Recipe Sifter

Tender sour cream pastry rolled with apricot jam, walnuts, and raisins into elegant strudel cookies. These make-ahead sweets are perfect for holiday cookie trays.

Pillowy soft buttermilk drop cookies baked until pale golden get frosted with sweet buttercream and sprinkled with colored sugar for nostalgic treats.

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.

Chocolate lace cornucopias: delicate chocolate-nut cookies rolled warm into crisp cones and filled with whipped cream. A stunning, bakery-style dessert cookie.

These meat-filled pastries are the perfect appetizer for that upcoming Thanksgiving dinner with family. Just don't expect any leftovers!

Pina colada squares with a buttery shortbread base, thick pineapple-rum filling, and a golden coconut meringue top. A tropical three-layer bar cookie.

A staple at English boarding schools, these individual cakes are served with afternoon tea. They don't keep well; after a day they take on the characteristics of "rocks".

A cross between a chewy oatmeal cookie and a biscuit.

High-fiber pancakes packed with soy flour, whole wheat, wheat germ, and bran, lifted with whipped egg whites and brightened with orange juice. A wholesome breakfast that doesn't taste like cardboard.

Elegant sherried baked fruit with layered pineapple, peaches, apricots, cherries, and spiced apple rings in a buttery brown sugar and sherry sauce. Serves 20 for buffets and dinner parties.

Pfeffernuesse German pepper cookies with molasses, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper, rolled in powdered sugar. Small, spicy, and deeply aromatic holiday cookies from the old country.

Sweet cornmeal muffins made with just 8 pantry ingredients. Light, tender, and lightly sweetened with a golden cornmeal crumb. Quick to mix and baked in under 20 minutes.

Have something with your coffee to snack on with this decadent cake that's rich with every bite.

Traditional New Mexican biscochitos made with lard, egg yolks, anise, and vanilla. Rolled, cut into shapes, and baked until tender. New Mexico's official state cookie and a holiday staple.

Italian braised chicken Veneto-style with fresh tomatoes, white wine, balsamic vinegar, mushrooms, and oregano. Flour-dredged and browned, then simmered until fork-tender. Serve over rice.

Hazelnut cornmeal biscotti with toasted whole hazelnuts, stone-ground cornmeal, and warm cinnamon. Italian twice-baked cookies with a sturdy crunch perfect for dunking.