Recipe Sifter

Summer peach and berry lattice pie with fresh orange juice, nutmeg, and a golden egg-washed crust. Use any mix of strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.

Spicy bean cake made with mashed pinto beans, diced apples, raisins, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Add cocoa for a chocolate version.

Old fashioned apple pie with a from-scratch butter crust made flaky with apple cider vinegar. Granny Smith apples get tossed in reduced cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg for deep, concentrated apple flavor.

Pumpkin date nut bread for the bread machine combines pumpkin pie filling, whole wheat flour, warm spices, walnuts, and chopped dates. Hands-off yeast loaf on the fruit and nut cycle.

Deep-dish peach pie: a baking dish heaped with juicy peaches and brown sugar under a single flaky, golden top crust. A fruit-forward summer pie that lets the peaches shine.

Harvest cookies made with mashed winter squash, chopped dates, nutmeg, and cinnamon. A no-sugar-added drop cookie thats soft, spiced, and naturally sweet from the fruit.

Brandied cheddar spread blends sharp aged cheddar with brandy, butter, and cream for a smooth, boozy cocktail spread. Hints of nutmeg and cayenne add warmth. Makes about two cups for crackers.

Moist tube pan cake packed with chopped apples and chocolate chips, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cocoa. Bakes low and slow for a tender crumb. The fall baking recipe you didn't know you needed.

Orange-scented French toast with a creamy honey yogurt dipping sauce. Made with skim milk and low-fat yogurt for a calcium-rich, low-fat breakfast ready in 15 minutes.

Honey crunch baked apples stuffed with granola, dates, and almonds, drizzled with a honey-butter apple juice sauce. Old-fashioned autumn dessert you can feel good about.

Whole wheat pumpkin tea cake sweetened with honey and brown sugar, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, and topped with chopped hazelnuts. A lighter autumn loaf for afternoon tea or breakfast.

Potato and chive tortelli tossed in brown butter with fried sage leaves and lemon. Handmade Italian stuffed pasta filled with chive-spiked mashed potato in a classic noisette sauce.

Lattice strawberry rhubarb pie with warm spices, ruby fruit bubbling through a woven golden crust. Classic spring dessert that balances tart rhubarb against sweet strawberries.

This is actually my pumpkin pie filling, but I prefer it without the pastry and it is better for me. No great amount of fat in this one.

Illinois apple pie fills a flaky double-crust shortening pastry with thin-sliced Granny Smith apples spiced with cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Brushed with milk and dusted with sugar for a sparkling top.

Harvest pie made with Granny Smith apples and green tomatoes, spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, finished with a lattice crust. A rustic fall deep-dish pie with optional rum.