16 top secret recipes

Make it better than McDonalds and do it yourself with this Filet O Fish recipe.

Spiced apple pound cake, a one-bowl Bundt cake made with butter, spiced apple yogurt, and a cinnamon glaze topped with chopped pecans. The autumn coffee cake that turns yogurt into the secret moisture weapon.

Beneath a layer of ghostly whipped topping lies a chilling graveyard of cookie-crumb earth, with layers of creamy, eerie cheese filling and a tombstone of cookies marking the final resting place of your diet. Serve this spine-chilling dessert at your Halloween party, if you dare, and watch as your guests unearth the delicious secrets hidden within!

My copycat version of the top secret famous A1 Steak Sauce.

Fluffy homemade biscuits with pureed kidney beans baked right into the dough. Extra protein, whole wheat fiber, and golden-brown tops. Nobody will guess the secret ingredient.

A rich, velvety devil's food cake with a secret weapon: tomato sauce that adds incredible moisture and depth. Topped with a billowy classic boiled icing spiked with orange juice and vanilla.

Cocoa brownies with a secret weapon: three cloves of garlic melted right into the butter. Fudgy inside, springy on top, loaded with walnuts and topped with blanched almonds.

Sauerkraut apple cake with walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg topped with orange-cinnamon cream cheese frosting. A secret ingredient cake nobody can guess.

Moist avocado loaf studded with dates, raisins, and walnuts, enriched with cocoa and warm spices, then topped with broiled pecans. A unique quick bread that'll have everyone guessing the secret ingredient.

Almond pear coffee cake topped with juicy fresh pears and a buttery almond-nutmeg streusel built on a pound cake mix base. A brunch-friendly bake that uses mayonnaise as the secret tenderizer.

Molasses sandwich cookies with a hidden strawberry preserves filling, spiced with cinnamon and ginger, and topped with a vanilla powdered sugar glaze. The secret is inside.

Silky coconut custard filling topped with billowy meringue in this retro diner-style pie. The secret is scalded milk for ultra-smooth texture that sets perfectly after chilling.

Flaky double pie crust from scratch, enough dough for a top and bottom in one 9-inch pie. Cold fat and a light hand are the secret to tender, shatter-flaky layers every time.

Moist, low-fat chocolate cake made with pureed prunes instead of butter and topped with a tangy orange glaze. Deeply chocolatey with barely any fat, and no one will guess the secret ingredient.

Super easy pizza crust upgrades a boxed pizza mix with a secret handful of cornmeal kneaded in, for a crisp, golden, slightly crunchy crust. Roll it thin, oil it, and top it your way.

Helen's Cheesecake with a ground pecan and graham cracker crust, a lemon-kissed cream cheese filling, and a sour cream topping baked right on. Refrigerate 24 to 72 hours - patience is the secret ingredient.