16 stain recipes

Stained glass cookies, a no-bake chocolate log studded with mini marshmallows and walnuts, rolled in flaked coconut and sliced to reveal a mosaic window pattern. A classic Christmas cookie tray favorite.

Syd's banana bread is a tender old-school loaf made with shortening, sour milk, mashed bananas, and a half cup of chopped walnuts or pecans. The kind of recipe passed down on a stained index card.

Old-fashioned pear harlequin preserves with pineapple, orange, and maraschino cherries. A colorful sweet conserve with the look of stained glass in the jar.

Sweet red peppers simmered with paprika-stained onions, tomatoes, and a splash of red wine vinegar in this classic Russian lecho. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Sri Lankan ala badun is a fiery, turmeric-stained dry potato curry tossed with caramelized onions, curry leaves, and a pop of mustard seeds. A squeeze of lime at the finish brightens every bite.

Pumpkin pie with pan-browned pumpkin for deeper caramelized flavor and a sugar-flour barrier under the custard that keeps the crust crisp. Holiday classic, reimagined.

Old-fashioned whole wheat drop cookies sweetened with honey and brown sugar, enriched with sour cream, and studded with raisins and nuts. Makes 3 dozen soft, cakey treats.

Chocolate nougatines are a classic candy made from honey-sweetened nougat with chopped nuts, cut into squares and coated in melted chocolate. Chewy, nutty, and rich with old-fashioned candy-making technique.

Fresh berry tarts: a pair of giant 10x15 inch sheet tarts with vanilla cream over sweet pie crust, one tart piled with glazed cherries, the other with glossy blueberries.

Lamb and potato ragu braised in tomato with butter-browned onion and carrot. A rustic Italian one-pot stew where the potatoes absorb all the rich, meaty juices.

Kottopoula Me Mpamiez is a traditional Greek chicken and okra stew braised in tomatoes and butter. A vinegar sun-dry on the okra is the secret to a sauce without slime.

Greek chickpea soup (revithia) simmers dried garbanzo beans with onion, tomato, garlic, and bay until creamy, then finishes with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Rustic vegan Mediterranean comfort.

Greek braised lamb with fresh peas simmered in tomatoes, butter, dill, and parsley. Tender one-pot comfort food ready in about an hour.

Blueberry and Lemon Bread-And-Butter Pudding recipe

Glazed apple cake: silky McIntosh apple purée folded into a warm-spiced batter, topped with fanned Granny Smith slices and a glossy apricot jam glaze. A bakery-style fall dessert.

Banana chocolate cream dessert layered over rum-soaked coconut macaroons with homemade custard, whipped cream, and grated chocolate. An elegant no-bake showstopper.