Recipes with water

Chocolate chip sandwich cookies filled and partly dipped in melted chocolate coating, then sprinkled with chopped almonds. A semi-homemade cookie upgrade from a basic mix.

Reduced-sugar chocolate cake uses egg substitute, margarine, and nonfat dry milk for a lighter tender cake. Cake flour gives a fine crumb in a 9-inch pan, cut into 16 modest squares.

Couscous with red peppers, onion, garlic, and cumin finished with lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh parsley. A quick side dish ready in 30 minutes.

Denver grainlette is a vegan twist on the diner omelet, combining cooked lentil-grain mix with tomatoes, bell pepper, scallion, and mushrooms in a quick skillet sauté. Egg-free and hearty.

Simple onion soup with cheese toast, made from tender-cooked onions simmered in milk with butter. A creamy, old-fashioned take on onion soup ready in just 20 minutes.

Curried lentils and rice with just 5 ingredients. Onions and curry powder simmer with lentils for two hours until thick and saucy, then get spooned over steamed rice.

Red lentil dal with cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger, green chili, and lemon. A warming, naturally vegan lentil stew with Indian-inspired spices.

Rich chocolate cake made with melted unsweetened chocolate, sour cream, brown sugar, and boiling water. Deeply fudgy, tender, and best served with whipped cream.

Slow-cooker smoked ham simmered in port wine and broth with plump golden raisins. An easy hands-off holiday main with rich, fruity depth.

King Arthur pizza dough recipe yields crackling-crisp crust with a chewy middle. Classic hand-kneaded yeast dough for homemade pizza night, makes three to four 12-inch pies.

Traditional Jewish cheese blintzes with thin, eggy crepes wrapped around a sweetened cottage cheese filling, pan-fried in butter until golden. Freezer-friendly.

Old-fashioned Pennsylvania nut cookies with walnuts, raisins, and currants in a buttery cinnamon drop cookie dough. A heritage recipe with warm spice and chewy dried fruit in every bite.

Sesame curried walnuts toasted in sesame oil with curry powder, sesame seeds, and a lemon-hot sauce glaze. An addictive spiced nut snack or cocktail party appetizer.

Vegan orange chocolate mousse made with silken tofu, cocoa powder, brown rice syrup, and orange zest. Dairy-free, egg-free, and ready in 10 minutes plus chilling.

Harvest focaccia studded with golden raisins, fresh grapes, and rosemary, finished with a sprinkle of sugar and salt. A sweet-savory Italian flatbread for fall.

Sky-high lemon meringue pie crowned with coconut chips. Tall lemon-extract-spiked meringue, glossy lemon curd filling, and a flaky stand-up edge make this a showstopping classic.