Recipe Sifter

English toasting bread made in a bread machine with bread flour, milk, cornmeal, and a touch of baking soda. A soft, slightly tangy white loaf that crisps beautifully when toasted.

Quick Salisbury steaks with a horseradish punch, pan-fried beef patties smothered in mushroom gravy. Old-school diner comfort food on the table in 40 minutes.

Buttery rum muffins spiced with nutmeg and cloves, brushed with a warm rum-sugar glaze while still hot. Inspired by the classic hot buttered rum cocktail.

A lattice-topped mincemeat tart for Christmas: spiced fruit mincemeat baked in a crisp butter-and-lard shortcrust under a delicate woven lattice, dusted with icing sugar. One big tart instead of fiddly individual pies.

Nantucket donuts: classic New England cake donuts with cinnamon and nutmeg in the batter, fried golden and tumbled in a bag of cinnamon sugar. Old-fashioned donut shop nostalgia.

Apple cinnamon cranberry pie: two-crust pie with apples, fresh cranberries, and cinnamon, topped with a decorative criss-cross petal lattice. Sweet, tart, and built for Thanksgiving.

Maine fish chowder simmers fresh haddock, potatoes, and onions in salt-pork-rendered fat and milk for a creamy, old-school New England chowder. No flour, no thickener, just pure fish flavor.

Bread machine gingerbread loaf scented with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. A soft yeasted bread (not a quick bread) with spicy holiday warmth and a tender crumb. Just dump and press start.

Jim's sourdough biscuits start with a bubbly starter sponge, then get dipped in bacon grease and crowded into the pan so they bake up tall, soft-sided, and pull-apart tender with real sourdough tang.

Jello sugar cookies made with gelatin mix for colorful, flavored drop cookies ready in 25 minutes. A retro classic that yields 2 dozen soft, buttery cookies kids absolutely go wild for.

Pudding cake roll is a light sponge cake rolled around vanilla pudding, dusted with powdered sugar. A lighter, Weight Watchers-friendly take on the classic Swiss roll.

Danish rice pudding (risalamande) with almond extract, folded whipped cream, and fresh raspberry sauce. A light, creamy Scandinavian Christmas dessert topped with whole almonds.

Caramel chocolate pecan pie with a toasted pecan crust (no flour), a melted caramel middle, and a silky chocolate top layer. A no-bake-filling triple-stack indulgence.

Orange blossom muffins: tender bakery-style muffins with sour cream, fresh orange juice, zest, and a splash of Grand Marnier. Brown sugar tops for a caramelized crackle finish.

Self-crusting coconut pie that mixes in one bowl, pours into the pan, and forms its own crust as it bakes. Eggs, milk, butter, and coconut create a custardy slice with a tender brown bottom. The recipe makes two pies.

Old-fashioned walnut pound cake started in a cold oven for a tall, even crumb. Buttery vanilla base studded with finely chopped walnuts, baked in a tube pan.