Recipe Sifter

Holiday spice cookies roll out paper-thin from a molasses-and-spice dough with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Crisp cookie-cutter cookies for the December tins.

Individual baked chocolate fig puddings with cocoa, stewed California figs, and vanilla, topped warm with marshmallows and walnut halves. A vintage dessert with old-fashioned charm.

Oatmeal crunchies with orange zest, nutmeg, and orange-apricot juice for a citrusy twist on classic drop cookies. Crispy edges, chewy centers.

Liver dumplings (leberknödel) blend scraped beef liver with lard, breadcrumbs, egg, and parsley, then poach in clear broth. Single-serving Austrian-German soup garnish.

Old-fashioned drop cookies with dark molasses, chopped tart apples, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Soft, chewy, and they make 60 cookies from one batch.

These banana fritters stay crispy thanks to a flour-dusted coating under a light egg-and-milk batter. Deep-fried golden in minutes and served hot for a crunchy, sweet snack or dessert.

Bran muffins with molasses, cornmeal, and raisins made with no eggs and no butter. A high-fiber, one-bowl muffin recipe that comes together in minutes.

Old-school chocolate chip cookies built on shortening and brown sugar for crisp edges and chewy middles, studded with semi-sweet chips and toasted pecans. A throwback recipe from the original Crisco era.

Crispy vanilla rosettes fried on a decorative iron, then dipped in vanilla icing. Scandinavian holiday cookies that look like edible snowflakes. Yields 12 cookies.

An elegant and sophisticated appetizer that will impress your dinner guests and is ready in just 20 minutes. The leeks are trimmed, steamed, battered, and fried to a beautiful golden brown. The addition of tarragon and parsley adds a subtle yet delicious flavor to the dish. The result is a crispy and flavorful appetizer or side dish that is certain to wow your guests.

Chipotle cornbread bakes in a hot cast iron skillet with puréed chipotles, applesauce, and buttermilk for smoky heat and a crisp crust. Low-fat Southwestern twist on classic cornbread.

Buttermilk pancakes made with bacon drippings and folded egg whites for impossibly tall, fluffy stacks with a smoky-savory undercurrent. Twenty minutes from bowl to plate. Old-school Southern breakfast.

Frosted rich brownies: low-fat brownies built on evaporated and powdered skim milk instead of butter, then crowned with a coffee-spiked cocoa frosting. Deeply chocolate without the heaviness.

These homemade graham wafers are crisp, lightly sweet, and perfect for snacking, crushing into crumbs for pie crusts, or pairing with spreads. Made with wholesome graham flour and a touch of vanilla, they bake up golden and delicious in just minutes.

If you need an appetizer recipe for your next kids’ party, try my recipe.

Classic double-crust cherry pie with warm spices, buttery crust, and tart cherries. A timeless dessert that works equally well with fresh or canned fruit.