242 spear recipes

Chocolate thumbprint cookies rolled in chopped nuts, filled with sweet vanilla cream, and crowned with a chocolate kiss pressed into the center. A holiday cookie tray classic with three textures in every bite.

A three-layer Southern cake with grated sweet potatoes, warm spices, and chopped nuts, finished with a rich coconut frosting. The surprise? Nobody guesses it's sweet potato.

A flourless-style cocoa sponge cake made with cake meal, potato starch, and ground almonds. Split into three layers with strawberry preserves and topped with whipped cocoa cream. Passover-friendly.

Chocolate malt cake made with dark beer and unsweetened chocolate for a rich, bittersweet crumb with a glossy semi-sweet chocolate frosting. Porter, stout, or ale all work beautifully in this two-layer showstopper.

Crisp-tender cauliflower and green beans marinated in Italian dressing with dill weed, red onion rings, and red pepper flakes. A make-ahead chilled vegetable side that needs at least 4 hours to soak up flavor.

Pistachio torte with 2 cups of finely chopped pistachios and breadcrumbs standing in for flour, lifted with beaten egg whites, and topped with a cup of lemon curd. A proper European-style celebration cake.

Italian almond-ricotta cake with lemon zest and juice throughout. Moist, tender cake with light crumb from folded egg whites, baked at low temperature.

A flourless chocolate mousse cake with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, served with fresh raspberries and mascarpone. Just 6 ingredients and no flour needed for this elegant dessert.

Jewish-Catholic apple cake with cinnamon-sugar apples layered through an oil-based batter with walnuts and orange juice. A dairy-free tube pan cake that freezes beautifully.

Flourless-style chocolate loaf cake spiced with cinnamon, lifted with whipped egg whites, and drenched in a glossy mocha sauce. A dense, fudgy slice with espresso depth.

Three-layer toasted coconut cake with a buttermilk crumb, coconut and vanilla extract, and a cream cheese frosting loaded with toasted coconut. A classic Southern bake for birthdays and holidays.

Sambaar is a South Indian vegetable and split pea stew spiced with cumin, coriander, turmeric, and dried chili. Loaded with cauliflower, carrots, eggplant, and cabbage.

Chocolate maple cake with unsweetened chocolate, folded egg whites, and a maple walnut buttercream frosting. Split into four layers for an impressive celebration cake.

Flourless walnut cake with ground walnuts, whipped egg whites, and lemon zest. Naturally gluten-free, dramatically tall, dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa.

A diabetic-friendly spice cake made with whole wheat flour, sour cherries, dates, and applesauce instead of refined sugar. Warmly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

London strips: layered cookie bars with a buttery shortbread base, strawberry jam filling, and a bourbon-walnut meringue topping dusted with powdered sugar.