Recipes with butter, unsalted

A Bloody Mary in a bowl: smooth tomato soup with celery, horseradish, Worcestershire, and lime, spiked with vodka stirred in off the heat. The savory, boozy New Year's Day hair-of-the-dog, served warm in mugs.

Melomakarona: traditional Greek Christmas cookies made with olive oil, orange zest, and semolina, soaked in honey syrup and topped with walnuts. Fragrant, syrup-drenched holiday staple.

Yankee lamb stew with braised lamb shoulder, potatoes, turnips, carrots, and peas in a white wine and thyme sauce. Oven-braised in a Dutch oven for fork-tender meat.

Artichoke tart in walnut pastry layers marinated artichokes and Gruyère in a custard set inside a buttery walnut crust. An elegant brunch or appetizer tart that serves eight.

Divine Southern decadence cake: chocolate wafer and toasted coconut crust, dense fudgy chocolate-cashew filling with espresso and hazelnut liqueur, finished with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

These buttery and nutty honey cookies are absolutely the best. Toasted almonds really give the cookies yummy nuttiness and flakey texture. Honey adds the sweetness and more depth to the taste. These delicious treats will win compliments from everyone who tastes it.

Creamy mushroom and aged cheddar cheese soup with shiitake and rehydrated porcini for deep umami. A rich one-pot dinner ready in 45 minutes.

Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cherry recipe

Cream of beet soup with fresh beets sauteed in butter with marjoram, simmered in broth, pureed smooth, and finished with heavy cream and red wine vinegar. A vibrant magenta soup with velvety texture.

Fave dolci, Italian almond cookies shaped like fava beans with ground almonds, orange flower water, lemon zest, and cinnamon. A traditional Southern Italian sweet.

White chocolate coconut truffles with shredded coconut, a splash of coconut liqueur, and a creamy white chocolate ganache center. Easy make-ahead holiday candy.

Blackberry and raspberry muffins with a pecan brown sugar streusel topping. Lemon zest in both the batter and the crumble adds a bright citrus note.

Blackberry and raspberry muffins with a pecan brown sugar streusel topping. Lemon zest in both the batter and the crumble adds a bright citrus note.

Rich flavor and a moist texture with warm cinnamon and allspice.

Granny Smith applesauce tarts with golden hot-water pastry shells filled with honey-sweetened, lemon-brightened chunky applesauce. A lighter, old-fashioned dessert.

Salmon en papillote steamed in parchment with seared zucchini, crookneck squash, onion, merlot, lemon butter, and Grand Marnier. A 7-minute oven finish for restaurant-style presentation.