Recipes with sugar

Apricot white chocolate muffins with cinnamon-poached apricots, nutmeg, and good quality white chocolate. The poaching liquid adds apricot flavor right into the batter.

Low-fat apple oat crisp with applesauce in the filling and a whole wheat oat topping with just a tablespoon of margarine. Only 85 calories per serving.

Cold asparagus side dish with a blended sesame-ginger vinaigrette made from toasted sesame seeds, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, and orange juice.

Irish barmbrack is a traditional yeasted fruit bread studded with raisins, currants, allspice, and lemon zest. Soft, lightly sweet loaves often baked for Halloween and All Saints' Day.

German potato salad tosses tender sliced potatoes and onion in a tangy-sweet apple cider vinegar dressing with just a touch of mayo. A lighter, Oktoberfest-style side that's even better after it rests.

Classic rolled-and-cut Christmas sugar cookies sprinkled with colored sugar before baking. Crisp, buttery, and ready for stars, trees, and bells without any frosting required.

Corn flake macaroons with grated peanuts and almond extract. Flourless drop cookies that bake up crispy on the edges and chewy in the center. No coconut, no flour, just crunch.

Microwave Chinese chicken kabobs marinate cubed chicken in soy-honey-ginger sauce, then cook on skewers in just 5 to 9 minutes. A quick retro appetizer or weeknight dinner.

Jerk chicken: chicken parts marinated for 24 hours in a fiery Jamaican paste of scotch bonnets, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, and lime, then grilled over charcoal until the skin crackles. Island fire at its finest.

Light, airy Vermont maple chiffon cake with walnuts, drizzled in reduced maple syrup glaze. Baked in an angel food pan and cooled upside down for a tall, tender crumb.

Bok choy stir fry with bean sprouts and snow peas in a glossy chicken bouillon glaze. A quick vegetable side dish with crisp-tender texture, done in 20 minutes.

Pillowy soft buttermilk drop cookies baked until pale golden get frosted with sweet buttercream and sprinkled with colored sugar for nostalgic treats.

Curried eggplant strudel wrapped in crispy phyllo with saffron, cumin, peanuts, and tomatoes. Baked golden and served with cool yogurt. A stunning Indian-meets-Viennese fusion.

Porterhouse steak grilled with a hoisin barbecue sauce that mashes up Chinese pantry staples with classic BBQ flavors, hoisin, soy, and rice vinegar meet ketchup, ancho chili, and Worcestershire.

A four-layer Snickers pie: graham cracker crust, fudgy chocolate brownie layer studded with Snickers chunks, creamy cheesecake, and drizzled milk chocolate ganache on top. Decadent dessert overload.

Barley vegetable pockets stuffed with pearl barley, fresh mint, sesame oil, and lemon in pita bread. A bright, chewy vegetarian filling that works as a meal or dip.

These pretty little peppermint-flavored cookies are a tasty, colorful addition to any holiday cookie box.

Tart and tangy beef on a bun simmers browned ground chuck with onions in a sweet-sour sauce of ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire, Dijon, and honey. Sloppy joes with real bite.

This buttery and moist Texas sheet cake is a all time winner. Everyone loves it.

A staple at English boarding schools, these individual cakes are served with afternoon tea. They don't keep well; after a day they take on the characteristics of "rocks".

Low-fat applesauce oatmeal muffins with rolled oats soaked in skim milk, whole wheat flour, and egg whites. No butter, no oil, and just 95 calories each.

Sourdough buns using both starter and active dry yeast for a tangy flavor with a reliable rise. Butter-dipped and baked until golden.

Portuguese sweet bread with a soft, egg-rich crumb and golden egg-washed crust. This classic massa sovada recipe makes two round loaves with a pillowy texture.

Homemade mint jelly with fresh mint leaves, vinegar, sugar, and pectin. A classic condiment for roast lamb that sets up crystal clear and bright green in about 20 minutes.

Classic mayo-and-sour-cream coleslaw with Dijon mustard and a finishing scatter of caraway seeds. Cabbage, carrot and onion at their backyard-cookout best.

Chocolate zucchini tube cake using a cake mix hack with shredded zucchini folded in for extra moisture. Topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped nuts.

Devonshire splits, soft sweet yeast buns from England's West Country, split and filled generously with clotted cream and jam, then dusted with icing sugar. A traditional cream-tea treat.

Old-fashioned oatmeal raisin cookies with walnuts, warm cinnamon and clove, and sour milk for tenderness. Crisp golden edges, soft chewy centers, and the kind of nostalgic flavor that beats any bakery version.

Succulent stewed rabbit: flour-dredged rabbit browned in bacon fat, then braised with carrots, onion, red wine, and rosemary until fall-off-the-bone tender, finished in a rich wine gravy. Rustic comfort food.

Hawaiian grilled chicken marinated 24-36 hours in pineapple juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire. The long soak creates deeply flavored, tender chicken with a sweet-savory char.

German chocolate cake from scratch with a cooked coconut-pecan frosting. Three layers of buttermilk chocolate cake topped with a rich, chewy caramel-style filling.

Whole wheat French bread baguettes with a golden egg-wash crust. Hand-kneaded, naturally risen, and freezer-friendly. Four long loaves from one simple dough.

New York-style bagels made with potato water for that signature chewy crust. Boiled then baked, this from-scratch recipe delivers bakery-quality results at home.

Fresh peaches tossed with balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and a touch of sugar. A four-ingredient no-cook dessert that's elegant and impossibly simple.

Cherry pineapple upside-down cake with brown sugar glaze, pineapple rings, maraschino cherries, and a coconut-vanilla scented cake. A retro lower-fat take on the classic.

Lime Jello salad mold with crushed pineapple, cottage cheese, lemon juice, and whipped cream folded in at just the right thickness. A creamy, tangy retro gelatin salad for potlucks and holidays.

If your kids like the fruit gelatin snacks, they'll love these chocolate snacks.

Carrot zucchini cake with shredded coconut and cinnamon, topped with orange cream cheese frosting. Moist from grated vegetables and oil, no butter in the batter.

Apple brownies with fresh chopped apples, cinnamon, and nuts baked into a dense, chewy bar. No chocolate here. The apples release moisture as they bake, creating that signature chewy, blondie-like texture.

Everyone loves the crunchy oat topping and sweet pear filling in this fruity crisp. This crisp is delicious, served warm.

Sweet potato pecan pie: a layer of spiced sweet potato custard topped with classic pecan filling, served with a bourbon-spiked vanilla cream sauce. The ultimate Southern Thanksgiving pie.

Chocolate mocha macadamia cake glazed with shiny ganache. A barely-flour single-layer cake built on ground macadamias, espresso and Cognac for richness without going dry.

Pickled cherries with stems on, packed in apple cider vinegar brine sweetened with brown sugar. A cocktail garnish, charcuterie board star, and salad topper that keeps for months.

Golden raisin bread with bread flour, whole wheat, wheat germ, cinnamon, and ginger. Bread machine dough that can be baked in the machine or shaped into two loaves by hand.

German-style red beet salad marinated in vinegar, caraway seeds, horseradish, and cloves. Tangy, earthy, and best after soaking for several hours.

Chocolate pumpkin layer cake with a warm brown-sugar frosting that sets to a fudgy crust. Cocoa and pumpkin pie spice make this two-layer cake rich, moist, and irresistible for fall baking.

Sauerkraut rolls made with elk steak pounded thin, stuffed with bacon-onion sauerkraut, and braised in beef stock. A hearty, old-world game meat roulade.

Cinnamon Zucchini Raisin Bread: a double-spiced loaf with cinnamon, nutmeg, plump raisins, and chopped nuts folded through tender zucchini batter. Two-loaf yield for sharing.