Recipe Sifter

Blueberry crumb cake squares from a jelly roll pan with a rich butter batter, a full quart of blueberries, and a cinnamon-nutmeg brown sugar crumb topping. Makes 24 generous squares.

Otak otak: Southeast Asian fish mousse with a lemongrass-galangal-chili spice paste and coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. Each packet holds a shrimp inside a fragrant, spiced fish paste.

Traditional poppy seed kolache with a buttery almond dough and homemade filling of poppy seeds, honey, dates, and nuts. A Czech-style pastry that makes 60 pieces.

Lemon chiffon pie with a lemon-zest shortbread crust, cloud-light gelatin-set citrus filling, and a topping of fresh whipped cream. Bright, fluffy, refreshing.

Norwegian molasses cookies rolled in sugar and baked until crackled and flat. Made with brown sugar, molasses, and egg substitute. Top with confectioners' sugar glaze and sprinkles for a festive touch.

Lemon icebox pie layers a sweet cream cheese cushion under tangy lemon pudding, all in an almond-cookie crust topped with whipped cream and crushed lemon drops. Three-layer no-bake-friendly dessert.

Dark chocolate marshmallow cake with sour cream for moisture, topped with a fluffy cooked marshmallow frosting. Two layers of rich, fudgy cake under a cloud-like finish.

Old-world pickled cherry tomatoes with dill seed, garlic, and peppercorns, packed with grape leaves for crisp texture. Russian-Ukrainian fermentation tradition in canning jars.

Meaty portobello caps soak up tangy marinade before grilling until tender, then get layered with roasted peppers and melted cheese on toasted rolls.

Hamantaschen, the triangular Purim cookies, here filled with a rich honey-nut mixture brightened with lemon. A rum-scented dough folded into the traditional three-cornered shape and baked to a golden glaze.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Santacafe recipe

Frosted spice fruit cookies are old-fashioned molasses-spice rolled cookies loaded with walnuts, golden raisins, and dates, finished with an orange juice glaze. Holiday cookie tin staple.

A stunning cold Chinese platter of shredded vegetables, wood ear fungus, egg strips, and hand-pulled chicken, layered and dressed in a mustard-ginger-sesame-Chinkiang vinegar sauce. A showpiece salad for special occasions.

Classic German Lebkuchen: spiced honey bars with almonds and candied citrus peel, glazed with lemon icing and dotted with cherries. Centuries-old Nuremberg Christmas tradition.

Chocolate raisin snacking cake with cocoa, cinnamon, and chopped nuts, made in one saucepan. Raisins get simmered first to plump them up, and the warm cooking liquid goes right into the batter.

Pet milk coffee cake baked in a bundt pan with layers of brown sugar, cinnamon, and nut crumb topping swirled through a rich evaporated milk batter.