Recipe Sifter

Old-fashioned Southern sour cream cookies with chopped walnuts and a cinnamon-sugar crunch. Soft, cakey, and perfect for cookie swaps, these drop cookies freeze beautifully and make 3 dozen in just 30 minutes.

Soft homemade yeast buns with a tender crumb, shaped and baked fresh for burgers, pulled pork, or any barbecue sandwich. Two rises and a quick knead give you 20 golden buns that beat anything from the store.

A basic muffin mix, great plain or dress it up with fruit or gasp... chocolate chips.

Bakery-sized oatmeal cookies loaded with chopped dates, walnuts, coconut, and sesame seeds, spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and almond extract. Crisp edges, chewy centers.

Fresh blackberries wrapped in flaky pastry, baked in a sweet berry-laced syrup until brown and bubbly. An old-fashioned Southern dumpling recipe that fills the whole house with the smell of summer.

Hearty homemade yeast bread with bran, dark molasses, and sunflower seeds. Two rustic loaves with a chewy crust and soft, nutty crumb. Worth every minute of the rise.

Cape Breton scones with sour cream, raisins, and a sugar-sparkled top. Tender, golden wedges baked in under 15 minutes. Serve warm with butter, jam, or honey.

Dense chocolate fudge cake with oats, Kahlua, and chocolate syrup, topped with a broiled brown sugar and nut crunch. One pan, under an hour, and dangerously rich.

Southern Carolina apple cake packed with 3 cups of diced apples and chopped nuts, finished with a warm brown sugar butter sauce poured right over the top. Dense, moist, and deeply comforting.

A rich, egg-loaded challah made entirely in your bread machine. With 4 eggs, oil, and a touch of margarine, this loaf bakes up soft and golden with a sesame seed crust that begs you to tear off just one more piece.

Buttery oat-and-pecan crumble bars layered with cherry pie filling and mini marshmallows, baked golden. Makes 4 dozen chewy, fruit-filled bars for bake sales or cookie trays.

This rustic Italian chicken cacciatore simmers with marinated artichoke hearts, earthy mushrooms, and a splash of Madeira wine, all served over tender linguine for a hearty weeknight dinner.

Slow-simmered chicken and okra gumbo with a medium-brown roux, fresh tomatoes, and onions. The okra cooks down past the slime stage into a thick, velvety Louisiana classic served over rice.

Recipe by Mathew Metcalfe - Adapted for North American measurements. It's a complex dessert with a serious wow factor, many elements could be used on their own in various ways to dress up other desserts.

Bacon-laced venison stew with potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and fresh peas, thickened with a flour roux and simmered until the wild game is spoon-tender. Serve with buttered corn muffins for a hunter's feast.

Soft buttermilk drop cookies with a sweet date-pecan filling hidden inside. Spiced with cinnamon and baked golden, this big-batch recipe yields up to 6 dozen.