200 stage recipes

Old-fashioned stovetop fudge made with real unsweetened chocolate, evaporated milk, and walnuts. Cooked to soft ball stage and beaten until thick and glossy, this is the kind of homemade fudge that wins county fair ribbons.

Old-fashioned vanilla fudge: a heritage recipe with sugar, corn syrup, milk, and butter cooked to soft-ball stage and beaten by hand until stiff. Add cocoa for chocolate fudge or fold in nuts and cherries.

Traditional British coconut ice with a white and pink layered look. Just sugar, water, desiccated coconut, and vanilla cooked to soft-ball stage and pressed into squares. A classic Christmas sweet that's dead simple to make.

Heritage apple pie with a butter-and-lard crust, tart Northern Spy apples, brown sugar, and a teaspoon of bread crumbs lining the bottom shell to keep it crisp. A three-stage bake delivers an evenly browned crust.

Use up your stale croissant to make this delicious pudding!

A great way to use up day old bread. A savory version of bread pudding with spinach and mushrooms that's cheesy delicious.

Basic red gazpacho is the classic Andalusian chilled tomato soup: ripe tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, garlic, and stale bread blended with sherry vinegar and olive oil. No cooking required.

Decadent Baked French Toast with Maple Syrup and Pecan recipe

New Orleans-style bread pudding loaded with pecans, raisins, and apple, baked low and slow in spiced custard, then drenched in a rich bourbon butter sauce. Pure Southern indulgence.

Bread pudding loaded with pecans, raisins, and chopped apple, baked in a spiced custard and drowned in a rich bourbon butter sauce. A classic New Orleans-style dessert.

Old-fashioned rhubarb pudding with a stale cake or bread base, sweetened stewed rhubarb filling, and golden meringue topping. A Pennsylvania Dutch-style baked dessert that uses up leftover bread.

New Orleans-style pain perdu French toast with orange flower water, brandy, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Stale French bread soaked rich and fried golden, dusted with powdered sugar.

High-fiber bread quiche uses stale multigrain bread as the crust, filled with low-fat cottage cheese, eggs, and evaporated skim milk. A lighter take on classic quiche with no pastry dough required.

Traditional Cumberland sausage made with pork shoulder, back fat, nutmeg, mace, and a touch of smoked bacon. Hand-mixed, stuffed into casings, and baked until golden and snappy.

Downeast blueberry bread pudding bakes wild Maine blueberries with stale white bread cubes and evaporated skim milk for a low-fat, low-sugar New England dessert.

Roasted acorn squash soup with garlic, wild rice, and a kick of cayenne. A cozy single-serving bowl that's vegan-friendly and loaded with warm spice.