Recipes with spices

Apricot white chocolate muffins with cinnamon-poached apricots, nutmeg, and good quality white chocolate. The poaching liquid adds apricot flavor right into the batter.

Low-fat apple oat crisp with applesauce in the filling and a whole wheat oat topping with just a tablespoon of margarine. Only 85 calories per serving.

Irish barmbrack is a traditional yeasted fruit bread studded with raisins, currants, allspice, and lemon zest. Soft, lightly sweet loaves often baked for Halloween and All Saints' Day.

Low-calorie carrot cake sweetened with fructose instead of sugar, loaded with grated carrots and pecans, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. A diabetic-friendly tube cake with less sugar.

Jerk chicken: chicken parts marinated for 24 hours in a fiery Jamaican paste of scotch bonnets, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, and lime, then grilled over charcoal until the skin crackles. Island fire at its finest.

Homemade Mexican chorizo with ground pork shoulder, ancho chile powder, cumin, coriander, fresh oregano, and vinegar. No casing needed, ready overnight.

Plain basic chili, a Texas-style chili con carne made with cubed beef, not ground, simmered low in chili powder, beef broth, and crushed tomatoes until fork-tender. No beans, no filler, just rich, beefy chili.

Curried eggplant strudel wrapped in crispy phyllo with saffron, cumin, peanuts, and tomatoes. Baked golden and served with cool yogurt. A stunning Indian-meets-Viennese fusion.

A staple at English boarding schools, these individual cakes are served with afternoon tea. They don't keep well; after a day they take on the characteristics of "rocks".

Cherry almond glazed pork loin roasted low and slow, then finished with a spiced cherry preserves glaze of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and toasted almonds. A show-stopping holiday roast.

Chocolate zucchini tube cake using a cake mix hack with shredded zucchini folded in for extra moisture. Topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped nuts.

Old-fashioned oatmeal raisin cookies with walnuts, warm cinnamon and clove, and sour milk for tenderness. Crisp golden edges, soft chewy centers, and the kind of nostalgic flavor that beats any bakery version.

Tuna chili Texas-style with kidney beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, and red wine vinegar. A quick microwave chili that swaps ground beef for canned tuna.

Carrot zucchini cake with shredded coconut and cinnamon, topped with orange cream cheese frosting. Moist from grated vegetables and oil, no butter in the batter.

Try something new for lunch with this scrumptious dish that will start a fiesta in your tummy!

Apple brownies with fresh chopped apples, cinnamon, and nuts baked into a dense, chewy bar. No chocolate here. The apples release moisture as they bake, creating that signature chewy, blondie-like texture.

Sweet potato pecan pie: a layer of spiced sweet potato custard topped with classic pecan filling, served with a bourbon-spiked vanilla cream sauce. The ultimate Southern Thanksgiving pie.

Golden raisin bread with bread flour, whole wheat, wheat germ, cinnamon, and ginger. Bread machine dough that can be baked in the machine or shaped into two loaves by hand.

German-style red beet salad marinated in vinegar, caraway seeds, horseradish, and cloves. Tangy, earthy, and best after soaking for several hours.

Chocolate pumpkin layer cake with a warm brown-sugar frosting that sets to a fudgy crust. Cocoa and pumpkin pie spice make this two-layer cake rich, moist, and irresistible for fall baking.

Cinnamon Zucchini Raisin Bread: a double-spiced loaf with cinnamon, nutmeg, plump raisins, and chopped nuts folded through tender zucchini batter. Two-loaf yield for sharing.

Homemade salt substitute blend of basil, savory, celery seed, cumin, sage, thyme, and marjoram. A pungent, sodium-free seasoning for low-sodium diets that adds real flavor.

Overnight apple French toast assembled the night before and baked in the morning. Caramelized brown sugar and Granny Smith apples on the bottom, custard-soaked bread on top, served with a warm apple-cinnamon syrup.

Maraschino pecan bread for the bread machine studded with cherries, raisins, pecans, and sunflower seeds, spiced with cinnamon and ginger. A festive, fruit-and-nut loaf.

Steel Trolley Diner's Fresh Apple Crumb Pie recipe

Classic New York cheesecake with graham cracker crust. Cream cheese beaten for 30 minutes until impossibly smooth, with folded egg whites for airy texture.

A nice change from oatmeal. Also good with dried cranberries. The ingredient Wizard did not recognize powdered milk, so entered it as "milk" with "nonfat dry powder" in the preparation line.

Try these fruit cake bars instead of fruit bread, they are very handy and delicious, also they are great gifts at Thanksgiving or Christmas!

Skip the pastry and make this easy apple dessert. Tart Granny Smith apples baked under a buttery cake-like batter with cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts.

Slow cooker carrot tea bread bakes a moist cinnamon-spiced loaf with grated carrots and toasted pecans inside the crockpot. A no-oven quick bread for hot weather or busy kitchens.

Soft, spiced drop cookies loaded with chopped fresh apples, raisins, and nuts, then finished with a simple vanilla glaze. An old-fashioned fall cookie with a cake-like bite and warm spice flavor.

Lucknawi dal simmers pink lentils with turmeric and tamarind, then finishes with a sizzling tadka of cumin seeds, fried onion, garlic, ginger, and dried red chili. Sour, smoky, and brothy in the best Awadhi tradition.

Fresh apple spiced cake with cinnamon, allspice, and chopped nuts baked in a loaf or tube pan. A moist, oil-based cake where sugar-macerated apples provide natural sweetness and moisture.

Paper bag apple pie: a vintage baking trick that wraps the whole pie in a brown paper bag during baking. Tender apples, golden streusel top, and an evenly browned crust without scorching.

Gingerbread house dough that bakes rock-solid for sturdy construction. Built with shortening, dark molasses, and a generous hit of cinnamon and ginger. Cuts cleanly, holds shapes, makes 5 walls.

Best candy apple pie: a classic cinnamon-spiced double-crust apple pie crowned with a bubbling brown sugar, cream, and pecan caramel poured right over the top. Apple pie meets pecan praline.

Yucatan-style grilled shrimp marinated in achiote paste, orange juice, garlic, and warm spices. Smoky, tangy, and shockingly easy once the marinade does its work.

Microwave crumble coffee cake with a cinnamon-brown sugar streusel topping and melted butter finish. Soft, tender cake ready in under 10 minutes of cook time.

Old-fashioned 14-day sweet pickles using small cucumbers, brined and gradually sweetened in cinnamon-celery seed syrup. Heritage canning recipe with crisp results.

Spiced peach nut bread with canned peaches (or apricots), warm cloves, raisins, and chopped nuts. A moist quick bread loaf using the canning syrup as part of the liquid for extra flavor.

Tender chicken thighs simmered in aromatic spices with garlic, turmeric, cumin, and Thai chilies. This easy one-pan recipe takes 35 minutes and delivers bold, warming flavors with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Hot spiced punch made in a coffee percolator with cranberry juice, apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Fill the house with the smell of the holidays in 20 minutes.

Rich spiced cake with cookie-crisp edges and a moist, chewy center loaded with apples, nuts, and brandy. Stiff dough bakes into bars with crunchy tops and brownie-soft middles.

Maple apple spice cake with pure maple syrup, chopped apples, and cinnamon topped with cream cheese frosting. A moist, nutty fall cake baked in a 9-inch square pan.

Baked pumpkin empanadas with a brandy-laced pastry dough and spiced pumpkin-brown sugar filling, finished with cinnamon sugar. A Mexican-Californian fall dessert pastry.

Cream cheese and mascarpone cheese makes this creamy and silky cheesecake, rhubarb and strawberry glaze adds the sweet and sour crunch, and the chocolate covered strawberries gives extra surprise. There are so many delicious things going on all at once, it's such a deluxe luxury!

Polvorones: traditional Mexican pecan cookies made with butter and lard, spiced with cinnamon and anise seed. Sandy, crumbly, and sugar-coated.

Raan masaledar: whole leg of lamb marinated 24 hours in a yogurt-almond-chili paste with garam masala, then slow-roasted and garnished with sultanas and almonds.