3,601 four four recipes

Classic chocolate sheet cake with cinnamon and vinegar in the batter, topped with warm cocoa icing poured over the hot cake so it soaks into every prick-marked inch.

Chocolate fruitcake: cocoa-cream cheese batter studded with candied cherries, golden raisins, pecans and a hint of brandy and rum. The fruitcake for people who don't think they like fruitcake.

Drop cookies loaded with peanut butter, oats, and chopped peanuts. Chewy, hearty cookies with both peanut butter and whole peanut crunch in every bite. Makes 4 dozen.

Homemade chocolate sandwich cookies with creamy vanilla buttercream filling. Better than Oreos with the option to tint half the filling pink or green with peppermint for Valentine's Day.

Pan-seared chicken in an orange, white wine, and raspberry vinegar sauce topped with fresh orange sections and creamy avocado slices. Elegant enough for date night.

Peanut butter oatmeal drop cookies with chopped peanuts and brown sugar. Chewy, nutty cookies made with shortening for a soft, thick texture.

Deep dark chocolate cake made with cocoa powder and boiling water for intense flavor, topped with a rich chocolate buttercream frosting. Includes the frosting recipe.

Velvet cake is a flourless-style chocolate showpiece pooled over white chocolate and raspberry sauces. Dense, fudgy, and made with just six ingredients in the cake itself, it slices like a torte and tastes like ganache.

Classic three-layer white cake with vanilla and almond extract, topped with rich chocolate frosting. A heritage recipe using egg whites for a pure, snowy crumb.

Chocolate cupcakes with a hidden cream cheese and chocolate chip filling baked right inside. An old-fashioned cocoa batter with vinegar for extra tenderness, topped with crunchy pecans.

Honey oatmeal cookies loaded with quick oats, flaked coconut, raisins, walnuts, and wheat germ. Six dozen chewy, golden cookies from one big batch. The cookie tin classic that disappears at potlucks.

Meatball bake with beef and sausage meatballs, lima beans, carrots, and onion braised in a thick stewed tomato sauce. A hearty one-dish comfort food casserole.

Georgian fruit buns loaded with diced apples, raisins, prune puree, peach puree, and cream cheese in a spiced wheat dough. A hearty, fruit-packed quick bread from the South.

Crisp asparagus and tender mushrooms stir-fried in a savory black bean garlic sauce. Quick vegetarian side dish that delivers bold Chinese flavors in under 15 minutes from start to finish.

Drunken crawfish pie tucks two pounds of crawfish tails into a buttery brandy-spiked cream sauce with the Cajun holy trinity, sealed inside a double crust and baked golden. A Louisiana classic that turns brunch or supper into an event.

Pumpkin oat streusel muffins with rolled oats, pumpkin puree, warm spices, and a crumbly brown sugar oat topping. Classic fall breakfast or coffee break treat.