Recipe Sifter

Lowcountry benne seed cookies (Charleston style) with toasted sesame seeds, brown sugar, and butter. A thin, crispy Southern Christmas cookie with West African roots.

Indonesian-style crispy fried tempeh tossed with caramelized onions, garlic, chili pepper, sweet soy sauce, and brown sugar. Crunchy, sweet, spicy, and ready in 25 minutes.

Butterscotch shortbread cookies made with dark brown sugar and unsalted butter, topped with chopped walnuts or pecans pressed into the dough. Makes 72 bite-sized squares.

Tomato ginger upside-down cake with fresh grated ginger, molasses, brown sugar, and sliced tomatoes baked under a spiced buttermilk batter. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Homemade hot barbecue sauce with tomato juice, brown sugar, chili powder, and cider vinegar. Aromatics steep in the sauce then get removed for a clean finish.

Chewy drop cookies loaded with butterscotch and chocolate chips, sweetened with honey and a hint of almond extract. Made with egg whites for a lighter texture that still satisfies.

I came across this recipe in a magazine and decided to give it a try. They are sweet but so good,I love pecans and these were very easy to make.Just make sure to test your candy thermometer and then adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.Give them a try,see if you like them.

Mrs. Criswell's ginger cookies are old-fashioned molasses and ground ginger rolled cookies glazed with beaten egg and baked in a hot oven. A rustic heirloom farmhouse recipe.

Maple pecan sticky buns bake an oat-enriched dough over a gooey maple-pecan syrup that turns into a glossy topping when inverted. Filled with cinnamon, raisins and pecans, they're a weekend brunch treat.

Old-fashioned date bars with a buttery oat crumb crust, orange-scented date filling with chopped nuts, and a crumbly oat topping baked until golden.

Rum raisin cheesecake with crunchy oat-nut streusel topping and crumb crust. The textural contrast between creamy filling and crispy topping makes every bite interesting.

Spiced zucchini bread with walnuts and dates baked in mini Bundt pans, served with a pineapple cream cheese spread. Warm spices of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.

Plains peach honey: a thick, clear old-fashioned Southern peach spread made with just two ingredients, ripe peaches and brown sugar. No pectin, no lemon, pure peach flavor.

Cranberry walnut tart layers a flaky blind-baked crust with a brown sugar and corn syrup custard studded with tart cranberries and toasted walnuts. The holiday pie's more sophisticated cousin.

Baked curried fruit casserole with pears, peaches, pineapple, apricots, and cherries layered with slivered almonds in a buttery brown sugar curry glaze. A retro holiday side dish that's best made a day ahead.

Experimentation led Mary Ann Zarczynski of Franklin to create this recipe, which she described as "very rich and delicious."