10,000 four four recipes

Italian rum cake with three sponge layers soaked in cherry-rum syrup, filled with pastillera cream, and frosted with whipped cream and roasted almonds. A showstopper.

A smooth, puréed Norwegian cauliflower soup thickened with a light roux and skim milk, finished with white pepper and a dusting of nutmeg. Cozy, low-calorie comfort in a bowl.

An old-fashioned blueberry pie that makes its own crust from crushed soda crackers and butter. No pie dough, no rolling pin. Just layer, bake, and serve with whipped cream.

Add a European touch to your Christmas baking skills with these scrumptious snacks made with cream cheese, walnuts and dark rum.

Microwave chicken gravy with mushrooms, made with schmaltz and butter for deep flavor. Smooth, rich, and ready in 15 minutes with no stovetop babysitting needed.

Creamy artichoke chowder with mushrooms and peas in a light evaporated milk base. Ready in just 15 minutes for a quick, wholesome soup.

Flaky cream cheese pastry rolls filled with cocoa, semisweet chocolate chips, and walnuts. No yeast, no proofing, no laminating. Rolled jelly-roll style, sliced, and dusted with powdered sugar for an easy chocolate Danish.

A succulent dish made with savory pork, chopped onions and juicy tomatoes.

French hazelnut meringue biscuit with finely ground filberts folded into whipped egg whites. Baked hot and fast for a light, nutty base layer that's a pastry chef's secret weapon.

Beef liver and onions with a Mexican twist: flour-dredged liver browned with garlic and jalapeno, then simmered low and slow with sliced onions until tender.

Soft yeast rolls made with a stand mixer and dough hook, using powdered milk and vegetable oil for a tender crumb. Brushed with melted butter after baking.

Sourdough pancakes made with active starter and beer for extra tang and lift. These Old West saloon-style flapjacks cook up golden with crispy edges and a tender, tangy center.

Amish Friendship Bread is made from a sourdough starter that is often shared in a manner similar to a chain letter.The starter is a substitute for baking yeast bread and can be used to make many kinds of yeast-based breads, shared with friends, or frozen for future use.

Old-fashioned custard pie with a lard-and-butter crust and a silky egg-milk filling dusted with nutmeg. Simple farmhouse dessert with a classic five-ingredient filling.

Scotch shortbread with just five ingredients: butter, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. A classic, buttery, sandy-textured cookie that melts on the tongue.

Panelle are Sicilian chickpea fritters: simmered chickpea-flour dough chilled, cut into rounds, deep-fried golden, and dusted with lemon-zest-peppered almonds. Street food from Palermo.