Recipe Sifter

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.

Creamy pinto bean soup pureed smooth with chile, onion, and light cream, garnished with toasted pine nuts, cilantro, and chives. From-scratch beans cooked until velvety.

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.

Moist pumpkin spice bundt cake with tangy cream cheese frosting. Easy one-bowl recipe uses canned pumpkin and oil for tender crumb. Perfect fall dessert in 90 minutes.

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.

Jam cake with caramel icing, a three-layer Southern spice cake built around blackberry jam, cinnamon, and allspice, blanketed with soft-ball-stage caramel icing made from brown sugar, butter, and cream.

Mock parmigiana shapes seasoned beef patties, bakes them in a mushroom-tomato sauce, then tops with melted mozzarella. The veal parmigiana shortcut for any weeknight.

Old-fashioned Christmas sugar cookies made with a full pound of butter, sour cream, and baking soda. The dough chills overnight for easy rolling and clean cookie cutter shapes.

Georgian fruit buns loaded with diced apples, raisins, prune puree, peach puree, and cream cheese in a spiced wheat dough. A hearty, fruit-packed quick bread from the South.

Grecian green beans braised low and slow in olive oil with onion, garlic, oregano, and vinegar until meltingly soft. A vegan Greek-style side with a splash of cola for sweet, caramel depth.

Chicken thighs poached with cumin and oregano, rubbed with spice paste, then pan-fried until crisp. Served in a tangy onion broth with banana peppers and apple cider vinegar.

Easter bunny cake built from carrot cake rounds with coconut "fur", paper ears, and jelly bean eyes. A classic family Easter project that turns a simple cake mix into a showpiece bunny on a platter.

Dilly casserole bread is a tangy, no-knead yeast loaf made with cottage cheese, dill seed, and onion flakes for a moist, savory crumb baked in a round casserole dish.

Grilled tarragon chicken: Dijon-rubbed chicken breasts grilled over hot coals and basted with a tarragon-lemon butter. Classic French bistro flavors off the backyard grill.

Apple cake layered with cinnamon-sugar apple slices in a tube pan and topped with brown sugar streusel and chopped nuts. A tall, moist Jewish-style apple cake made with orange juice instead of milk.

Corn tamale casserole layered with blended corn-cornmeal masa, green chiles, and cheddar cheese, baked under foil. Served with a warm oregano-stewed tomato sauce.