Recipes with sugar

Pinto bean casserole topped with a cayenne-spiked cornmeal pone crust made with yogurt instead of butter. Southern comfort that's hearty, budget-friendly, and nearly vegan.

Sake-marinated tofu pan-fried golden and tossed with rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, garlic, fresh chiles, and soy. A hearty vegetarian stir-fry with serious umami depth.

Fresh banana-pineapple sorbet churned with low-fat yogurt and honey, served in a hollowed-out pineapple shell for a stunning tropical presentation. Light, fruity, and low-fat.

An intensely dark chocolate sheet cake made with strong black coffee and buttermilk, topped with a rich "Hundred Dollar Frosting" of melted chocolate, butter, walnuts, and a surprising touch of lemon juice.

An intensely dark chocolate sheet cake made with strong black coffee and buttermilk, topped with a rich "Hundred Dollar Frosting" of melted chocolate, butter, walnuts, and a surprising touch of lemon juice.

Meaty sausage pizza sauce with browned pork sausage simmered in tomato sauce with oregano, mustard, and garlic. Freezer-friendly and ready in 25 minutes.

Spiced cranberry relish caramelizes sugar, then cooks fresh cranberries with diced orange, lime, raisins, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla bean for a complex holiday relish that improves with time.

Mom's hush puppies made with pancake mix and yellow cornmeal for crispy, golden deep-fried cornbread balls. Just four ingredients and ready in 20 minutes.

Four-layer coconut sour cream cake with a fluffy whipped topping filling and shredded coconut all around. Make-ahead Southern dessert that gets better as it sits.

A no-bake German chocolate cream pie with melted milk chocolate, cream cheese, and whipped topping in a graham cracker crust. Just 10 minutes of hands-on work, then freeze and serve.

Mediterranean grilled chicken salad with broiled chicken, potatoes, mushrooms, and green beans, all marinated in a tarragon-Dijon vinaigrette and arranged as a composed plate.

Rolled animal cookies made from buttery sugar cookie dough with cream, cut into animal shapes and decorated with colored sugar, chocolate sprinkles, and raisins. Great for Christmas tree ornaments.

Soft, fudgy chocolate cookies with cocoa and mini chocolate chips, made with cream cheese for an impossibly chewy texture. Just 8 minutes in the oven and you've got 32 eggless cookies.

Orange custard cookies are mini tartlets with buttery shortbread shells filled with an almond-orange flower water custard, baked in muffin tins. Two dozen elegant bite-sized desserts with a Mediterranean fragrance.

Orange custard cookies are mini tartlets with buttery shortbread shells filled with an almond-orange flower water custard, baked in muffin tins. Two dozen elegant bite-sized desserts with a Mediterranean fragrance.

Peach Melba parfaits with peach-amaretto vanilla ice cream layered with raspberry coulis and fresh berries. Escoffier's classic dessert in parfait form.