Recipe Sifter

Chocolate almond cut-out cookies made with sweetened condensed milk for a soft, fudgy texture. Studded with finely chopped almonds, rolled thin, and optionally drizzled with chocolate glaze. Makes 6 dozen.

Catskill Mountain rye bread for the bread machine with rye flour, caraway seeds, and honey. Vital wheat gluten keeps the loaf tall and light despite the dense rye. Great for sandwiches and toast.

Old-fashioned spice cake with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg, sweetened with brown sugar and studded with raisins. A tender crumb built on evaporated milk and topped with caramel frosting.

A fun take on breadsticks; baked rolls that use candied cherries twisted into the shape of a candy cane. Fun and lightly sweet, my kids adore them.

Swedish meatballs spiced with warm nutmeg and ginger, broiled until browned, then simmered in a silky beef gravy made from the drippings. Tender, old-fashioned meatballs for noodles or mashed potatoes.

Crockpot dark wheat bran bread bakes hands-off in a slow cooker with whole wheat, soy flour, bran cereal, and molasses. A no-oven yeast loaf with a moist crumb and dark malty flavor.

Harvest round bread made in a bread machine with whole wheat flour, oatmeal, carrots, raisins, nuts, honey, and molasses. A hearty, lightly sweet whole grain loaf loaded with autumn flavors.

Eggless chocolate cake bakes up tender and rich with no eggs needed. A vintage Depression-era recipe that uses melted unsweetened chocolate, milk, and pantry basics for a dependable layer cake.

Impossible blender coconut pie that forms its own crust while baking. Everything blended together and poured into a greased pie plate for a self-crusting coconut custard pie.

Fudgy chocolate cookie bonbons wrapped around Hershey's kisses (or caramel, Reese's, peanut butter, or mint centers) and drizzled with white chocolate. A classic Pillsbury bake-off cookie with surprise centers.

Hearty chicken noodle soup made creamy with a milk and flour slurry, loaded with carrots, celery, bell pepper, and egg noodles in a rich, buttery broth. Comfort in every spoonful.

Intensely chocolate layer cake with cocoa filling and dark chocolate frosting, inspired by Brooklyn's famous blackout cake. Four layers of moist cake with fudgy frosting.

Old-fashioned apple ring fritters: peeled apple slices dipped in a quick milk-and-egg batter, pan-fried in shortening until golden, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. A 30-minute dessert from grandma's kitchen.

Lentil lasagna layers red lentils, broccoli, mushrooms and corn with no-boil spinach noodles, finished with a vegan cheeze sauce of soy milk, nutritional yeast and turmeric. Dairy-free, hearty and weeknight-friendly.

Soft, cakey cranberry drop cookies loaded with whole fresh cranberries, walnuts, and a touch of lemon juice. Makes 3 dozen festive holiday cookies with a tender crumb.

Delicate homemade crepes filled with flaked trout in a creamy sauterne wine sauce with garlic and onion. Makes 20 crepes for an impressive brunch, appetizer, or French-inspired dinner.