Recipes with sugar

Slow-baked navy beans in a tangy molasses, brown sugar, and bacon sauce with a surprise ingredient: lemon-lime soda. This from-scratch baked beans recipe simmers low and slow for fork-tender, smoky results every time.

Fruit sponge whips gelatin-set sour milk with crushed fruit and beaten egg white into a light, mousse-like vintage dessert. Old-fashioned chilled treat with cloud-soft texture.

Fresh fruit tart with kiwi, strawberries, and bananas on a whole wheat crust with orange juice glaze. A lighter dessert with no cream filling and a rustic free-form pastry base.

Mocha dream pie with a crisp phyllo crust and a no-bake ricotta filling flavored with cocoa, instant coffee, and a hint of cinnamon. A lighter, lower-fat mocha pie that hits coffee shop notes without the heavy cream cheese.

Lemon-pecan torte made with ground pecans and matzoh meal instead of flour, topped with a lemon curd glaze. A naturally flourless cake perfect for Passover.

Shrimp and scallops marinated in sherry, then wok-tossed with asparagus, baby corn, and water chestnuts in a glossy sesame-garlic sauce. Quick Chinese-style seafood in 30 minutes.

Drop sugar cookies with a soft, crumbly bite from a mix of margarine and oil, two kinds of sugar, and a touch of cream of tartar. No chilling, no rolling, just scoop and bake.

A sweet-tart blender dressing made with maraschino cherries, lemon juice, and a touch of sugar. Ready in 10 minutes, it turns any green salad into something special.

Southern chocolate pecan pie loaded with sweet chocolate, corn syrup, pecans, and a hit of coffee in both filling and topping. Classic Southern pecan pie crossed with a mocha mousse finish.

A two-layer cocoa cake with a cooked fudge frosting made the old-fashioned way, heated to soft-ball stage and beaten until thick. Cake flour keeps the crumb feathery light against that dense, candy-like frosting.

Impossible coconut pie: a self-crusting blender pie that magically separates into a crust on the bottom, custard in the middle, and toasted coconut on top. No pastry, no rolling, just pour and bake.

These banana fritters stay crispy thanks to a flour-dusted coating under a light egg-and-milk batter. Deep-fried golden in minutes and served hot for a crunchy, sweet snack or dessert.

Classic Boston baked beans with navy beans, salt pork, and molasses, slow-baked for six hours until thick and bronzed. The traditional New England Saturday-night supper.

Sausage and spinach lasagna layered with ricotta, mozzarella, Italian sausage, and Parmesan in a classic spaghetti sauce. A hearty, three-cheese baked pasta for family dinners.

A classic Italian-American family biscotti recipe with anisette liqueur and chopped nuts, twice-baked until golden and crunchy. Keeps for 6 weeks or freezes beautifully.

Neptune Gazpacho blends tomato and clam juice with cucumber, avocado, and fresh dill, topped with shrimp for a chilled no-cook seafood soup.

Slow-cooked cranberry cherry relish with raisins, whole orange, lemon, brown sugar, and warm spices. Yields 6 cups of thick, fruity condiment for holiday meals and cheese plates.

Seared skirt steak smothered in a smoky chipotle-tomatillo salsa with 15 cloves of roasted garlic and caramelized onions. Bold, beefy Mexican-inspired comfort on one plate.

Gin-marinated smoked salmon with brown sugar, pickling spices, and star anise. Bruised spices create complex flavor in this 2-hour cold-smoke recipe.

Tender drop cookies with slivered almonds and almond extract, baked at low temperature until lightly golden. Classic sandies that melt in your mouth.

Persian-style mandarine rice with saffron, julienned carrots, slivered almonds, and sultanas in a citrus syrup. Soaked rice baked under a jeweled mandarin and saffron glaze.

Irish log rolls a tender chocolate sponge cake around mint-flavored whipped cream filling for a green-and-chocolate jelly roll cake, perfect for St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

Lemon baked Alaska with brandy-soaked lemon cake, lemon ice cream, and toasted meringue. A showstopping flambe dessert that browns in a hot oven and gets lit tableside.

New Orleans-style French Market beignets cut into squares, deep-fried golden, and buried in powdered sugar. Make-ahead yeast dough that chills overnight and improves over a week in the fridge.

Not too sweet, very smooth and creamy, but not super rich; strawberries and apricot jam bring lots of fresh and fruity flavor, the phyllo pastry comes out golden brown and crispy. A delicious and guilt-free dessert that everyone will enjoy!

Light and airy no-bake watermelon chiffon pie in a buttery graham cracker crust. Pureed watermelon, whipped cream, and fluffy egg whites create a cloud-like filling that chills to set.

Braised red cabbage with fresh cranberries, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and ground cloves. A tangy, sweet-sour side dish with vibrant color for holiday meals.

A frozen slush punch made with cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and sugar, topped with lemon-lime soda for fizz. Make ahead and scoop out servings as needed. Makes 2 gallons.

Frozen graham custard is a retro no-churn freezer dessert with whipped evaporated milk, lemon, and vanilla custard layered between buttery graham cracker crumbs. Six ingredients, no ice cream maker, pure midcentury nostalgia.

Warm cinnamon and nutmeg spice this tender carrot cake studded with toasted pecans. Orange cream cheese frosting crowns the bundt for a citrusy finish.

Raspberry gratin with fresh raspberries, framboise, and a souffle-style egg batter that bakes into puffed golden mounds. The 10-minute French summer dessert that drinks above its weight class.

Cookie dough brownies layered three ways: a fudgy cocoa brownie base, a thick egg-free cookie dough filling, and a glossy chocolate glaze finished with chopped walnuts. Bakery-style bars done at home.

English cucumber and ginger conserve macerates sliced cucumber in sugar, then simmers the syrup with bruised ginger root for a translucent, spiced preserve. An old British country jam for cheese boards and tea.

Ginger chicken stir-fry with double ginger, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and a glossy soy-cornstarch sauce. Marinated chicken strips cooked in a wok with fresh and ground ginger.

No-bake cheesecake filling on a cinnamon cookie crust, topped with golden meringue. The filling sets from condensed milk and lemon juice, no water bath needed.

Vegan black bean chili with corn, zucchini, beer, and a cornmeal thickener. Hearty meatless one-pot dinner that feeds 16 with bold Tex-Mex flavor.

Easy no-bake peanut butter pie with cream cheese, whipped topping, and a graham cracker crust. Five ingredients, no oven, ready in 30 minutes for last-minute potlucks and weeknight desserts.

Dense bittersweet chocolate walnut torte with a glossy rum glaze poured over the top. Ground walnuts and whipped egg whites replace most of the flour for a rich, fudgy center.

Maple pecan pumpkin pie layers spiced pumpkin custard with raisins and chopped pecans, topped with maple-scented whipped cream and toasted pecan halves. A Thanksgiving upgrade on the classic.

Pumpkin tunnel cake bakes a brown sugar buttermilk-bran bundt with a hidden ring of spiced pumpkin filling running through the center. Lower-fat with egg whites and oil.

A moist, old-fashioned cake made with a whole unpeeled orange, banana, and raisins chopped in the food processor, baked with buttermilk and cinnamon. Rustic, fruity, and deeply satisfying.

Light, tender coconut cookies with almond extract and egg whites. Golden drop cookies that bake up delicate and crisp in just 12 minutes.

Cranberry-onion relish with sauteed onion and garlic, fresh cranberries, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Savory-sweet Thanksgiving condiment for turkey, pork, or cheese boards.

Soft, chewy banana cookies loaded with chopped pecans and a hint of molasses and cinnamon. This drop cookie recipe makes 3 dozen and disappears even faster.

Granny Smith apple pie with a flaky homemade crust and a buttery brown sugar crumble topping spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. From-scratch apple pie the way it should be.

Pacific Northwest grilled salmon rubbed with brown sugar, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. A simple overnight cure that builds a lacquered, smoky crust on the grill.

Creamy herring salad layers marinated herring with sliced apple, onion, and a sour cream-yogurt dressing. German-style smorgasbord classic that marinates for 5 hours and finishes with fresh dill.

Three-layer cranberry cheese bars with a buttery oat crumble crust, tangy cream cheese filling, and whole berry cranberry sauce on top. Makes 24 bars for holiday baking trays.