16 special recipes

Buckwheat pancakes made with a blend of buckwheat and all-purpose flour, water instead of milk, and sugar substitute. Diabetic-friendly with a nutty, earthy flavor.

Garden Special is a big-batch vegetable relish with green tomatoes, lima beans, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, and peppers in a sweet brown sugar and vinegar brine.

Low-calorie cottage cheese plate with fresh vegetables or tropical fruit, a hard-boiled egg, and rye crisp crackers. A high-protein, no-cook light lunch on a bed of lettuce.

Cream cheese party dip with ketchup, French dressing, and grated onion blended smooth. A retro five-minute appetizer for chips and crackers with a tangy, creamy kick.

Lacy Florentine cookies made with ground pecans and coconut, sandwiched together with melted dark chocolate. Thin, crispy, and freezer-friendly for up to a month.

No-bake Special K cookies with peanut butter, corn syrup, and sugar. Just five ingredients, ready in 20 minutes, and they freeze beautifully for make-ahead treats.

Have some fun making and enjoying this scrumptious crockpot dish.

Vegetable pilau with turmeric brown rice layered over spiced green beans, peas, and carrots, baked and topped with toasted almonds. A fragrant vegan Indian rice dish.

Koulourakia, Greek special occasion cookies made with olive oil, cinnamon, brandy, and sesame seeds. Egg-free, dairy-free, and hand-shaped into traditional forms.

No-bake Special K cereal cookies made with peanut butter, sugar, corn syrup, and crispy rice cereal. These crunchy, sweet clusters come together on the stovetop in under 15 minutes with just a handful of pantry staples.

Chocolate chip sandwich cookies filled and partly dipped in melted chocolate coating, then sprinkled with chopped almonds. A semi-homemade cookie upgrade from a basic mix.

Barb's special sweet bread dough Part I. A laminated yeasted dough folded with butter in three turns, the master base for danishes, kringles, and filled pastries. Family recipe from 1850s tradition.

Barb's Special Sweet Breads Part 2 (Weinerbrod) recipe

Barb's Special Sweet Breads Part 3 (Spandauer) recipe

Spiral sweet bread rolls filled with almond butter and plump currants, topped with vanilla cream icing and toasted almonds. These elegant French-style snails are a stunning addition to any brunch spread.

Chilled shrimp cocktail with brandy-spiked lemon cream sauce, studded with crisp apple and fresh herbs. Elegant Italian appetizer.