Buttery old-fashioned tea muffins studded with plump raisins, lightly sweetened and baked until golden. A quick, simple teatime treat with a tender crumb that pairs beautifully with jam, clotted cream, or a hot cup of Earl Grey.
Pfeffernüsse-style German spice cookies with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, and allspice, finished with a drop of brandy before baking. A traditional holiday cookie that keeps for weeks in a tin.
Grandma Hilda's apple pie: an old-world sheet-pan apple pie with a tender egg-rich dough, piled with grated apples, brown sugar, and a cinnamon-sugar crust on top.
Orangenplätzchen: German orange chocolate cookies with bright citrus zest, finely chopped chocolate folded into the dough, and a tart orange-lemon glaze brushed on warm. A traditional Weihnachtsplätzchen for Christmas tins.
Pizza dough a la Spago, the Wolfgang Puck Spago restaurant recipe with honey, olive oil, and a quick warm rise. Makes 4 individual crusts ready for the oven or wood-fired grill.
Homemade Twinkle cake rolls with a fluffy vanilla cream filling made from butter, shortening, and evaporated milk. Bake in a sheet pan or potato tins, split, fill, and roll for a fun copycat treat.
Spiced applesauce cookies with cinnamon and cloves bake into soft, cake-like drops sweetened with thick unsweetened applesauce. Makes 3 dozen tender old-fashioned cookies in 30 minutes.
Devil's food cake bakes a deep cocoa layer cake with a separated-egg method for extra lift, then tops it with classic boiled chocolate fudge frosting. A tall, old-fashioned chocolate showstopper.
Old-fashioned strawberry shortcake biscuits made with shortening, folded with melted butter, and cut into diamonds. Flaky, tender, and baked at high heat.
Lemon yogurt muffins: tender yogurt-based muffins with fresh lemon zest, soaked in a sweet-tart lemon syrup for intense citrus flavor. Bakery-style muffins with a bright finish.
Raspberry poppy seed cookies are tender butter thumbprints studded with crunchy poppy seeds and filled with jewel-bright raspberry preserves. A bakery-style classic with two textures in every bite.
Buttery brown sugar shortbread cut into triangles, topped with a glossy chocolate dollop and a crunchy shower of toffee bits. Makes 8 dozen bite-sized treats for holiday platters.
Individual fruit crumbles baked in ramekins with a crunchy oat, almond, and brown sugar topping. Use any fresh or frozen fruit you have on hand for a lighter, healthier dessert in under 40 minutes.
Homemade beet pasta dough with a stunning ruby-red color from fresh beet puree. Just four ingredients, no eggs, and endlessly versatile for any pasta shape you want to roll.
This old-fashioned egg drop soup drizzles a thin batter through a colander into rich beef broth, creating tender, wispy noodle-like strands in minutes. A frugal, warming bowl that stretches pantry staples into something special.
Stuffed green olives wrapped in a sharp cheddar dough with paprika and cayenne, then baked until golden and puffy. Bite-sized, salty, cheesy, and gone in seconds at any party.