Recipe Sifter

Southern sweet potato pie with mashed sweet potatoes, warm spices, and a brightening splash of fresh lemon or orange juice. Pecan halves on top add Southern charm. The two-stage bake delivers a custard that sets without cracking.

Shrimp cheese ball with cream cheese, horseradish, lemon juice, and liquid smoke rolled in toasted pecans and parsley. A make-ahead party appetizer with real boiled shrimp.

Mini cinnamon-apple coffee cakes made with pound cake mix, apple pie filling, and a cinnamon-walnut-graham cracker streusel layered inside. A shortcut brunch treat.

Mix-in-pan carrot cake: stir all ingredients directly in the baking pan with a fork, no extra bowls or mixers. Spiced with cinnamon and allspice, topped with classic cream cheese frosting.

Chinese mixed fruit dessert with grass jelly cubes, lychee, and mandarin oranges. Refreshing 3-ingredient cold dessert, perfect for hot summer days.

Old-fashioned bourbon fruitcake packed with golden raisins, candied cherries, pineapple, citron, pecans, and coconut. Baked low and slow in a tube pan for rich, dense results.

Simple German Vollkornbrot, a dense whole-grain bread with 7-grain cereal, whole wheat flour, and molasses. No-knead, no-yeast overnight soak method for hearty, dark, German-style bread.

German-style fruit kuchen with sliced nectarines and plums arranged over a buttery almond-scented press-in crust, finished with a warm peach jam glaze.

No-bean beef chili with cornmeal dumplings simmers slow-cooker style with enchilada sauce, tomatoes, and black olives, then gets crowned with soft cornmeal mounds and melted cheddar. Tamale-pie meets chili in one pot.

Old-fashioned date and pecan cake baked low and slow in a tube pan. More fruit and nuts than batter, with a dense, rich texture similar to fruitcake.

For breakfast, use the crockpot to make this delicious oatmeal that your kids will love!

Here I adapted an 18th century English spice cake recipe which also makes nice cupcakes.

Orange chocolate tea bread with Grand Marnier, walnuts, and chocolate chunks baked into a buttery loaf, topped with a melted chocolate-orange liqueur glaze. Rich and elegant.

Classic Philadelphia-style cheesecake with cream cheese, lemon zest, and folded egg whites on a graham cracker crust. The original lighter, fluffier baked cheesecake that started it all.

Authentic Cincinnati chili simmered with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and unsweetened chocolate, then chilled overnight to deepen the flavors. Serve over spaghetti with shredded cheddar for a true 3-way.

Overnight hash brown casserole with frozen potatoes, sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, and cheddar cheese. Assemble the night before and bake for a hands-off brunch side.