Recipes with butter, unsalted

A heirloom three-layer chocolate cake with bloomed cocoa, brown sugar for caramel depth, and tangy buttermilk. Old-school Sunday dinner cake, tender enough to live up to grandma's reputation.

County fair banana pie with a chocolate chip layer on the bottom, rum-spiked banana cream filling, and whipped cream with chopped pecans. A blue-ribbon worthy layered banana cream pie.

Chilled pea soup with watercress, basil, and potato, pureed silky and finished with cream. Topped with crumbled bacon, sour cream, and whole peas for textural contrast in every spoonful.

Lemon poppy seed muffins made with fat-free sour cream, egg substitute, and a third cup of fresh lemon juice. Sugar-dusted tops, tender crumb, lighter take.

Lemon oregano chicken thighs: pan-seared until golden, then roasted in a bright lemon-butter-oregano pan sauce. A fast Greek-leaning weeknight dinner with crispy skin and tender meat.

Garlic sandwich butter made from unsalted butter and mashed raw garlic. Two ingredients, five minutes, and your garlic bread will never be the same.

Classic Grand Marnier souffle with a pillowy orange-scented custard base and stiff-peaked egg whites that rises golden and dramatic straight from the oven.

Pan-seared salmon finished in the oven with red wine, fish stock, and dried apricots, glazed with a butter-enriched pan sauce. An elegant French-inspired dish with sweet-savory depth.

Chocolate pepper cookies bring a slow, smoky heat from black pepper, cayenne, and cinnamon layered into deep unsweetened cocoa. Rolled thin and cut into shapes, they bake crisp with a warm spiced finish.

Shrimp de Jonghe, a classic Chicago dish of parboiled shrimp baked under a buttery herb and sherry bread crumb crust with tarragon, chervil, and garlic. Bubbly and golden.

Roast rack of lamb with garlic-parsley persillade crust and pan jus. A restaurant-quality technique with high-heat roasting, deglazing, and a crispy herb breadcrumb finish.

Baked sweet potatoes glazed in a buttery lemon-nutmeg syrup until bubbling and caramelized. A bright, citrusy holiday side dish that pairs with ham, turkey, or roasted pork.

Mocha truffle cake: a flourless dark chocolate cake built with a pound of chocolate, a pound of butter, eight eggs, and strong coffee. Chilled overnight and frosted with vanilla whipped cream.

Prosciutto di Parma with warm fig tartlets drapes salty-sweet prosciutto over individual pastry rounds baked with fresh fig halves. A stunning Italian appetizer for summer or early fall entertaining.

Cream cheese topped chocolate brownies with a fudgy bittersweet base, chocolate chips, and a piped cream cheese swirl baked into a decorative V pattern. Bakery-style brownies served cold.

Two-color chocolate brownies: ultra-rich dark chocolate brownies with walnuts, topped with a white chocolate cream icing and ground nuts. A bakery-style double-batch for a crowd.