Recipes with butter

Honey pecan pie sweetened with honey and brown sugar instead of corn syrup, for a softer, more floral filling. A simple six-ingredient classic with a glossy candied top.

Shrimp de Jonghe, a classic Chicago dish of parboiled shrimp baked under a buttery herb and sherry bread crumb crust with tarragon, chervil, and garlic. Bubbly and golden.

Broccoli spears with a homemade Swiss cheese sauce made in the microwave. A quick two-serving vegetable side dish with a creamy, melty cheese topping in 30 minutes.

Texas spoon bread with cornmeal, scalded milk, and beaten egg whites for a light, soufflé-like Southern side dish. Puffs up golden and scoops soft from a baking dish.

Flaky buttermilk biscuits with fresh parsley, chives, and oregano. Cold butter cut into flour creates tall, layered biscuits with an herb-flecked crumb.

Lemon sours are three-layer cookie bars with a buttery shortbread base, coconut-nut filling, and tangy lemon glaze on top. A sweet-tart bar cookie that cuts into neat squares.

Butternut and acorn squash soup with Gruyere cheese and fresh apple slices. Pureed smooth with a roux-thickened broth, then finished with julienned squash for added texture.

Maple butter spread made with just softened butter and maple flavoring. A two-ingredient compound butter for toast, pancakes, waffles, and warm biscuits.

Rich yeast bread loaded with chunks of semi-sweet chocolate and walnut pieces, made with butter, eggs, and a simple batter method. No kneading required. Makes two loaves.

Chocolate sour cream cake built on melted unsweetened chocolate, brown sugar, and a finishing splash of boiling water that blooms the cocoa into deep, fudgy darkness. Tender, moist, old-school layer cake at its honest best.

Mint-chocolate brownies with a fudgy crumb and cool peppermint punch, built from melted mint morsels stirred straight into the batter. Easy one-bowl dessert for the holidays or any day.

Mocha nut rounds are slice-and-bake icebox cookies flavored with instant coffee and semi-sweet chocolate. Edges dipped in milk chocolate, then rolled in chopped pistachios for a striking holiday cookie tray finish.

Orange and lemon chicken breasts marinated in garlic butter and lemon, then grilled and glazed with orange marmalade. A bright citrus chicken that works on grill or in the oven.

White chocolate macadamia nut cookies with buttery, golden edges and a soft center. Chunky white chocolate and halved macadamias in a brown sugar cookie dough.

Chocolate pecan pie with melted German sweet chocolate, toasted pecan halves, and a glossy corn-syrup custard baked into a flaky pie shell. The Southern holiday classic with a cocoa upgrade.

Creamed cucumbers boil cucumbers tender, then toss in a paprika-spiked béchamel of butter, flour, and milk. A vintage Scandinavian-leaning side dish for fish and roast pork.