Recipes with sugar

Barbecue beef sandwiches made with pressure-cooked beef chuck shredded and simmered in a homemade ketchup-based BBQ sauce with brown sugar, Worcestershire, and vinegar. Great for potlucks and freezes well.

Glazed apple cake: silky McIntosh apple purée folded into a warm-spiced batter, topped with fanned Granny Smith slices and a glossy apricot jam glaze. A bakery-style fall dessert.

Sugar-free apple streusel pie built from just 6 pantry ingredients including biscuit mix and a sweetener of choice. A diabetic-friendly dessert that bakes in about 20 minutes.

Fruitcake drop cookies with brandy, candied cherries, dates, candied pineapple, and nuts. All the holiday fruitcake flavor in a bite-sized cookie that bakes in 12 minutes.

Taco chicken grill marinates oven-baked chicken in a tangy taco-spiced barbecue sauce with molasses and tomato, then finishes over coals with melted Monterey Jack. Two-stage cooking for fall-off-the-bone tender meat with a smoky crust.

Peanut butter granola cookies with raisins, brown sugar, and a chewy-crunchy texture from 2 1/2 cups of granola baked right into the dough. Thick, hearty, and packed with crunch.

Sour cream blueberry cake with a buttery shortbread-style base, fresh blueberries, and a rich sour cream custard topping. A European-style fruit cake baked in a springform pan.

Shrimp porcupines: large shrimp wrapped in shaggy kataifi pastry threads and fried golden, served on a bed of bright purple cabbage-mayonnaise sauce. A showstopping appetizer with serious crunch.

Tender lemon bundt cake with poppy seed crunch, drenched in a warm citrus glaze that turns each slice into a melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Chocolate thumbprint cookies bake a cocoa-walnut shortbread base, then fill the wells with vanilla cream and ruby cherry pie filling. Holiday cookie tray showstopper.

Strained berry sauce with cognac, lemon zest, and cornstarch for a glossy, clear finish. A versatile dessert sauce for ice cream, fruit, or cake.

Blueberry cheesecake with macadamia nut crust, creamy cream cheese filling, tangy sour cream layer, and fresh blueberry topping. A Hawaiian-inspired dessert that impresses.

Chocolate peanut butter cookies loaded with peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts. A fudgy cocoa dough with a double dose of peanut crunch in every bite, baked in under 10 minutes.

Eggless chocolate banana snack cake with mashed ripe banana, cocoa, brown sugar, and a vinegar-baking soda lift. Topped with melted chocolate chips. A no-egg, no-dairy 8-inch square cake.

Golden color and rich flavor is achieved by the caramelization of the sugar, and the addition of orange rind.

Whole wheat challah braided into a glossy three-strand loaf, blending nutty whole wheat flour with white for a tender, sturdier crumb. Egg-washed and poppy seed-topped, ready for Shabbat or weekend French toast.

A traditional and scrumptious garlic bread that's extremely easy to make. Can be served plain or with pasta.

Homemade yeast cinnamon rolls swirled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins, then finished with a coffee-spiked confectioners' glaze. Soft, pillowy from-scratch rolls with a grown-up twist on the icing.

Mango mousse cake with a sponge cake base, fresh mango puree mousse set with gelatin, toasted almonds, raspberry jam, and whipped cream. An impressive layered French-style dessert.

Grilled angel food cake with skewered nectarines basted in lemon-sugar glaze and fresh blueberries. A light summer grilled dessert with caramelized fruit and toasted cake.

Pistachio and white chocolate cookies with brown sugar, butter-flavored shortening, and toasted pistachios. Chewy or crisp by choice, the classic holiday cookie tin upgrade.

Friendship-starter prune cake spiced with cinnamon and studded with chopped walnuts and stewed prunes. A moist, sourdough-tinged sheet cake from the Amish friendship-bread tradition.

Buttermilk pecan fruitcake made with dried pears and toasted pecans instead of the usual neon candied fruit. Buttermilk keeps the crumb tender, beaten egg whites give it lift. A gift-worthy Christmas loaf.

Double chocolate cream cheese cake with a coffee-spiked cocoa batter and a tangy cream cheese chocolate chip swirl baked right in. A one-pan dessert that disappears at potlucks.

Fruit custard pie pours a silky scalded-milk custard into a pastry shell, then tops it with fresh berries that sink and bake into pockets of jammy fruit. A simple British-style dessert with six pantry ingredients.

Pistachio-almond biscotti drizzled with dark chocolate: crunchy, twice-baked Italian cookies packed with two kinds of nuts. Coffee's best friend and a gift-tin classic.

Pina colada pie layers pineapple sorbet over a macadamia-coconut crust, then crowns with rum-spiked coconut frozen yogurt and fresh pineapple. Frozen tropical cocktail in pie form.

Secret kiss cookies hide a whole chocolate kiss inside a buttery, walnut-flecked shortbread, baked until just set and rolled in powdered sugar. Bite in and the soft chocolate center is the surprise. A Christmas cookie tin favorite.

Stir-fried pork with dried black mushrooms, celery, onion, and scallions in soy sauce, ready to toss with chow mein or lo mein noodles. A versatile Chinese noodle topping that comes together in minutes.

Cardamom whole wheat walnut biscotti combine ground walnuts, whole wheat flour, and warm cardamom into crisp twice-baked Italian cookies. No butter, no yolks, just clean flavor.

Almost whole wheat challah made in the bread machine: an egg-enriched Jewish bread blending whole wheat and white flour for a soft, hearty loaf, finished with egg wash and poppy seeds. No braiding, just measure and press start.

Chunky mustard beans with red peppers blanch green beans, peppers, and onions, then bind them in a turmeric-mustard pickling sauce with celery seed and mustard seed. A bright, tangy pickled relish for water-bath canning.

Killer brownies with six ounces of unsweetened chocolate, dark corn syrup, two cups of walnuts, and a hint of almond extract. Dense, fudgy, and intensely chocolatey.

Mocha nut butter balls: melt-in-your-mouth Russian tea cake-style cookies upgraded with cocoa, instant coffee, and toasted walnuts. Rolled in powdered sugar while warm for the signature snowy coat.

Chinese twice-cooked pork with black mushrooms, bean curd, bamboo shoots, and bell peppers in a soy-ginger sauce. Simmered first, then stir-fried for tender, flavorful slices.

Fudgy Passover brownies made with matzo meal and cocoa powder instead of flour. Kosher for Pesach, rich and chocolatey, with a dense chewy texture the whole family will fight over.

Baked apple pancake made with beer batter, beaten egg whites, Granny Smith apples, and cinnamon-brown sugar. A puffy, oven-baked skillet pancake that rises golden and dramatic.

Brioche bread bakes into rich, eggy, butter-laden French rolls with a tender crumb and signature topknot. Six eggs and a pound and a half of butter folded in slowly build the silky dough. Classic brioche a tete shape from a coffee cup mold.

Tiny cheesecakes built on a single vanilla wafer crust and finished with a candied cherry. Four-ingredient mini cheesecakes that bake in muffin liners for instant holiday party trays.

Grilled pepper sirloin steaks marinated overnight in steak sauce, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and crushed whole peppercorns. Bold, spicy, and built for the grill.

Korean BBQ beef bulgogi-style with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and green onions. Marinate sirloin cubes for two hours, then grill or stir-fry.

Ginger broccoli sauteed in sesame oil with tamari and brown sugar. A quick vegan side dish with warm, spicy-sweet Asian flavors ready in 20 minutes.

Aniseed biscotti from Genoa, twice-baked into long, crisp logs scented with whole anise seed. A yeast-raised dough makes them lighter and more bread-like than the typical Tuscan biscotti, ideal for dunking in coffee or sweet wine.

Two-layer apricot bars with a buttery shortbread crust and a brown sugar apricot topping. Dried apricots are simmered, pureed, and baked into chewy, fruity squares.

Zimtsterne, traditional German cinnamon stars made from ground almonds and hazelnuts bound with meringue and barely any flour, spiced with cinnamon and topped with a white icing. A chewy holiday classic.

Creamy microwave fudge made with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and evaporated milk. Cooked to soft-ball stage in the microwave for a smooth, rich homemade candy.

Olive oil and vinegar chicken cacciatore braised with white wine, garlic, and rosemary. Italian hunter-style chicken without the heavy tomato sauce. Pan-to-oven in 45 minutes.

Lemon roll-out cookies with sour cream in the dough for a tender crumb, brushed with lemon juice and sprinkled with sugar before baking. The bright citrusy cookie cutter staple for any holiday tray.