Recipe Sifter

Toffee squares with a buttery brown sugar shortbread base, melted chocolate on top, and chopped nuts. A sheet pan cookie bar that's rich, crunchy, and easy to make.

Apple cranberry pie with a buttery oat crumble topping replaces the top crust. Tart Granny Smiths and fresh cranberries baked low and slow under brown sugar streusel for a fall dessert with bite.

Whole wheat English muffins topped with a seasoned cottage cheese and wheat germ spread, fresh tomato, and broiled cheddar strips. A high-protein open-faced melt ready in 15 minutes.

A traditional Scottish clootie dumpling made with suet, currants, sultanas, and cinnamon, wrapped in a floured cloth and simmered for two hours. Serve warm with custard sauce for a proper British pudding.

Frozen cinnamon walnut yogurt made with vanilla yogurt, whipping cream, and a pinch of cinnamon. Creamy, tangy, and crunchy, churned in an ice cream maker.

Light cream of veggie soup with broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes, partially pureed with evaporated skim milk and a hint of curry powder. Creamy without the cream.

Fresh pineapple sherbet made from a whole pineapple with just sugar, lemon juice, and water. Cooked, blended smooth, frozen, then beaten light and served in the pineapple shell.

Plunderhornchen, German almond crescents made from flaky laminated Danish dough wrapped around homemade almond paste and candied fruit, baked golden and brushed with apricot glaze. A buttery bakery-style treat.

Crispy pan-fried salmon patties packed with onion, green pepper, and shredded carrot, bound with cracker crumbs and egg. A homestyle dinner from a single can of salmon.

Halloween chocolate spider treats made with melted chocolate chips, crunchy chow mein noodles, and M&M eyes. Three-ingredient no-bake party snack kids can make themselves.

Chicken breasts stuffed under the skin with creamy sour cream potatoes and chopped spinach, brushed with paprika butter, and topped with a nutmeg-spinach cream sauce. A one-hour microwave meal.

Broccoli linguine tosses pasta and steamed broccoli florets with a creamy sour cream and egg yolk sauce, plus romano cheese and herbs. A 20-minute Italian-American weeknight pasta.

Use this easy to make red chili gravy with enchiladas or with shredded or thinly sliced roast pork.

Patty Ann's cheese cake tarts: bite-size cream cheese pastry shells with two fillings, pecan and coconut. Muffin-tin desserts for holiday cookie trays.

Ryzi me araka is a classic Greek rice and peas dish cooked pilaf-style with olive oil and onion. Six ingredients, one pot, and naturally vegetarian.

Frozen pumpkin mousse: a make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert with Italian meringue, spiced pumpkin, rum, and whipped cream. Chilled in a soufflé dish and served with gingersnaps.