Recipes with sugar

Cinnamon rolls with walnuts and raisins, finished with an orange-vanilla-almond icing. Big-batch recipe yields 40 rolls for crowds, brunches, or freezer stashing.

Authentic hot and sour soup with shredded pork, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, and bean curd in a tangy black-pepper-and-vinegar broth. The Sichuan-style takeout classic, made from scratch.

Lemon Snow Jello with cream cheese, crushed pineapple, and whipped evaporated milk folded into lemon Jello. A fluffy, creamy retro gelatin salad topped with chopped nuts.

Old-fashioned blackberry cobbler topped with a buttery shortening-and-cream pastry crust. Hot berry filling pre-bakes briefly before the pastry top goes on for a crisp, golden finish.

Fig fruit cake with dried figs, candied cherries, pineapple, walnuts, brandy, and unsweetened chocolate. A spiced holiday loaf baked low and slow for dense, sliceable richness.

Irmik helvasi: Turkish semolina halva infused with saffron milk, butter-toasted pistachios, and sweetened with sugar. A warm, fragrant dessert ready in 30 minutes.

Zuleika cake is a flourless almond cake with a tender, macaroon-like base crowned with a rich cooked egg yolk cream and toasted almonds. Naturally gluten-free and best made a day ahead.

A Cajun-style party punch made with Louisiana chicory coffee, bourbon, beaten eggs, and scoops of vanilla and coffee ice cream. Rich, boozy, and ready in 15 minutes flat.

Lighter cocoa oatmeal cookies made with egg whites and nonfat yogurt instead of whole eggs and butter. Studded with mini chocolate chips and chewy with 3 cups of quick oats. Makes a whopping 66 cookies.

Make-ahead chocolate chip cookie dough that keeps in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. Sour cream keeps them soft and chewy, pecans add crunch, and you can bake a fresh batch whenever the craving hits.

Light almond sponge cake layers stack with blueberry ricotta filling and whipped cream, then get crowned with fresh berries for a patriotic red, white, and blue celebration dessert.

Carthusian dumplings (Kartaeuserkloesse) transform stale kaiser rolls into sweet, deep-fried dumplings soaked in lemony custard, breaded, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. A German classic.

A spiced sheet cake packed with grated carrots, mashed bananas, toasted coconut, and pecans. Warm cloves and mace set it apart from ordinary carrot cake. Cuts into 24 squares and freezes well.

Homemade cereal waffles with multi-grain cereal and chopped raisins baked right into the batter. Crispy, hearty, and on the table in 30 minutes for a weekend breakfast.

Poached pears in mint sugar syrup served chilled with chocolate morsels. An elegant, light dessert with fresh mint-infused fruit and a simple chocolate garnish.

Russian black bread for the bread machine: a dense, dark rye loaf colored and flavored with cocoa, instant coffee, vinegar, and caraway seeds. The hearty Slavic bread that pairs perfectly with smoked fish or hearty soups.