy fresh orange filling and fluffy boiled-sugar frosting. A vintage Southern church-cookbook bake with citrus brightness throughout.

Pineapple limeade with fresh pineapple juice, lime juice, and sparkling water for a fizzy, tropical refresher. No-cook and ready to pour over ice.

Strawberry Bavarian (bavarois) folds whipped cream into a strawberry-gelatin base, then molds it into a light, cloud-like German classic dessert. Six ingredients, no eggs.

Chocolate-coconut layer cake with tender buttermilk chocolate layers, flaked coconut folded through, and a rich walnut-chocolate filling between whipped cream layers.

Nectarine sorbet with fresh blueberries and strawberries, made without an ice cream maker. Blended smooth and frozen for a light, fruity no-churn dessert.

Chocolate teacake loaf with cocoa, buttermilk, plumped currants, and chopped pecans. A not-too-sweet British-style cake baked in a loaf pan.

Triple chocolate cookies with melted semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate in the batter, chocolate chips folded in, then dipped in more melted chocolate. Fudgy, crackle-topped, and loaded with nuts.

Double chocolate walnut biscotti with cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips baked twice for a crisp, crunchy cookie. Dusted with powdered sugar and perfect for dunking in coffee.

Rolled ginger cookies with whole wheat flour, molasses, and a warming mix of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Chill the dough overnight for clean cut-out shapes that bake up crisp with spicy, old-fashioned holiday flavor.

Pumpkin pie spice-scented muffins pack oats, chewy dried apricots, and crunchy walnuts for a hearty breakfast that's ready in 40 minutes from bowl to basket.

Squash pie made with steamed winter squash, heavy cream, eggs, and warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and mace. A rich alternative to pumpkin pie.

Classic walnut quick bread with a tender crumb and buttery nut flavor. Simple pantry ingredients, one bowl, and no yeast needed. Slice it thick and spread with cream cheese.

A heirloom three-layer chocolate cake with bloomed cocoa, brown sugar for caramel depth, and tangy buttermilk. Old-school Sunday dinner cake, tender enough to live up to grandma's reputation.

Classic carrot cake loaf with grated carrots, cinnamon, chopped nuts, and cream cheese frosting. Baked in loaf pans for easy slicing, this moist oil-based cake is simple to make.

No-bake chocolate cream cake layered with chocolate wafer cookies, vanilla whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Refrigerate 8 hours and the cookies soften into cake-like layers.

Strawberry frozen yogurt made with plain yogurt, sieved strawberries, whipped cream, and gelatin. A no-churn frozen dessert set in an ice cube tray without a machine.

Cocoa cream pie with a from-scratch chocolate pudding filling made from cocoa powder, milk, and cornstarch in a baked pie shell. Topped with whipped cream after chilling 6-8 hours.

Classic French onion soup with deeply caramelized onions, brown stock, white wine, and Cognac, topped with toasted bread rounds and melted Swiss cheese. A true bistro-style recipe.

Mini chocolate chip cookies made with canola oil instead of butter and extra egg whites for a lower-fat bite. Tiny, crispy cookie bites that bake in just 7 minutes.

Soft, cake-style pumpkin spice cookies built on egg whites and pumpkin puree with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, baked tender for a lighter holiday cookie tin.

Celebrate the Kentucky Derby with this famous apple pie.

Carrot pineapple muffins made with whole wheat flour, grated carrots, crushed pineapple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Moist, lightly sweet, and lower in fat than typical muffins.

Crunchy apple pie with chopped pecans, brown sugar, and a foamy egg white batter baked in a single crust. Open-faced with a crisp, golden top.

Flambe bananas in brown sugar butter sauce with raisins, walnuts, and brandy. A 15-minute showstopper dessert with caramelized fruit and a dramatic flame finish.

Classic Southern Louisiana spoon bread, a soufflé-style cornmeal pudding folded with whipped egg whites for an airy, custardy texture. Eaten with a spoon, served alongside Cajun and Creole mains.

Potato chip cookies: a six-ingredient sweet-and-salty shortbread-style cookie with crushed potato chips folded into a buttery vanilla dough. The salty crunch is the whole point.

Coeurs a la creme are classic French heart-shaped cheese desserts drained overnight in cheesecloth molds, served over fresh raspberry coulis. Airy, tangy, and romantic without being heavy.