925 homemade recipes

Homemade oven-baked croutons from day-old bread, slow-dried at low heat until golden and crunchy. One ingredient, any herbs you like, and better than anything from a bag.

Homemade beet pasta dough with a stunning ruby-red color from fresh beet puree. Just four ingredients, no eggs, and endlessly versatile for any pasta shape you want to roll.

A smooth, homemade jellied cranberry sauce: cranberries simmered, strained silky, set with gelatin in a mold. The from-scratch answer to canned, and easy to make sugar-free for Thanksgiving.

Homemade mozzarella cheese from scratch, an overnight cultured process using whole milk, buttermilk, yogurt and rennet to produce 2 pounds of glossy, stretchable Italian pasta filata. The real traditional method.

Homemade frozen fruit cocktail mix with watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, grapes, and blueberries in an orange-lemonade syrup. Freeze in pint containers for up to 8 months of fresh fruit cups.

Handmade liqueur-filled chocolates with a kirsch or Chambord fondant center coated in semi-sweet chocolate. These molded truffles make a sophisticated homemade candy gift for holidays and special occasions.

Creamy stovetop white fudge made with marshmallows, white chocolate, and vanilla. Cut into squares, roll into logs, or dip in chocolate for a sweet homemade candy gift everyone will love.

A silky baked custard infused with orange zest, cinnamon, and cloves, set over golden homemade caramel with slivers of candied orange peel. Low-fat, elegant, and worth the overnight chill.

A homemade vanilla pecan liqueur: brandy slowly infused with pecans, vanilla beans, and cinnamon, then sweetened with sugar syrup. A smooth, nutty after-dinner sipper worth the weeks-long wait.

Crunchy caramelized sugar brittle loaded with Brazil nuts and topped with melted chocolate. Just 4 ingredients and 20 minutes for a homemade candy that rivals anything from a confectionery shop.

Homemade wine cooler with wine and lemon-lime soda served over ice. A light, refreshing 2-ingredient spritzer that takes 5 minutes to make. Lower in alcohol than straight wine.

Crisp almond meringue base layered with homemade golden syrup toffee cream, billowy whipped cream, and a dusting of cocoa. An elegant British-style cake with a nearly gluten-free base.

Chewy coconut almond macaroons made with homemade almond paste, ground coconut, and egg whites. Naturally gluten-free, crisp on the outside, soft in the middle. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

Homemade garam masala from whole roasted cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and mace ground fresh. This essential Indian spice blend takes 20 minutes and blows store-bought versions out of the water.

A vintage date bread baked right inside empty beer cans with maple syrup, pecans, and real beer in the batter. Yields perfectly round slices and makes a charming homemade gift.

Ritzy chocolate-covered nuts are candied slivered almonds with a crackly sugar shell, roasted to toasty perfection and dipped in melted chocolate. A three-ingredient homemade holiday candy for gift tins.