Recipe Sifter

Holiday Unbeatables are chewy, no-butter cookies made with egg whites, powdered sugar, walnuts, and candied cherries. Naturally gluten-light with a crisp edge and soft, meringue-like center.

Chocolate Halloween cupcakes with a hidden orange cream cheese center that oozes out when bitten. Spooky fun for the kids and a riff on the classic Black Bottom cupcake.

Rabbit curry: butter-baked rabbit deboned and folded into a creamy curry sauce with apple, sour cream, and orange zest. A classic English-style mild curry served over rice.

Red snapper parmigiana marinates snapper fillets in white wine, garlic, and herbs, then gives them a savory parmesan-flour crust and a quick pan-fry. A light, low-fat fish dinner finished with a squeeze of lemon.

Carrots and pineapple make these moist yet delicious muffins that are perfect for breakfast or snack.

Beef zucchini casserole: sauteed zucchini and onion layered with seasoned ground beef in a ketchup-spiked sauce, topped with parmesan. A clever garden-glut dinner from one skillet.

German sour cherry chocolate cake: a dense, fudgy chocolate cake crowned with tart pitted cherries that sink into the batter as it bakes. The sharp cherries cut the rich dark chocolate beautifully.

Rigo Jancsi, the classic Hungarian chocolate cake with two layers of rich sponge filled with rum-spiked chocolate cream and topped with a glossy chocolate glaze. An elegant European pastry.

Mrs. Claus' cookies are a holiday drop cookie loaded with chopped figs, currants, walnuts, and crisp rice cereal, subtly spiced with mace. Vintage Christmas cookie tin charm in every bite.

A puffy, golden egg bake loaded with Monterey Jack, cottage cheese, and mild green chilis. This crustless chili cheese puff is ready in an hour and works for brunch, lunch, or a light supper.

Bulgur bread for the bread machine combines cracked wheat softened in boiling water with bread flour, honey, and dry milk for a hearty Mediterranean-style loaf with chew and toasty grain flavor. Perfect for sandwich slices or alongside soup.

Linguine a la Anne is a freezer-friendly ham and mushroom pasta casserole in a creamy evaporated milk sauce topped with Romano cheese, sauteed peppers, and croutons.

Persimmon walnut coconut cookies fold ripe persimmon pulp into a soft, cake-like dough with toasted walnuts, sweet coconut, cinnamon, and allspice. A late-fall cookie when persimmons hit the markets.

Israeli honey orange muffins made with wheat germ, fresh orange zest, and real honey. A lightly sweet, nutty quick bread with bright citrus flavor.

Stovetop cantaloupe custard pie with pureed melon cooked into a thick, silky filling, poured into a baked shell, and topped with fresh whipped cream. Simple, old-fashioned, and full of melon flavor.

These make everyone happy. Bite into the fluffy, cakey cookie and fudge frosting and the hidden mashmallow will stretch and stretch until it finally breaks leaving you with a Gandalf beard, at least this has been my experience.