10,000 four four recipes

Buttery cookies with a chocolate Kiss hidden inside and mini chocolate chips throughout the dough. Each one cracks open to reveal a melted chocolate center.

Chicken fried steak with creamy pan gravy: tenderized chuck or round pounded with seasoned flour, breaded in cracker crumbs, fried until golden, then smothered in cream gravy made from the drippings.

Italian almond-ricotta cake with lemon zest and juice throughout. Moist, tender cake with light crumb from folded egg whites, baked at low temperature.

Shisky are Eastern European yeast doughnuts spiked with rum or whiskey, double-risen, deep-fried to golden perfection, and dusted with powdered sugar. Light, pillowy, and just a little boozy.

Salt and Pepper Yabbie Skewers seasoned with Australia Alpine Pepper. Chicken can also be used instead of Yabbies.

Classic cucumber sour cream salad with dill seed, chives, white vinegar, and a kick of Tabasco. Salt-drained slices stay crisp and cool under a tangy, creamy dressing.

Hazelnut butter balls: tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies loaded with chopped toasted hazelnuts, rolled in powdered sugar while warm. A buttery, nutty riff on the classic snowball cookie that disappears off any holiday tray.

Buttermilk pecan fruitcake made with dried pears and toasted pecans instead of the usual neon candied fruit. Buttermilk keeps the crumb tender, beaten egg whites give it lift. A gift-worthy Christmas loaf.

Old-school lard pie crust with egg, vinegar, and a touch of brown sugar. One batch yields four disks for double-crust pies. The flakiest crust comes from cold lard worked into the size of tiny peas.

Country apple pie layers six cups of fresh apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a flaky double crust, baked in two stages for a golden top and tender filling. The American classic done right.

English toffee bars with a buttery shortbread crust, pecan halves, bubbly toffee topping, and melted milk chocolate pressed on top. Three layers of crunch, caramel, and chocolate in every bar.

Old fashioned checkerboard cookies stack vanilla and chocolate dough cylinders into striped logs, then slice and bake for crisp shortbread cookies with a stunning chess-pattern face. A vintage tea cookie.

Layered taco dip with a creamy base of cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning topped with cheddar, shredded lettuce, and fresh tomatoes. No-cook party dip ready in 15 minutes.

Mandarin orange muffins spiced with allspice and nutmeg, dipped warm in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Tender and citrusy with bursts of orange in every bite.

Almond crescent cookies with rolled oats and finely chopped almonds, dusted with powdered sugar while still warm. A heartier, oat-packed twist on classic holiday shortbread crescents.

Pasta flora is a Greek lattice tart with cognac-spiked butter pastry filled with apricot marmalade and finished with a crisscross dough top. Sliced into bakery-style squares.