Recipe Sifter

Famous peach pound cake folds fresh chopped peaches and sour cream into a buttery, vanilla-almond pound cake batter baked in a tube pan until golden and tender-crumbed.

Honey and whole wheat waffles with folded-in egg whites for an airy crisp finish. A nutty, lightly sweet breakfast that beats anything from a box mix.

Unusual banana curry muffins flavored with curry powder, treacle, and sweetened condensed milk, plus mashed bananas and bran. A high-fibre breakfast muffin with a savory-spice twist.

Lower-fat banana bread with fresh berries, made with whipped egg whites instead of whole eggs and just a third cup of margarine. A lighter quickbread that stays moist for days.

Honey and cream griddle scones, an old-fashioned Welsh-style bakestone scone cooked on the stovetop, not baked. Whole wheat dough sweetened with honey and made tender with sour cream.

Buttery shortbread-style cookies studded with chocolate chips and slivered almonds, perfumed with both vanilla and almond extract. Eggless, no-fuss, and ready for any party tray.

Linzer cookies built on a buttery ground-almond shortbread, scented with vanilla, almond extract, and a hint of cinnamon. Each cookie holds a thumbprint of lemon-spiked raspberry jam, finished with sliced almonds and powdered sugar.

Moravian Christmas cookies rolled paper-thin with molasses, brown sugar, and warm spices like clove, cinnamon, and ginger. A heritage Pennsylvania Dutch holiday cookie that snaps with every bite.

Cocoa-based brownies cut into star shapes for parties and patriotic occasions. A blend of butter and shortening keeps them tender and chewy with a deep chocolate edge.

Citrus blueberry muffins with bright orange zest folded through a tender buttermilk-style batter and studded with juicy blueberries. Easy 30-minute breakfast bake.

Pumpkin bread with dark molasses, brown sugar, and three warm spices, plus walnuts and optional raisins. Makes three loaves. Tender, deeply spiced, and freezes beautifully for the holidays.

Deluxe brownies bake up fudgy and rich with a glossy, crackly top, thanks to a long beat of eggs and sugar. Made with real melted unsweetened chocolate, they're a simple six-ingredient batch worth the bowl.

Dutch-style icebox spice cookies with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a brown sugar dough enriched with butter, lard and sour cream. Slice-and-bake rolls keep weeks in the fridge for instant warm cookies.

Hamantaschen are triangular Purim cookies with a tender butter dough wrapped around a prune, raisin, walnut, and lemon filling. Traditional Jewish holiday treat, makes 5 dozen.

Creamy cauliflower soup made light with low-fat milk and a flour roux instead of cream. Bright lemon juice, a whisper of nutmeg, and pureed florets give it body without the heaviness.

Sugar-free carrot cake packed with grated carrots, chopped pecans, and warm cinnamon-nutmeg spice. Bake in a tube pan or cook fast in the microwave for an easy diabetic-friendly dessert.