Recipes with sugar

Venison kabobs marinate cubed deer meat in soy sauce, ginger, dry mustard, and garlic, then grill with onions, jalapeños, and bell pepper. Big-batch hunter's BBQ.

Texas spoon bread with cornmeal, scalded milk, and beaten egg whites for a light, soufflé-like Southern side dish. Puffs up golden and scoops soft from a baking dish.

Flaky buttermilk biscuits with fresh parsley, chives, and oregano. Cold butter cut into flour creates tall, layered biscuits with an herb-flecked crumb.

Lemon sours are three-layer cookie bars with a buttery shortbread base, coconut-nut filling, and tangy lemon glaze on top. A sweet-tart bar cookie that cuts into neat squares.

Holiday almond wreath cookies piped from a star tip and decorated with red and green candied cherries. Buttery almond shortbread in a festive Christmas-tin shape.

Fresh oranges drizzled with a quick maple caramel sauce made from brown sugar, maple syrup, and lemon juice. A light, elegant fruit dessert ready in minutes.

Summer vegetable saute with squash, bell pepper, green onions, and fresh tomato seasoned with chili powder. A quick low-fat vegetarian side served over rice.

Rich yeast bread loaded with chunks of semi-sweet chocolate and walnut pieces, made with butter, eggs, and a simple batter method. No kneading required. Makes two loaves.

Cinnamon chocolate sheet cake with a boiled cocoa-margarine base, buttermilk batter, and chocolate cream cheese frosting. A Texas-style sheet cake with warm cinnamon spice throughout.

Chocolate sour cream cake built on melted unsweetened chocolate, brown sugar, and a finishing splash of boiling water that blooms the cocoa into deep, fudgy darkness. Tender, moist, old-school layer cake at its honest best.

Mint chip brownies loaded with mint chocolate chips and chopped walnuts in a fudgy cocoa-based batter. One bowl, no melting chocolate, and ready in 35 minutes.

Mint-chocolate brownies with a fudgy crumb and cool peppermint punch, built from melted mint morsels stirred straight into the batter. Easy one-bowl dessert for the holidays or any day.

Mocha nut rounds are slice-and-bake icebox cookies flavored with instant coffee and semi-sweet chocolate. Edges dipped in milk chocolate, then rolled in chopped pistachios for a striking holiday cookie tray finish.

White chocolate macadamia nut cookies with buttery, golden edges and a soft center. Chunky white chocolate and halved macadamias in a brown sugar cookie dough.

Pimiento sweet pickles made with 24 red bell peppers brined overnight and simmered in a spiced vinegar syrup with cloves, cinnamon, allspice, mace, and mustard seeds.

Chocolate pecan pie with melted German sweet chocolate, toasted pecan halves, and a glossy corn-syrup custard baked into a flaky pie shell. The Southern holiday classic with a cocoa upgrade.

Double chocolate chunk cookies with cocoa powder in the dough and 18 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chunks. Fudgy, rich, and loaded with melty chocolate in every bite.

Lincoln almond cake: a tall white butter cake with chopped blanched almonds folded through, lifted by stiff-beaten egg whites and baked in a bundt pan. Tender, fragrant, snowy-white.

Mint sauce for lamb pounds fresh mint with sugar and white wine vinegar for a classic British-Irish condiment. Bright, tangy, three ingredients, ready in 20 minutes.

Mocha butterball cookies with cocoa, instant coffee, chopped nuts, and a powdered sugar coating. No-spread, no-chill cookie dough ready to bake in 25 minutes.

Two-layer raspberry cheese pie with a baked cream cheese filling and a cool raspberry-whipped cream topping. A make-ahead showstopper dessert for special occasions.

Sweet popcorn macaroons with chopped popped popcorn, walnuts, and meringue. Crisp, gluten-free, naturally low-fat 5-ingredient cookies, makes 2 dozen.

Armenian lavosh flatbread with a simple yeast dough rolled thin, topped with sesame or poppy seeds, and baked crisp. Ancient cracker bread, perfect for cheese boards and dips.

Red, white, and blue berry pie with layered blueberries, cream cheese mousse, and raspberries in a gelatin-set filling. A no-bake patriotic dessert for the Fourth of July.

Sweet oatmeal pie combines honey and dark corn syrup with cinnamon. Quick oats rise during baking to form a signature chewy crust on top.

Light, crisp peppermint meringue cookies made with egg whites, sugar, and crushed candy canes. Slow-baked until dry and melt-in-your-mouth airy.

Saltine cracker torte folds crushed soda crackers and walnuts into stiffly beaten egg whites for a flourless meringue-style dessert topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

Scotch apple pudding layered with sliced apples, rolled oats, cinnamon sugar, and skim milk, then baked until golden and bubbly. A low-fat British-style baked dessert.

Soft gingerbread cookies with separated eggs folded in for airy texture, spiced with ginger and cloves, ready in just 10 minutes of baking.

Crisp rolled molasses cookies with a full tablespoon each of cinnamon and ginger, dark molasses, lemon extract, and a splash of vinegar for tang. Thin and snappy.

Strawberry lemon trifle layered with homemade genoise cake, lemon curd filling, kirsch-soaked strawberries, toasted almonds, and whipped cream.

No-bake chocolate cream cheese pie with a chocolate graham cracker crust. Melted chocolate chips, whipped cream, and fluffy egg whites create a mousse-like filling that chills overnight.

Chocolate crossword cookies: thick, chewy chocolate bar cookies loaded with chocolate chips, baked in a pan and cut into squares. A bake-sale favorite with a brownie-cookie hybrid texture.

Fresh peach pie with a peach gelatin glaze in a baked pie shell. Sliced ripe peaches set in a sweet, glossy filling and topped with whipped cream. No-bake filling.

Baked sweet potatoes glazed in a buttery lemon-nutmeg syrup until bubbling and caramelized. A bright, citrusy holiday side dish that pairs with ham, turkey, or roasted pork.

To Do Tarts: small pecan cookies bound with ground stale bread, orange zest, and stiffly beaten egg white. Five-ingredient nut cookies with no flour and no butter, ready in 30 minutes.

Hazelnut spiral cookies with a buttery shortbread-style dough rolled around toasted ground hazelnuts, sugar, and warm spices. Slice-and-bake elegance.

White chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts, chunky and bakery-sized at a third cup of dough each. Crispy golden edges with a soft, buttery center that freezes well for weeks.

Spicy fruit compote simmers dried fruit in port wine with cinnamon, cloves, and lemon, finished with fresh banana. A warming dessert or breakfast topping for yogurt, ice cream, or pancakes.

Strawberries Elegante pairs ripe sliced strawberries with orange liqueur and a silky brown-sugar cream cheese sauce. A 10-minute no-cook dessert that tastes like more work.

Old-fashioned Christmas drop cakes with currants, lemon zest, and butter pressed thin and baked crispy. A heritage holiday cookie recipe with a delicate, lace-like texture.

Potato soup with lemons: a bright, golden purée flavored with lemon zest, ginger, and slow-simmered onion. A naturally creamy potato soup with zero dairy.

Classic German chocolate cake: three light layers of sweet chocolate cake with whipped egg whites folded in, stacked with a cooked coconut-pecan frosting made from evaporated milk and egg yolks. The real, from-scratch version.

Citrus cheesecake brightens a rich cream cheese filling with both lemon and orange zest, set in a buttery homemade citrus pastry crust instead of graham crumbs. Tangy, fragrant and bakery-smooth.

Bread machine dried tomato and rosemary bread with olive oil, paprika, and bread flour. A savory, herb-scented loaf with just 5 minutes of hands-on prep.

Chinese pepper onion beef with flash-fried flank steak, scallions, and loads of black pepper. Marinated in soy, sherry, and ginger then wok-tossed.

Fudge nougats are no-thermometer chocolate fudge squares with walnuts and graham cracker crumbs for body, wrapped individually for holiday gifting. Quick, easy, and giftable.

Mocha truffle cake: a flourless dark chocolate cake built with a pound of chocolate, a pound of butter, eight eggs, and strong coffee. Chilled overnight and frosted with vanilla whipped cream.