9 too recipes

Foolproof chocolate truffles made with cream cheese, no tempering or ganache fuss. Just melt, mix, chill, and roll into balls coated in nuts or coconut. An easy, make-ahead candy for gifting or the holidays.

Flourless peanut butter cookies made with just three ingredients: peanut butter, an egg and vanilla. Naturally gluten-free, soft and rich, baked in about 15 minutes. No flour, no fuss.

This cake won me First Prize at the county fair last year. It is very chocolaty.

Too much fruit salad is a big-batch medley of pineapple, melon, citrus, peaches, kiwi, and banana bathed in apricot nectar and chilled overnight so the flavors meld. A bright, make-ahead crowd salad.

Homemade cream of chicken noodle soup with shredded chicken, elbow macaroni, mixed vegetables, and a sage-and-thyme-scented cream base. A hearty one-pot soup that beats anything from a can.

Slow cooker shredded beef sandwiches made with a beef roast, Italian dressing mix, and wine left to simmer overnight. A five-ingredient crockpot recipe that pulls apart with two forks and tastes even better the next day.

Choux pastry puffs studded with chocolate chips and dusted with powdered sugar create elegant French-inspired cookies that look harder to make than they are.

Adorable Halloween ghost biscotti dipped in white chocolate with candy decorations. Crunchy orange-almond cookies perfect for trick-or-treaters and fall parties.

Slow cooker whole chicken infused with fresh fennel, leeks, and carrots. A two-stage braise builds deep, herby flavor with fall-off-the-bone results.