Recipe Sifter

Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies built on all brown sugar (no white) for caramel depth, plus shortening for a tender, almost crumbly texture. Classic crisscross fork press on top.

Rich and fudgy brownies with a delightful frosting. You'd never know they contained zucchini!

I got this recipe out of a magazine a few years back and I have made it a lot. The person who submitted it said it won her a blue ribbon, she also said she was a six-time Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist. I had no way to confirm this but the recipe sounded good and when I tried it I loved it.

Tired of making the same old dinner? Entertain relatives and neighbors with this dish full of unique flavors!

Apple raspberry streusel pie: tart apples and ruby raspberries bound in a cinnamon-cornstarch glaze under a buttery brown sugar crumb topping. Single-crust convenience, double-fruit flavor.

Warm Irish spice bread studded with golden raisins and candied citron balances cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in every buttery slice.

Two-layer oat crumble cake with a pressed crust bottom, apple filling cooked with cornstarch until glossy, and buttery crumb topping. Bake for an hour and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Low-fat apple oat crisp with applesauce in the filling and a whole wheat oat topping with just a tablespoon of margarine. Only 85 calories per serving.

A scrumptious cake made with raisins, glaced cherries and dark rum which makes it a popular Christmas favorite in the Caribbean.

A buttery base complements the crunchy almond and lemon topping in these feather-light bars.

High-fiber bran muffins made with whole wheat flour, orange juice, prune butter, and raisins. No oil, no egg yolks, and packed with fiber from bran cereal and wheat germ. Healthy grab-and-go breakfast in 45 minutes.

Buttery yeasted beignets scented with orange zest and rum, fried until golden, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with a warm homemade butterscotch dipping sauce.

This old-fashioned cookie from Gretchen D'Antico of Merton has a nice flavor and is even better dipped in white chocolate.

From-scratch bundt cake with brown sugar and chocolate chips baked inside, topped with a glossy chocolate glaze. One bowl, five minutes of prep, and it serves 20. The kind of cake that disappears at potlucks before you set the knife down.

Sour cream chocolate chip cake: a tender, coffee-cake style cake made with cold-cut butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a generous cup and a half of chocolate chips. Sinks slightly in the center as it cools.

A traditional Pennsylvania Dutch one-pot meal with ham, dried apples, and fluffy dumplings simmered together in a sweet-savory broth.