Sambusak (Sephardic stuffed pastries) with a yeasted anise-scented dough filled with spiced ground beef, deep-fried to golden. A traditional Jewish meat pastry for holidays and gatherings.
A legendary British sticky toffee pudding: moist date sponge soaked in buttery brown sugar toffee sauce, grilled until caramelized, and served warm with whipped cream. Pure indulgence for 12.
A reduced sugar banana bread, great for if you're looking to cut down on the amount of sugar compared to traditional banana bread recipes.
A curried Bechamel sauce works very well as a topping for many steamed or cooked vegetables.
Guava chiffon pie with a flaky butter-and-shortening crust and a cloud-light tropical filling of guava juice, gelatin, and folded meringue. Topped with sweetened whipped cream and fresh guava slices.
Herman chocolate chip cookies, hearty and loaded with oats, peanuts, and chocolate chips, made with tangy Herman sourdough starter. A clever, chewy way to use up your friendship starter.
Thick-cut pork chops browned in a skillet, then baked under a blanket of golden onions and rich sage-beef gravy. Creole comfort food that begs for a pile of mashed potatoes.
Canadian cheddar cheese soup made with sharp cheddar, cream, dry mustard, and nutmeg. Smooth, creamy, and rich with an option to add beer for extra depth.
Osage fry bread, a Native American skillet bread cut into diamonds and fried until pillowy and golden. Crisp blistered exterior with a tender, pull-apart interior for tacos, honey, or powdered sugar.
A depression era soda bread reicip when many ingredients were in short supply.
Apple nut bread with brown sugar, cinnamon, sour milk, and a butter-sugar crunch topping. A moist quick bread loaded with diced apples and chopped nuts.
Kalakukko: a traditional Finnish rye-crusted fish pie with pork and small whole fish sealed inside a dense rye dough, slow-baked for hours. A Savonian heirloom and Easter specialty.
Classic Kiwi toheroa fritters in a light beer batter with a hint of curry warmth. Minced shellfish, onion, and egg fried to a golden crisp. A cherished New Zealand recipe built around one of the rarest clams on earth.
Lake Highlands rock cake: layers of genoise-style chocolate sponge, crisp cocoa meringue, rum syrup, and rich chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream. A showstopper dessert.
Mandarin orange muffins spiced with allspice and nutmeg, dipped warm in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Tender and citrusy with bursts of orange in every bite.
Classic veal francaise with egg-dipped cutlets sautéed in butter, then simmered in a bright lemon, white wine, and chicken broth sauce. Italian-American comfort at its finest, ready in 40 minutes.
Mincemeat oatmeal cookies: chewy spiced drop cookies that pack the entire flavor of a Christmas mince pie into a hand-held bite. Brown sugar, molasses, oats, and a generous spoonful of mincemeat per cookie.
Carrot cake layered with grated carrots, crushed pineapple, walnuts, coconut, and raisins, topped with orange-scented cream cheese frosting. Three layers of moist, spiced cake that gets better overnight.
Old-fashioned mincemeat drop cookies with a simple shortening-sugar dough and a full cup of prepared mincemeat. Fruity, spiced, and ready to bake in minutes.
A buttery, brown sugar tube cake loaded with four cups of chopped pecans and a hint of coffee. Baked low and slow for a tender crumb that's pure East Texas pride.
No-cholesterol apple cake with shredded apples, whole wheat flour, oat bran, and egg whites instead of whole eggs. A heart-healthy sheet cake with warm cinnamon spice and zero cholesterol.
An old Welsh steamed carrot pudding -- This is a good steamed pudding, despite the list of ingredients that are "good for you". The sauce (following the recipe) is not a necessity for good taste, only for authenticity, although I LIKE it with the sauce.
Old-fashioned soft molasses cookies spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, topped with a shiny boiled gelatin frosting. Makes 4 dozen from an overnight chilled dough.
Creamy green olive soup with pureed olives, sauteed onion and garlic, chicken broth, sherry, and a hit of Tabasco. A briny, elegant first-course soup with garlic crouton garnish.
My Italian husband uses this filling to make tortellini at home, and it's by far the most delicious filling. He does change the meat around, and we love them all! It's freezer friendly, so we usually make a bunch.
Individual fruitcake cupcakes studded with dates, golden raisins, pecans, and citrus zest, soaked in brandy and topped with a pineapple chunk. Just 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in the whole batch. Diabetic-friendly holiday baking at its finest.
Had this with cracked wheat bread. What a great meal!!
Barbadians make Black Cake for weddings, birthdays and at Christimas time. Indeed, no Christmas holiday is felt to be complete without black Cake. People from many of the islands make a similar cake. This Black Cake derived from the British Plum Pudding which is a must on their Christmas menu.
Ground beef browns with onions and garlic, then smothers in a smooth white sauce spiked with black pepper and cayenne. Spoon it over buttery mashed potatoes for pure comfort food satisfaction.
Hearty vegetarian TVP burgers: textured vegetable protein soaked in seasoned broth, mixed with sauteed onion and spices, and pan-fried into savory patties. A high-protein, budget-friendly meatless burger.
A delicious recipe to bake apples into a juicy dessert. Have one or two scoop after your main course to finish the meal without worrying about too many calories.
A no-fuss bread machine sourdough that actually delivers tangy, crusty results. Just dump sourdough starter, bread flour, yeast, and a few pantry staples into the machine and let it work. Use the quick cycle for the best rise.
Oatmeal raisin bread for the bread machine, sweetened with honey and warmed with cinnamon. A whole-grain loaf with chewy oats, plump raisins, and a tender crumb that makes great breakfast toast.
Traditional Irish oatcakes made with just oatmeal, flour, salt, and water. Griddle-cooked then oven-crisped, these sturdy flatbreads pair with butter, cheese, or smoked fish.
Chicken scrapple is a Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast classic, made with shredded chicken simmered into a savory cornmeal mush, chilled in a loaf pan, then sliced and pan-fried until crispy.
Old-fashioned sour milk jumbles cut with a doughnut cutter and sprinkled with sugar straight from the oven. Buttermilk and nutmeg give these ring-shaped cookies a tender crumb and warm spice.
Diabetic-friendly yellow cake made with sugar substitute, egg whites, and a fluffy seven-minute frosting. A lower-sugar birthday cake with tender crumb and pillowy frosted top.
Classic buttermilk spice cake with cinnamon, cloves, and a pinch of black pepper. A vintage McCall's recipe with brown and white sugar for deep, warm flavor.
Emily Dickinson's black cake, a dense Victorian fruitcake with brandy, molasses, raisins, currants, and citron spiced with cloves, mace, and cinnamon. Baked low and slow.
Finska Pinnar are classic Finnish butter cookies rolled in pearl sugar - crisp, buttery shortbread fingers made in 30 minutes that yield 4 dozen cookies.
Light and fluffy Christmas snowball cookies. Lighter and lower fat than most Christmas cookies and faster to make (no need to refrigerate overnight).
It's a fun thing to make your own phyllo pastry, it may requires some patience, but it's well worth the efforts.
Microwave mushroom sauce: a creamy bechamel-style sauce built start to finish in the microwave with sliced mushrooms, butter, broth, and half-and-half. Ready in 15 minutes, no stovetop needed.
Sauce Aurore (Aurora sauce) made from a silky bechamel base with tomato paste stirred in for a blush-pink French classic. Seven ingredients, one saucepan, about 15 minutes.
Mrs Fields apple cobbler cookies loaded with chopped Granny Smith apples, apple butter, raisins, and pecans, rolled in a cinnamon-oat crumb coating. Fall baking at its finest.
Giant pumpkin-shaped cookies with real pumpkin puree, oats, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. A fun fall baking project that's soft, spiced, and ready to decorate.
This deluxe cheesecake is so rich and creamy, no need to much, just one slice is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Simple apple dessert bars with cinnamon-spiced apple slices beneath a thick oatmeal-brown sugar crumble topping that bakes into chewy, buttery goodness.