Recipe Sifter

Grandma's oatmeal cookies plump raisins in baking-soda water, then fold them into a buttermilk-spiced oat dough with walnuts. Five-plus dozen warm-spiced cookies for the cookie jar.

Apple spice muffins use grated fresh apple, apple juice concentrate, and warm cinnamon-allspice for natural sweetness. A lower-fat breakfast muffin with raisins and tender crumb.

Old-fashioned applesauce cake with cinnamon, cloves, and a hint of cocoa, studded with raisins and baked in a 9x13 pan. Tender, moist, and ready to slice in 50 minutes.

Fresh nectarine chutney with coconut, ginger, curry powder, raisins, and lemon. A quick-cooked, refrigerator chutney that mellows overnight into a sweet, tangy, tropical condiment.

Chef Paul Prudhomme-style rice with apple and raisin dressing: pecans, bell peppers, and spiced Cajun seasonings folded through fluffy rice. A holiday side with sweet-savory Louisiana flair.

Beef rump roast stuffed with olives, garlic, and salt pork, then braised low and slow in crushed tomatoes with raisins and onions. A Sicilian Sunday dinner classic.

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.

Light basmati rice pudding made with skim milk, raisins, and vanilla, folded with whipped topping for a creamy, airy texture. A low-fat Indian-inspired dessert.

Tropical fruit brunch parfait layered with non-fat cottage cheese, peach yogurt, raisins, canned tropical fruit, and crunchy granola. No cooking, 10 minutes to assemble, and a high-protein low-fat breakfast.

Old-fashioned rolled and cut oatmeal cookies with raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A spiced, crispy oat cookie made the traditional way with a cookie cutter.

Buttermilk coffee cake with a streusel-style cinnamon-clove crumb topping made from the same dough. A tangy, tender 9x13 cake that doubles as breakfast or afternoon coffee snack. Stir in raisins or nuts. Freezes beautifully.

Gingerbread men cookie dough with dark molasses, brown sugar, and four warm spices. Make the dough one day, refrigerate overnight, and cut and bake the next for crisp, spiced cookies.

French apple cake made with yellow cake mix, lemon pudding, Granny Smith apples, and raisins, finished with a tart lemon glaze. A spiced bundt cake that stays moist thanks to sour cream.

Old-fashioned mince meat with calf tongue, suet, dried fruit, candied citrus, brandy and whiskey. The traditional pie filling, aged in a crock for at least 7 weeks for deep holiday flavor.

Mock cherry pie made from halved cranberries and raisins simmered with sugar, vanilla, and butter. The Depression-era trick gives you a tart-sweet ruby filling that fools nearly anyone hunting for the real thing.

Pineapple spice layer cake with crushed pineapple, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice topped with a fluffy cooked seven-minute frosting studded with pineapple. A from-scratch showstopper.