2,556 bitter recipes

Sweet potatoes simmered in apple cider with brown sugar, butter and a cinnamon stick, then pureed and baked. A make-ahead Thanksgiving side without the marshmallows.

Chewy ginger cookies made with prune butter instead of fat, loaded with warm spices and molasses. Low-fat but big on flavor with crispy edges and soft centers.

Cheese potato puff is a baked mashed potato casserole with cheddar cheese, butter, and beaten eggs that puffs up golden and souffled in the oven. A make-ahead side dish that feeds a crowd.

Nutty apricot bars with a coconut-pecan crumble crust and jammy dried apricot filling. A layered fruit bar that's part cookie, part shortcake, chilled and sliced from the pan.

Egg and watercress finger sandwiches layer creamy egg salad with peppery watercress on buttered whole-wheat bread, sliced into elegant fingers for tea, brunch, or bridal showers.

Frittata Ranchera, a Tex-Mex style baked egg with sauteed onions, peppers, cubed ham, and ranch-style beans. A hearty skillet brunch or breakfast-for-dinner one-pan meal.

Butter-sautéed bananas in an apricot-orange sauce, flambéed tableside with rum or brandy. A dramatic 20-minute French dessert served over ice cream or with whipped cream.

Cracker bread rolls yeast-risen dough into thin 10-inch rounds topped with sesame seeds and bakes them crisp and shatter-crunchy. Homemade flatbread cracker for dips, spreads, and soup.

Low-fat potato, leek, mushroom, and spinach soup pureed smooth with no cream. A vibrant green, flavor-packed bowl ready in 45 minutes from pantry basics.

Tender kale folded into a nutmeg-scented cream sauce and crowned with sweet caramelized shallots. A vegetarian side dish that turns leafy greens into something irresistible.

Pasta twists in a creamy asparagus sauce made with butter, olive oil, half-and-half, and a bouillon cube. A simple Italian-style pasta ready in 40 minutes.

Elegant crescent-shaped chocolate cookies made with cocoa, walnuts, and butter, blended in a food processor and baked low and slow. Six ingredients, twelve moons, zero stress.

Chocolate pizzelle cookies made with cocoa powder, melted butter, and vanilla, pressed on a pizzelle iron. An Italian waffle cookie with a rich chocolate twist.

Kolachky dough made with cream cheese, butter, egg yolks, and flour. An overnight pastry dough that rolls out flaky and tender for filling with fruit or nuts.

Red lentil dahl simmered with turmeric, green chili, and butter-fried onions. A simple vegetarian Indian classic finished with fresh lemon juice.

Falling chocolate cake with raspberry sauce: individual molten-centered chocolate cakes with a cracked top and gooey interior, served with bright raspberry sauce and ice cream.