Recipe Sifter

Elegant oatmeal custard baked in a water bath with egg yolks, cinnamon, vanilla, and scalded milk folded into cooked oatmeal. Served hot or cold topped with fresh berries.

Elegant tea cookies made from a slice-and-bake butter dough with cream and vanilla. Chill overnight, slice thin, and bake until crisp and golden.

Vintage sugar cookies leaning heavy on brown sugar over white with shortening for tender texture and a three-finger ridge press. Makes 48 chewy, caramel-toned cookies.

Twice-baked chocolate biscotti loaded with Dutch-process cocoa and toasted hazelnuts or walnuts. Crisp, sturdy, and dunkable, with a deep cocoa flavor and no butter or oil. The classic Italian coffee cookie, made dark.

Classic New York cheesecake with graham cracker crust and egg whites. Creamy engagement cheesecake baked for 3 hours with special cooling method.

Two-layer lemon cake with a homemade lemon curd filling made from fresh lemon juice, zest, butter, and eggs. A classic from-scratch layer cake with a bright, tangy coating.

Rich chocolate cake with melted chocolate, pecans, and a hint of red food coloring, topped with homemade chocolate pecan frosting. A Southern classic from scratch.

Family tree cookies are giant chocolate cookies shaped like trees with branches for piping family names. A fun baking project with kids using cocoa dough, chocolate chips, and royal icing.

Father Time chocolate chip cookies decorated with piped clock face icing for New Year's Eve. Chewy brown sugar cookies with a simple powdered sugar icing design.

Two-layer cheesecake with a cream cheese filling baked first, then topped with a tangy sour cream layer and baked again. Simple, creamy, and foolproof on a graham cracker crust.

Cheesecake squares with a brown sugar and walnut crumb crust that doubles as a streusel topping, a creamy cream cheese center, and M&M's tucked in for chocolate crunch and color. Easy bar-form cheesecake, no springform needed.

Chewy oatmeal cookies with brown sugar, white sugar, and quick-cooking oats. A simple, no-frills oat cookie that's soft in the center with golden edges.

Fruit clafouti with fresh berries baked in a light yogurt custard with honey and fruit liqueur. A lighter take on the French classic using nonfat yogurt instead of heavy cream.

Ice box cookies are make-ahead slice-and-bake walnut shortbread with deep brown sugar caramel flavor. Chill the dough log, slice thin, bake fast for 60 crisp golden cookies in batches as needed.

Orange-almond biscotti, the crisp Italian twice-baked cookie scented with fresh orange zest and almond, studded with slivered almonds. Made for dunking in coffee, tea, or a glass of vin santo.

Classic butter nut balls (also called Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies). Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread rolled twice in powdered sugar for a snowy finish.