Recipe Sifter

North Carolina-style pork ribs with a salt-pepper-red pepper rub and a tangy vinegar-butter basting sauce. Eastern NC barbecue flavor built on heat, acid, and smoke.

Copycat pumpkin scones with two glazes: tender, spiced pumpkin scones finished with a plain sugar glaze and a drizzle of spiced pumpkin glaze. The fall coffee-shop favorite at home.

Caramelized apple crepes for breakfast or brunch: tender whole wheat crepes folded around tart apples cooked down with brown sugar and cinnamon, finished with a dollop of yogurt. Lighter than they taste.

Fluffy quinoa tossed with black beans, ripe tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro in a zesty lime-butter dressing. High-fiber, vegetarian, and packed with protein. Great as a side or a light main.

Banana blueberry muffins sweetened with brown sugar and lifted with lemon zest. Overripe banana puree keeps them moist, and frozen blueberries fold in cleanly.

Pecan tarts with caramel sauce: flaky homemade pastry shells filled with a brown-butter pecan filling, baked golden, then drizzled with silky amber caramel. Individual holiday tartlets worth the effort.

Adapted this recipe from Foodnetwork magazine, I made a few changes to make it a little healthier but still taste decadently delicious.

Made with white whole wheat flour, butter and olive oil, and chocolate chips. This whole wheat banana and chocolate chip bread is super buttery, moist, and packed with banana flavor. You can also find chunks of chocolate in every bite.

Flourless-style chocolate decadence cake with bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate, espresso, and whipped egg whites. Dense, fudgy, and dusted with powdered sugar through a stencil.

Apple cinnamon crumb pie with cinnamon-spiced apple slices thickened with tapioca, topped with a buttery brown sugar streusel crumb. Classic Dutch apple pie style.

Crisp oatmeal cookies with brown sugar, walnuts pressed into the tops, and a thin, crunchy texture that spreads to 4 inches wide. Snappy edges with a buttery oat flavor.

Stove-top candied sweet potatoes simmered in brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon. No oven needed, no marshmallows in sight, perfect for crowded Thanksgiving stoves.

Ginger-almond florentines: thin, lacy caramel cookies with crystallized ginger, toasted almonds, and citrus zest, finished with a smooth chocolate coating on the flat side.

Chunks of apples and buttermilk make these cupcakes incredibly moist and delicious. Use most whole wheat flour, some vegetable oil and some butter to make these cupcakes a lot healthier without losing any great flavor and texture.

Make a delicious and sweet pizza with apples, almonds and dulce de leche glaze. It's good enough for both kids and grown-ups to keep picking up another slice.

These dessert bars are excellent. Made them for a recent pot-luck, and everyone couldn't stop munching on them. Totally delicious and addictive!