2,294 four four recipes

Miniature fruitcake jewels are tiny muffin-tin fruitcakes loaded with candied fruit, red and green cherries, golden raisins, dates, and pecans, finished with a brandy glaze. Holiday gifting classic.

Peanut butter reindeer cookies use a boxed cookie mix, an egg, and a reindeer cutter for shape, then decorate with chocolate chips, candy-coated chocolates, and sprinkles. Easy holiday baking project for kids.

From-scratch bundt cake with brown sugar and chocolate chips baked inside, topped with a glossy chocolate glaze. One bowl, five minutes of prep, and it serves 20. The kind of cake that disappears at potlucks before you set the knife down.

Mimosa cake is a marbled angel food cake with lemon butter cream frosting. White meringue batter and golden egg yolk batter are spooned alternately into a tube pan for a two-toned, cloud-light sponge.

Homemade chicken soup with hand-pressed spätzle noodles cooked right in the broth. A German-inspired twist on classic chicken noodle soup made entirely from scratch.

Drunken pioneers pasta: wagon wheels topped with sauteed peppers and onions in a quick red wine and beef-stock sauce with basil and rosemary. Pantry weeknight pasta in 25 minutes.

Easy breakfast carrot muffins sweetened with sugar substitute, packed with grated carrot, raisins, and a bright hit of orange zest. Diabetic-friendly, single-bowl, and on the table in 35 minutes.

Slow cooker beef chuck strips smothered in a tangy barbecue-molasses sauce with bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Dump it in, walk away, and come back to dinner.

Twice-baked Italian biscotti with fresh ginger, Dutch cocoa, and toasted almonds. Crisp, dunkable cookies with warm spice and a deep chocolate undertone.

Light currant bran muffins made with buttermilk, egg whites, molasses, and safflower oil. Drop-style batter chills 4 hours for a crispy edge and chewy center. Low-fat and fiber-rich.

Red wine, tomato, and rosemary sauce simmers a French mirepoix with red wine, tomato paste, and fresh rosemary, then thickens with arrowroot for a glossy, fat-free finish. Versatile for meats, polenta, and pasta.

Lemon meringue pie from cooking school is the textbook version with a hand-rolled crust, cornstarch-and-flour curd, and a stable French meringue sealed to the crust. Detailed technique guarantees no weeping.

Jalapeno chicken fajitas with lime-garlic marinated chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, and fresh toppings in warm flour tortillas. Simple marinade, big Tex-Mex flavor.

Pressure-cooked beef roast shredded into a rich tomato-clam broth with mushrooms, onions, and garlic creates an unexpected fusion goulash with Hungarian-seafood soul.

Soft, pillowy potato doughnuts made with mashed potatoes and buttermilk, fried golden, and dipped in a quick chocolate fudge frosting. This big-batch recipe yields about 48 doughnuts.

A vibrant chilled beet and cucumber soup pureed with fresh orange juice, zest, and chicken stock. Earthy, bright, and stunning in color. Garnished with sour cream for an elegant cold soup.