Recipe Sifter

Emily Dickinson's black cake, a dense Victorian fruitcake with brandy, molasses, raisins, currants, and citron spiced with cloves, mace, and cinnamon. Baked low and slow.

Old-fashioned sour milk jumbles cut with a doughnut cutter and sprinkled with sugar straight from the oven. Buttermilk and nutmeg give these ring-shaped cookies a tender crumb and warm spice.

Cranberry nut bundt cake studded with whole tart cranberries, dates, and nuts, then drenched in a hot orange glaze that soaks deep into the warm cake. The Thanksgiving and Christmas dessert that gets better the longer it sits.

No-cholesterol apple cake with shredded apples, whole wheat flour, oat bran, and egg whites instead of whole eggs. A heart-healthy sheet cake with warm cinnamon spice and zero cholesterol.

Old-fashioned soft molasses cookies spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, topped with a shiny boiled gelatin frosting. Makes 4 dozen from an overnight chilled dough.

Mincemeat oatmeal cookies: chewy spiced drop cookies that pack the entire flavor of a Christmas mince pie into a hand-held bite. Brown sugar, molasses, oats, and a generous spoonful of mincemeat per cookie.

Lake Highlands rock cake: layers of genoise-style chocolate sponge, crisp cocoa meringue, rum syrup, and rich chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream. A showstopper dessert.

Pumpkin pie squares with a crumbly oat-and-brown-sugar shortbread crust and a fully spiced pumpkin custard. Bakes in one pan, cuts into 16 squares, and travels better than a round pie.

Homemade Wheat Thins with just 3 ingredients: whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and emulsified oil-water. Crispy, salty crackers baked in one sheet.

Tired of making cookies and muffins? Try this tasty snack that is sure to make you a fan.

Sambusak (Sephardic stuffed pastries) with a yeasted anise-scented dough filled with spiced ground beef, deep-fried to golden. A traditional Jewish meat pastry for holidays and gatherings.

Traditional Irish oatcakes with rolled oats, brown sugar, and butter cut into triangles. A buttery, slightly sweet biscuit-cracker hybrid for tea time, breakfast, or alongside cheese.

Pumpkin mincemeat bread with sourdough starter, pumpkin pie spice, walnuts, and brown sugar. A spiced quick bread that makes multiple loaves, perfect for holiday gifting and freezing.

Classic chocolate whoopie pies with soft cocoa cake rounds sandwiching fluffy marshmallow cream filling. New England's lunchbox legend, made the old-fashioned way with shortening for that signature tender crumb.

Learn how to make Ukrainian Sauerkraut Soup (Kapusniak) with White Beans. This variation is made even more hearty and comforting with the addition of white beans.

Forget rock-hard biscotti that threaten your teeth. This butter-rich Italian cookie bakes up tender enough to eat without dunking, studded with raisins and nuts in every bite.