Recipes with sugar

Rich flourless chocolate cake laced with Grand Marnier orange liqueur, baked low and slow until dense, fudgy, and utterly silky. Just chocolate, butter, eggs, and a splash of citrus elegance. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with billowy whipped cream.

Old-fashioned cold water cake with muscat raisins, warm spices, and no eggs or butter. A Depression-era boiled raisin cake that bakes up dense, spiced, and deeply satisfying.

Sweet noodle kugel layered with cottage cheese, sour cream, raisins, and vanilla, then rested overnight and baked into a golden cinnamon-sugar-topped Jewish holiday classic.

A tomato-based twist on classic SOS: ground chuck with onions, green pepper, and garlic simmered in tomato sauce and served over toast, rolls, or muffins. Fast, no-fuss comfort food.

Delicious, moist and nutritious muffins are great for breakfast.

Cocoa dough shaped into long rolls, baked, then sliced on the diagonal into elegant strip cookies loaded with chocolate chips. Drizzle with melted white or dark chocolate for a bakery finish.

Crispy battered shrimp deep-fried until golden and tossed in a spicy-sweet sauce with garlic. This Chinese restaurant favorite is ready in 40 minutes for a crowd-pleasing dinner.

Buttery pecan coconut cookie balls with a hint of almond, baked golden and finished with a tropical pineapple honey glaze or a roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 6 dozen bite-sized treats.

Rich, glossy chocolate mint sauce made in the microwave in just 15 minutes. Drizzle over ice cream, brownies, or cake for a cool minty finish.

Homemade cranberry orange sauce studded with dried apricots and raisins. This fruity, jewel-toned holiday condiment can be made up to 4 days ahead and thickens beautifully as it chills.

Hot fig pudding with molasses, buttermilk, dried figs, and ginger baked in a tube pan, served with a warm sherry-butter sauce with nutmeg and lemon. A British-style steamed pudding baked in the oven.

Buttery chocolate madeleines with a Kahlua syrup brush for extra moisture. These shell-shaped French cookies stay fresh for days and freeze beautifully.

A vintage two-layer cake flavored with homemade burnt sugar syrup, folded with whipped egg whites for a light, tender crumb. An old-fashioned Southern classic that deserves a comeback.

Old-fashioned cranberry shrub made from simmered cranberry juice, sugar, and lemon. Serve this tart, syrupy concentrate over ice with club soda or topped with sherbet.

Merry sugar cookies studded with rainbow chocolate morsels inside and pressed on top. A colorful holiday cookie with a buttery, crisp edge and soft center.

Quick sour cream muffins with a warm nutmeg note, baked golden in just 15 minutes. Uses light sour cream and works with sugar or non-nutritive sweetener for a diabetic-friendly option. Makes 12.

Tex-Mex spiced chicken tossed with fresh mango, crunchy jicama, and bell peppers in a zesty lime dressing. Served in crispy microwaved tortilla bowls over shredded Bibb lettuce.

Fresh cantaloupe, blueberries, grapes, and strawberries soaked in an orange juice and white wine marinade. Fat-free, naturally sweet, and gorgeous on any brunch or potluck spread.

Thick-cut ham slices pan-fried and simmered in a sweet mustard brown sugar glaze. A hearty back country classic ready in 20 minutes flat.

Marshmallow fruit salad with cherries, mandarin oranges, pineapple, bananas, and whipped cream in a cooked custard dressing. Overnight soak for deep flavor.

Slow cooker chili with ground beef, kidney beans, beer, and a heavy hand of chili powder and cumin. Smoky, beery, and built for tailgates and game day.

Old-fashioned strawberry cobbler with a crumbly egg-and-flour topping dotted with butter. Uses fresh or frozen berries and bakes in one pan. Serve warm with ice cream.

Glazed root vegetables with turnip, rutabaga, sweet potato, and winter squash baked in a brown sugar, ginger, and apple cider vinegar glaze, finished with toasted walnuts. Holiday side-dish gold.

Mini yeast cakes soaked in rum syrup and topped with sweetened whipped cream and sliced almonds for an elegant French dessert.

European mocha fudge cake with a dense cocoa-pecan base and creamy coffee whipped cream filling. A flourless-style chocolate cake that's rich, fudgy, and made without leavening.

Halloween chocolate cookie mice with pinched noses, chocolate chip eyes, and licorice tails. A spooky-cute kids' baking project that turns one chocolate shortbread dough into a tray of edible critters.

Russian cheese babka (pashka) with cream cheese, cottage cheese, candied fruits, golden raisins, and citrus zest, molded in cheesecloth overnight. A no-bake Russian Easter dessert.

Eggnog chiffon pie, an airy brandy-spiked custard set with gelatin and lightened with whipped egg whites, dusted with fresh nutmeg in a flaky homemade crust. A Christmas dessert worth the fuss.

Master Coney sauce: the classic Detroit-style hot dog topping with ground beef, tomato, and a warm spice list of cinnamon, allspice, clove, cumin, chili powder, and mint. Simmered low for three hours.

Old-fashioned cake doughnuts made with cooked winter squash, cinnamon, and nutmeg, fried golden brown. These tender, spiced doughnuts taste like autumn and make about 2 1/2 dozen from a single batch.

Brown sugar drop cookies with a warm cinnamon kick, stuffed with a thick date-pecan filling. Each golden bite hides a sweet, nutty surprise inside.

Slice-and-bake refrigerator nut cookies with a buttery, crisp snap. Make ahead dough rolls keep in the fridge for fresh-baked cookies anytime. Three built-in variations included.

Old-fashioned beer soup, the German Biersuppe: warm beer whisked with egg yolks, sugar, and butter into a frothy, custardy bowlful. A 19th-century breakfast or supper finished with parsley and paprika.

So good chocolate toffee cooks sugar, corn syrup, and cream to soft-ball stage in three additions, then folds in melted unsweetened chocolate for a chewy, fudge-toffee hybrid candy. 64 small squares per batch.

Anise biscotti (mandel bread) with lemon zest, anisette liqueur, and star anise baked twice for a crisp, crunchy dunk-worthy cookie. An Italian-Jewish crossover recipe with optional hazelnuts or sliced almonds.

Best 1-2-3-4 Cake with Chocolate Icing: a triple-layer butter cake topped with a cooked chocolate icing made from unsweetened squares. Old-school birthday cake at its essence.

Moroccan beet salad with boiled beets dressed in lemon, olive oil, cinnamon, sugar, and parsley. Two versions: classic and a spiced variation with orange flower water, cumin, and paprika. Bright cold appetizer.

This was the sourest sourdough I'd ever eaten but it was to die for.

Sweet fruit salsa with kiwi, strawberries, raspberries and cinnamon sugar baked tortilla chips. Fun party appetizer that works as dessert too.

Lighter chocolate banana fudge cake made with whole wheat flour, mashed bananas, and egg whites instead of butter and yolks. Topped with a glossy cocoa glaze and chopped walnuts. Rich without the heaviness.

Millionaire shortbread: classic three-layer Scottish bar with buttery shortbread base, chewy homemade caramel, and dark chocolate top. Made from scratch with sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup for the proper caramel pull.

Home-canned peach pie filling spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, with apple and golden raisins for body. Four pints from one canning session means peach pie any month of the year.

Homemade chocolate pudding and pie filling dry mix made from cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Store it in the pantry for months and make fresh chocolate pudding or pie filling anytime with just milk and butter.

Chocolate almond pound cake baked in a bundt pan with melted unsweetened chocolate, almond extract, and cornmeal for a dense crumb with nutty crunch.

Creamy acorn squash soup with warm spices (mace, ginger, cinnamon), pureed smooth with chicken broth, then simmered with ditalini pasta and topped with sweetened sour cream.

ABM artichoke and cracked wheat bread combines marinated artichokes, bulgur, whole wheat, and Parmesan in a savory bread machine loaf. Substantial sandwich bread for cured meats and aged cheese.

Overnight baked French toast soaked in evaporated milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon custard. Assemble the night before, bake in the morning for a hands-off brunch.

Fresh fruit salad with pineapple, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, and blackberries in a homemade celery-honey dressing. A Southern Living-style summer salad with a blended vinaigrette.