1,451 light recipes

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.

Vermouth cream of mushroom soup builds layers of flavor with two pounds of mushrooms, dry vermouth, beef stock, and a finishing splash of aromatic bitters for a grown-up bowl that buries any canned version.

Speckknödel: traditional Austrian bacon dumplings made with stale bread, cream, egg yolk, and caraway seeds, simmered and served on a bed of buttery sauerkraut.

Old-fashioned chocolate caramels cooked with cream in two stages and studded with walnuts. A chewy, cocoa-rich homemade candy with a deep caramel undertone and a clean, smooth bite.

Lebkuchen (German honey cakes) blend honey, brown sugar, lemon, almonds, citron, and warm spices into a chewy spice cookie cut into fancy holiday shapes. Traditional Christmas cookie from Nuremberg.

Lady Godiva is a blended dessert cocktail with creme de cacao, Kahlua, vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries, and half-and-half. Boozy milkshake-style drink topped with whipped cream.

Homemade Cracker Jack-style caramel popcorn with peanuts, brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. A crunchy, sweet snack that comes together in just 15 minutes.

Homemade pecan caramel clusters topped with melted semi-sweet chocolate. Buttery soft-ball caramel spooned over chopped pecans, then finished with a chocolate cap.

Pineapple macadamia nut cheesecake with a vanilla wafer crust, coconut, and a rum-kissed sour cream topping. A tropical Hawaiian-inspired cheesecake that beats any bakery version.

Crisp apple salad with crunchy celery, mild cheddar cubes, and a tangy lemon-mayo dressing. Toss everything together and serve on lettuce for a refreshing side or light lunch.

Hungarian cream of spinach soup with a roux-thickened base, pureed spinach, and half-and-half. Garnished with sliced hard-boiled eggs and crispy crumbled bacon.

Old-fashioned chocolate peanut candy drops made with grated unsweetened chocolate, sugar, and corn syrup cooked to soft ball stage. Crunchy, sweet, and nostalgic.

Banana split sundaes for two with a microwave hot fudge sauce made from semisweet chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and corn syrup. A 10-minute date-night dessert.

Stir-fried flank steak with ginger and scallions tossed with noodles, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, and celery in a light soy sauce. Better than takeout beef lo mein in 40 minutes.

Kentucky Derby-style chocolate walnut bourbon pie with a deep molasses backbone. The Run for the Roses pie has 3 tablespoons of bourbon, two cups of walnuts, and chocolate chips in a sweet syrup base.

Pecan cashew popcorn balls coated in buttery caramel made from scratch with a candy thermometer. A crunchy Halloween treat with pecans, cashews, and 8 cups of popped corn.