Recipe Sifter

German frikadellen burgers blend ground beef with minced onion, parsley, eggs, and a whisper of nutmeg, then pan-fry in butter for a tender, juicy patty that beats any backyard burger.

Basic cannelloni crepes: thin pancake-style wrappers for cannelloni and crespelle. Four-ingredient blender batter cooks one side only for filling and rolling.

Chocolate chip cookies built on shortening and all brown sugar for a chewy-edged, soft-centered crumb studded with semi-sweet chips and chopped pecans. Bake 8 minutes for chewy or 13 for crisp.

Prove you're the best around with this scrumptious carrot cake that is perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.

From across Northern Italy there are many variations. A rich broth, juicy Italian tomatoes and rich herb simmered for a long time. I used a mixture of sliced mushrooms from my local supermarket and dried lobster, oyster and shitake mushrooms. Then used the mushroom juice in place of chicken broth. Outstanding reduction of rich comfort flavors.

Chocolaty and super moist cupcakes will be a huge hit at any occasion.

Hearty blueberry oat muffins with brown sugar and a homemade buttermilk base. Tender inside with a springy golden top. Makes a dozen in under 45 minutes.

Using most whole wheat flour and olive oil makes these muffins a lot healthier without losing any deliciousness. Super chocolaty, moist, and addictive, not only kids love it, but grown-ups also can't resist these yummy treats.

Small-batch buttermilk pancakes scaled for two. Fluffy, tangy, and on the table in 20 minutes. No leftover batter, no waste. Just right for a lazy morning.

Wow, delicious. This cake came out wonderful, really loved the apple-cranberry topping that was so fruity and juicy. I used 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour to make it a bit healthier, and the cake was buttery and fluffy. It didn't last long at our place with just two of us.

Pecan-crusted grouper bakes flaky white fish under a Dijon-and-pecan crust for a crunchy, buttery shell with no skillet of hot oil. A 35-minute Southern-style fish dinner.

Portuguese biscoitos shaped into rings from hand-rolled dough ropes. A simple butter and egg cookie that bakes golden, lightly sweet, and crisp.

Coffee cake with a hidden filling of dried figs, walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon baked between layers of vanilla batter. A sweet surprise in every slice.

Kolache with soft, buttery yeast dough and a center filled with your choice of fruit, jam, or pie filling. A Czech-Texan pastry tradition that makes 18 tender rolls from scratch.

Maryland beaten biscuits, the old Chesapeake tradition: a stiff flour-and-lard dough beaten with a mallet until it blisters, then baked into hard, crisp, cracker-like biscuits. No leavening, just elbow grease.

Mrs. Fields $250 cookie recipe with ground oatmeal, double chocolate (chips and grated bar), two cups of butter, and chopped nuts. Makes 8 dozen legendary cookies.