Recipes with sugar

A refreshing molded salad to accompany holiday foods.

Breakfast risotto made with Arborio rice slowly stirred with warm apple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, milk, and raisins. Creamy, warm-spiced porridge-meets-risotto, served with brown sugar at the table.

Chocolate wafer cheesecake with cookie dough buried beneath the surface. Smooth cream cheese filling hides surprise pockets of cookie dough that stay soft and chewy after baking.

Pitlai is a South Indian lentil stew with bitter gourd (karela), chickpeas, tamarind, and a ground coconut-spice paste. A tangy, complex vegetarian curry with toor dal and jaggery.

Cherry cheese coffee cake on a yeasted bread base with cream cheese filling, cherry pie filling, raisins, and a brown sugar streusel top. Uses frozen bread dough for the shortcut.

A lighter cheesecake-style pie made with strained yogurt cheese, cottage cheese, and lime in a buttery graham cracker crust. Topped with fresh strawberries. Creamy, tangy, and no-bake filling.

Monkey bread made with refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, cinnamon sugar, and melted margarine. Just 4 ingredients and a tube pan for sticky, pull-apart perfection.

Blueberry lattice pie with a bright, fresh filling: a portion of berries is cooked into a glossy cornstarch glaze, then the rest fold in whole, so it sets clean instead of soupy. Lemon, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Chinese-style tofu stir-fried with salted black beans, mashed red beans, garlic, green chili, and soy sauce. A savory, protein-rich vegetarian main dish.

Apple-filled acorn squash with brown sugar, chopped walnuts, and orange zest. Baked cut-side down first for tender flesh, then filled and finished in the oven. A vegan fall side.

Koulourakia, Greek special occasion cookies made with olive oil, cinnamon, brandy, and sesame seeds. Egg-free, dairy-free, and hand-shaped into traditional forms.

Orange and jicama salad with sliced avocado over mixed greens, dressed with a tangy orange-lemon vinaigrette. A bright, crisp, Mexican-inspired side salad for tacos or grilled fish.

Mud pie with an Oreo cookie crust, coffee ice cream layered with homemade chocolate-marshmallow mud sauce, and Kahlua whipped cream on top. The retro frozen dessert that earned its nickname for a reason.

Frozen peach torte layered with white chocolate kirsch mousse, chopped peaches, and a toasted almond crumb crust. An elegant make-ahead summer dessert.

Cold ramen noodle salad with shredded cabbage, cheddar cheese, and a tangy vinegar-mustard dressing. A crunchy, budget-friendly side dish that chills in under an hour.

Chicken marinade with soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, fresh ginger, and garlic. Seven ingredients, bold Asian-inspired flavor, and just 5 minutes to mix. Great for grilling or baking.

Apricot tea cookies are buttery thumbprints rolled in chopped almonds and filled with apricot preserves. A traditional European-style cookie with citrus zest and almond extract for elegance.

Peanut butter blossom cookies rolled in sugar and topped with a chocolate kiss pressed into each warm cookie. A holiday classic with buttery, chewy centers.

Chocolate and chestnut layer cake with a tender olive oil and white wine sponge, a smooth sweetened chestnut cream filling, and glossy dark chocolate ganache. An elegant autumn and holiday dessert.

Spaghetti in a creamy peanut sauce with sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, and crushed red pepper, topped with blanched summer squash, scallions, and red bell pepper.

Ham and redeye gravy is the old Appalachian breakfast classic: fried ham steaks with a skillet gravy of pan drippings, brown sugar, and strong black coffee.

Double chocolate cheesecake with a chocolate wafer and macadamia nut crust, sour cream topping, and frozen chocolate shavings. A rich, creamy no-crack baked cheesecake.

A Halloween Waldorf salad shaped like a werewolf with carrot fangs, alfalfa sprout fur, and radish eyeballs. Crisp apples, walnuts, and raisins in a creamy dressing kids love.

Chinese barbecue pork (char siu) with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Oven-baked pork loin strips with a sweet, sticky glaze.

Velvety chocolate cheesecake with spiced chocolate wafer crust, triple chocolate filling from cocoa, melted chocolate and whipped cream, garnished with chocolate curls.

Critters in the Hay is a Halloween popcorn treat with pumpkin pie spice caramel corn, candy corn, licorice spiders, and gummy worms. A spooky party snack kids love.

No-bake oatmeal fudge cookies with cocoa, evaporated milk, butter, and rolled oats. Drop-style cookies that set on waxed paper into chewy, chocolatey rounds. No oven required.

Classic Singapore Sling cocktail with gin, cherry brandy, fresh lemon juice, and powdered sugar topped with club soda. A simple, refreshing highball drink.

Irish soda bread for Saint Patrick's Day with currants, buttermilk, and a whisper of cardamom. Two crusty round loaves scored with a cross, baked until they thump hollow.

Chiles rellenos-style poblano peppers stuffed with shredded chicken and mozzarella, baked under a tangy tomatillo verde sauce. A lighter Mexican main without the traditional egg batter and deep fry.

Daiquiri pie with lime Jello, lemon pudding, light rum, and whipped topping in a graham cracker crust. A no-bake cocktail-inspired icebox dessert that tastes like a frozen daiquiri in pie form.

Sauteed striped bass escabeche marinated in white wine, sherry vinegar, and citrus with bell peppers, green olives, and crisp green beans. A stunning make-ahead dish.

Creme caramel is a great favorite in many restaurants. It is basically a super rich baked egg custard made with added heavy cream.

Gingerbread house cake: a warmly spiced two-layer gingerbread cake filled with cream cheese frosting and candy, then decorated like a gingerbread house. All the festive fun without the structural engineering.

Yogurt chicken oven-bakes plain yogurt-dipped, breadcrumb-coated chicken legs and thighs to crispy golden tenderness. Served with a vibrant garlic-mint herb dipping sauce.

Grilled shellfish ceviche with scallops, shrimp, and salmon marinated in lime juice with mango, grapefruit, and orange. A hybrid ceviche that combines citrus curing with quick grill marks.

Chocolate marble cheesecake Part 1 covers oven prep and the signature silky-smooth base made with processed cottage cheese and Neufchatel. The lightened take on classic cheesecake without sacrificing richness.

Smooth blended cocktail salsa with Roma tomatoes, chipotle salsa, fresh lime juice, brown sugar, and hot sauce. A smoky, tangy dip that purees in minutes and serves cold.

Apple raisin drop cookies from a cake mix with sour cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Soft, cakey cookies loaded with shredded apple, dusted with powdered sugar.

Buttery sandwich cookies stuffed with a slice of Baby Ruth candy bar, baked into pockets of melted peanut, caramel and nougat. Tender shortbread-style dough, six ingredients.

Salmon steaks stuffed with julienned shiitake and enoki mushrooms, carrots, and celery, then seared and braised in a lemongrass-fish sauce glaze. Served with sticky rice.

Christmas cream wafers sandwich tinted buttercream between sugar-coated, fork-pricked butter wafers. A retro holiday cookie that comes together with just five ingredients in the dough.

Lebanese Baklawa Be'Aj features phyllo squares shaped into lily petals around an egg-white walnut and almond filling, soaked in rose water and orange blossom syrup. A showstopper pastry for special occasions.

Peanut pie with a shortbread cookie crust bound by peanut butter, packed with peanut butter cookies and roasted peanuts in a gooey brown sugar custard. Triple peanut, double cookie.

Chocolate thumbprint cookies rolled in powdered sugar with a rich chocolate ganache filling. Brown sugar shortbread base with chopped chocolate chips baked into the dough.

Chocolate popcorn fudge: classic stovetop chocolate fudge cooked to soft-ball stage with chopped popped corn folded in for surprise crunch in every creamy square.

Lady Baltimore cake is a tender white layer cake filled with boiled frosting studded with walnuts, currants and figs. The famous Southern Charleston confection from 1906.

Raspberry chocolate truffle pie layers whipped chocolate ganache spiked with raspberry liqueur over a flaky crust, finished with cream and a strained berry sauce. A bistro-quality dessert.