Recipe Sifter

European-style apple cake presses a rum-spiked shortbread base into a sheet pan, then tops it with grated tart apples, raisins, nuts, and cinnamon sugar. A sliceable, freezable bar-style cake.

Whole wheat banana pancakes with warming spices, walnuts, and honey. Hearty silver dollar-sized breakfast ready in 25 minutes.

Better than sex cake is a four-layer chocolate-pecan icebox dessert: a buttery pecan shortbread crust, sweet cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and whipped topping. A make-ahead potluck legend.

Egg-free lemon muffins made with silken tofu, applesauce, whole wheat flour, and wheat germ. Bright lemon zest and a cinnamon dusting on top. Makes 24 wholesome muffins in 30 minutes.

Black Forest ice cream cake: two layers of moist chocolate-coffee cake sandwich a slab of vanilla ice cream, frosted with whipped cream and crowned with cherry pie filling. A frozen showstopper.

Crunchy mixed vegetable pickles with cucumbers, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, and onions in a tangy mustard seed brine. A classic canning recipe that fills 8 pint jars.

Sicilian-style slow cooker cannellini beans simmered with hot Italian sausage, ripe tomatoes, herbs, and a surprising strip of orange zest. Hands-off comfort food that fills the house with warmth.

Vegetarian curry with black-eyed peas, kidney beans, sautéed bananas, and apple in a spiced yogurt sauce. Served over rice with peanuts and cilantro.

Swiss Aargau carrot cake made with ground almonds, grated carrots, kirsch, and cornstarch instead of flour. Finished with apricot glaze, fondant icing, and marzipan carrots.

Caruru de Camarao is a traditional Brazilian shrimp stew from Bahia with okra, coconut, ground peanuts, and fresh coriander. Rich Afro-Brazilian flavors simmered into a hearty one-pot meal.

A spiced chocolate apple bundt cake with diced green apples, currants, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, finished with a brandy-cinnamon glaze. Moist, warmly spiced, and perfect for fall baking.

Moist banana cake with buttermilk and cake flour topped with a double-chocolate glaze made from melted unsweetened chocolate and cocoa. Ripens overnight for deeper flavor.

Vegan corn muffins using blended tofu in place of eggs and dairy. Five simple ingredients, whole wheat pastry flour, and a hot-pan trick for a shatteringly crisp crust.

Crumbled cornbread tossed with sautéed apples, fresh sage, and toasted pecans creates this Southern-style stuffing where sweet and savory dance together inside your holiday bird.

Crispy cornmeal-fried soft shell crab sandwiches on sourdough with smoky chipotle adobo mayo and a citrus bell pepper slaw. A restaurant-quality seafood sandwich you can make at home.

A creamy vegan cheesecake made with blended tofu on a crunchy granola crust, topped with a fresh strawberry sauce. Dairy-free, egg-free, and naturally sweetened. Serves 8.