Recipe Sifter

Healthier apple pie packed with granola and raisins for texture, using less sugar than traditional recipes. Tart apples get spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. Optional lattice top.

Apricot couscous with dried apricots and cardamom, made in the microwave in under 10 minutes. A fragrant, fruity side dish with just five ingredients.

Oven-baked chicken pieces coated in seasoned flour, sprinkled with sesame seeds and lemon juice, then finished with white wine. Simple one-pan dinner with elegant results.

Homemade banana doughnuts deep-fried until golden and tossed in cinnamon sugar while still warm. Made from scratch with mashed bananas and nutmeg. Ready in 30 minutes, makes a dozen.

Vegetarian beans bourguignonne with pinto beans, red wine, mushrooms, and root vegetables in a thyme-scented tomato broth. A meatless spin on the French classic.

Best homemade tourtiere, the French-Canadian meat pie: spiced ground pork bound with mashed potato, onion and garlic under a flaky double crust. Sage and nutmeg give this Quebec holiday classic its warm, cozy flavor.

Four-layer Black Forest torte with thin unsweetened chocolate cake layers alternating between chocolate filling and cream filling. Unfrosted sides show off the elegant layers.

Slow-simmered black bean soup with smoky ham hocks, bell peppers, and a whole sour orange for a subtle citrus depth. Thickened with browned flour for a rich, velvety bowl of Southern comfort.

Brown paper sack apple pie, the old-fashioned trick of baking a Granny Smith pie with buttery crumb topping inside a grocery bag. The enclosed heat steams the apples tender and keeps the crust from burning.

Fudgy brownie cakes steamed in canning jars inside a slow cooker. Rich cocoa buttermilk batter with walnuts, unmolded and served warm with ice cream.

Homemade caramel nut corn with walnuts, pecans, or almonds coated in a brown sugar and corn syrup caramel, then baked low and slow until crunchy. Addictive snack for gifting.

Soft drop cookies made with mashed cooked carrots and finished with a warm orange glaze. The vintage Depression-era cookie that still makes sense today.

Traditional English apple pudding from Somerset with grated apple, orange zest, and a buttery oat crumble topping. Simple, cosy, and ready with just 5 ingredients.

French gougere-style cheese brioche with Gruyere cheese and a hint of cayenne, baked into an oval ring. A classic choux pastry savory bread for cocktail parties and brunches.

Cherry cookie pizza with a golden sugar cookie crust, sweetened cream cheese layer, and cherry pie filling on top. A fun no-fuss dessert pizza baked on a 12-inch pan.

Cherry nut bread with brown sugar, canned cherries, and walnuts baked into a tender loaf. The cherry juice replaces some of the milk for extra fruit flavor in every slice.