599 half half recipes

Buttery blueberry muffins bursting with berries thanks to a clever trick: mashing half a cup of blueberries into the batter for intense fruit flavor in every single bite.

Chili-glazed tofu over asparagus and rice with a sweet-salty soy-ginger sauce. A 30-minute one-skillet vegetarian dinner using boil-in-bag rice to clear weeknight dinner in under half an hour.

Ginger ale punch combines pineapple, orange, lemonade and limeade juices with bubbly ginger ale and soda water, finished with frozen strawberries. Crowd-pleasing punch bowl drink for showers and parties.

Homemade apple jelly made in the microwave with apple juice, pectin, and red hot cinnamon candies for a spicy-sweet twist. Yields 6 half pints in under an hour.

Rum-scented candy logs made with powdered sugar and cherries, coated in melted caramel and rolled in crunchy pecans. A vintage holiday confection that makes half a dozen logs.

A wild ribbon cake with melted Snickers bars swirled through box cake batter, orange zest in the other half, and a Snickers glaze drizzle on top. Fun, easy, unforgettable.

Fudgy brownies made with applesauce instead of butter, egg whites only, and just 2 tablespoons of oil. Intensely chocolatey from a half cup of cocoa powder. No icing needed.

Pasta e fagioli with pinto beans, pork chops, elbow macaroni, and tomatoes in beef broth. Half the beans get pureed to thicken the broth into a hearty Italian soup.

Grilled soft-shell crab sandwiches: whole crabs grilled hot for two and a half minutes per side, piled onto rolls with green chile aioli, mixed greens, and sliced tomato.

Elegant black tie tomatoes topped with a yogurt-mayo dressing and a half teaspoon of black caviar each. Six-ingredient appetizer that dresses up halved tomatoes for cocktail parties.

Plump oysters wrapped in crispy bacon, seasoned with paprika and parsley, then baked until the bacon crisps for a classic British appetizer.

Zucchini halves stuffed with their own sauteed pulp, tomato sauce, garlic, and matzo meal, then baked until tender. A simple Passover-friendly appetizer that's naturally vegan.

Almond praline bell made from toasted ground almonds and honey-sweetened hard crack candy, shaped in a mold for a stunning edible centerpiece. A classic showpiece confection.

Homemade kosher garlic dill pickles with a spiced vinegar brine, bay leaf, mustard seed, and fresh dill. A classic canning recipe that yields 7 pints of crunchy pickles.

Penne with tuna sauce, an Italian pantry classic. Anchovies, garlic, and plum tomatoes simmered into a savory sauce, finished with flaked canned tuna for a quick weeknight dinner.

Sizzling beef fajitas with lime-Worcestershire marinated steak, charred peppers, onions, and warm tortillas. Tex-Mex grill night with serrano heat.