Recipes with light cream (half&half)

Shirred eggs baked in bacon-lined muffin cups with dry sherry and cream, served on toasted English muffins. An elegant 30-minute brunch that looks fancy but couldn't be easier.

Layered banana yogurt cake with toasted coconut, banana syrup, creamy pecan filling, and white snow frosting. A showpiece layer cake with three homemade components.

Mushroom caps stuffed with a savory filling of sautéed stems, onions, clam juice, sautérne wine, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan, baked until golden and bubbling.

This is the best Monte Cristo sandwich in the world... and I don't just mean Disneyworld. It seems complicated but believe me..it is well worth the effort. Make each item in the order given. The Currant Jelly Sauce and the Fruit Compote go alongside.

Chilled Spanish-style cantaloupe soup blended with potato, half and half, and dry sherry. Silky, elegant, and ready in 15 minutes. Garnish with nutmeg or a slice of lime.

Rigatoni quattro formaggi with Gorgonzola, Bel Paese, Fontina, and Parmesan in a half-and-half sauce. The classic Italian four-cheese pasta in 25 minutes.

Bite-sized crab quiche squares with Gouda, dill, and a press-in shortening crust. Freezer-friendly and perfect for party platters, brunch spreads, or make-ahead entertaining.

Frozen angel pie with a nutty meringue shell filled with coffee and chocolate ice cream, drizzled with warm brown sugar caramel sauce. A retro showstopper.

Marbled pumpkin cheesecake squares swirl a tangy cream cheese topping into a spiced pumpkin batter built with prune puree instead of butter or oil. Lower-fat fall dessert with cinnamon, ginger and clove.

New England-style fish and clam chowder with fresh corn, potatoes, pork fat, white wine, and light cream. Loaded with herbs like thyme, sage, marjoram, and rosemary.

Austrian Wiener Schnitzel seasoned with Worcestershire, mustard, and Parmesan, then breaded and pan-fried in butter. Served with a velvety tomato-cream sauce that steals the show.

Here's a recipe for pumpkin soup. It comes from Jon Gatewood, the executive chef of Emma's restaurant in the Silas Griffith Inn in Danby, Vermont.

An unexpected chilled soup featuring black olives simmered in chicken stock with cream, egg, dry sherry, and a dash of steak sauce. Briny, creamy, and utterly sophisticated.

A retro layered casserole with crunchy corn chips, Monterey Jack, and a spiced tomato-chili sauce bound with an egg and cream custard. Topped with sour cream and melted cheddar for a rich, bubbly vegetarian bake.

Silky chocolate custard pie spiked with Courvoisier cognac, topped with cognac-laced whipped cream and chocolate shavings. A no-bake filling that chills to velvety perfection in a flaky pre-baked crust.

Red, white, and blue salad layers raspberry Jell-O, a creamy half-and-half cream cheese middle, and black raspberry Jell-O studded with blueberries. A patriotic potluck dessert for the Fourth of July.