46 desperation recipes

Bourbon pecan pie with cane syrup, dark brown sugar, and a pre-cooked filling for a deeper, less cloying caramel base. Toasted pecans bake into a glossy, crackly top.

Shaker honey almond cake bakes a spice-warmed honey-sour cream batter under a crown of almonds, then ripens 2 days for deeper flavor. Heritage New England keeping cake.

Old-fashioned oxtail soup with rice, carrots, celery, and tomatoes simmered for hours until the meat falls off the bone. A make-ahead family recipe that develops deeper flavor on day two.

Ultra-rich alfredo sauce made with roasted garlic, real Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago cheese, and butter. Chilled overnight for deeper flavor, this two-cheese sauce clings to every strand of pasta.

Buttery orange poppy seed loaf cake with a citrus glaze. No leavener needed as five eggs provide all the lift. Best after ripening 1-2 days for deeper orange flavor.

Thanksgiving apple butter pumpkin pie blends spiced apple butter with pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and warm spices for a deeper, more complex twist on the classic. The fall pie that surprises pumpkin pie traditionalists.

Spritz dainties for the cookie press, made with brown sugar instead of white for a deeper butterscotch note. Buttery shaped cookies brushed with egg white wash and decorated for the holidays.

Robb's caramel pecan pie: a deeper, richer take on classic pecan pie with a cooked caramel base of brown sugar, butter, and cream poured over toasted pecans. Silky, buttery, and unforgettable.

Pumpkin pie cake layers a creamy pumpkin pie filling under a buttery yellow cake mix streusel topping with chopped nuts. Easier than pie, deeper than cake. Thanksgiving dessert that feeds a crowd.

Herb-packed chicken spaghetti sauce with oregano, basil, marjoram, and rosemary simmered in tomato paste and sauce. Make it in the microwave for a quick dinner or on the stovetop for deeper flavor.

Crab meat quiche with sherry-marinated crab, a rich egg custard of milk and cream, and a touch of nutmeg. The crab soaks in sherry for an hour before baking for deeper, more complex flavor.

Four-onion soup made with yellow onion, red onion, leeks, and scallions in beef broth, topped with toasted baguette slices and broiled Swiss and Parmesan. A deeper, more complex twist on classic French onion soup.

Fresh tomato salsa with bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, and lime, brightened with red wine vinegar and chili powder. The chunky homemade salsa that beats jarred every time, served fresh or rested for deeper flavor.

Basil eggplant is a simple recipe, and this version substantially reduces the unnecessary oil that usually plagues eggplant dishes. The basil and chile pepper turn the basic eggplant into something exciting. Use either the long, thin Japanese eggplants or the big purple globe/Italian eggplants. We love this recipe – even without the chile peppers. And we always serve with Jasmine rice.