Recipes with water

Scotch mock apple pie: a Depression-era trick that uses soda crackers, lemon juice, and warm spices to taste exactly like apple pie. No apples required.

Honey bear cookies sweeten oats with honey and brown sugar instead of just butter and white sugar. Chewy oatmeal cookies with cinnamon and your choice of chocolate, apples, or raisins.

Tangy buttermilk blue cheese bread made easy in a bread machine. Crumbled blue cheese and fresh parsley bake into a savory loaf with bold, earthy flavor.

Velvety peach butter simmered with brandy, lemon, and fresh spearmint then canned for year-round spreading. A sophisticated twist on a Southern pantry classic that makes a stunning homemade gift.

Sweet refrigerator pickles ready in 24 hours, with crisp cucumbers, sliced onions, garlic, celery seed, and mustard seed in a sweet vinegar brine. No canning required, keeps two months chilled.

Chocolate Velvet cake made with mayonnaise instead of butter or oil for an extra-moist crumb, topped with a broiled coconut-walnut sauce. The unexpected vintage cake that converts skeptics.

Stove-top candied sweet potatoes simmered in brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon. No oven needed, no marshmallows in sight, perfect for crowded Thanksgiving stoves.

Lemon dill turkey meatballs with artichokes: tender poached meatballs in a bright lemon-caper sauce with artichoke hearts. A Greek-leaning weeknight dinner that freezes beautifully.

Mocha meringue kisses with espresso, cocoa powder, and a splash of creme de cacao. Crisp on the outside, soft in the center, and naturally fat-free.

Warm pear pudding cake with pecans, cinnamon, and cloves baked under a bubbling brown sugar caramel sauce. An old-fashioned comfort dessert best served hot with ice cream or whipped cream.

Pork chops with dill cream gravy, simmered in white wine with mushrooms and scallions, then finished with sour cream. A one-skillet dinner served over rice.

Bread machine whole wheat sourdough with real starter, wheat germ, and a whisper of ginger. Tangy, crusty, and effortless with that old-world flavor baked fresh at home.

Browned chicken breasts baked over a cheesy base of broccoli, sweet Vidalia onions, mushrooms, and rice. A hearty Southern casserole the whole family will love.

German chocolate brownie cookies marry fudgy cocoa cookies with the classic coconut-pecan caramel topping. Brown-sugar dough loaded with chocolate chips, crowned candy-bar style.

Buttery pecan shortbread cookie balls dipped in vanilla frosting and rolled in tinted coconut. Melt-in-your-mouth tender, baked low and slow, and perfect for holiday cookie exchanges. Makes 48.

Home-style vegetable soup loaded with zucchini, carrots, chickpeas, spinach, mushrooms, and pasta in a tomato broth with Italian herbs. A filling one-pot meal.