36 mom recipes

Homemade granola with rolled oats, wheat germ, honey, and raisins. A simple, low-sugar breakfast batch that beats anything in the cereal aisle.

Mom's baklava layers buttery phyllo with a blend of ground almonds and walnuts, soaked in cinnamon-lemon honey syrup. The cool-syrup-over-hot-pastry trick keeps every flaky layer crisp.

Pumpkin layer cake with cooked fresh pumpkin, warm cinnamon, and a tender, moist crumb. A two-layer Thanksgiving and Christmas cake that's lighter than spice cake but just as comforting.

Beef chili with kidney beans, tomato puree, green chiles and a finishing stir of bittersweet chocolate. Mole-inspired depth from cocoa balances the heat. A 1-hour one-pot weeknight dinner.

Dark chocolate, corn syrup, and crunchy walnuts bake into fudgy brownies with crackly tops that taste like Mom's kitchen in every bite.

Spiced banana bread with ginger, allspice, fresh nutmeg, lemon zest, ground almonds, and four mashed ripe bananas. A warmly aromatic loaf that beats plain banana bread by a mile.

Mom's Black Forest cake stacks devils food cake layers soaked in cherry liqueur syrup, layered with kirsch whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and mini chocolate chips. A semi-homemade German classic.

Mom's breakfast berry muffins with blackberries (or blueberries) tossed in flour to keep them suspended. A bakery-style butter-and-egg base produces tender, golden muffins. Makes 16 for the freezer.

Mom's chocolate chip pecan cookies use shortening instead of butter for thicker, chewier cookies that hold their shape, packed with semi-sweet chocolate morsels and toasted pecans throughout.

Mom's peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies bake up with chewy centers, crisp edges and pockets of melted chocolate. A bake-and-share batch of 48.

Mom's mango chutney made with green mangos, raisins, walnuts, brown sugar, and white wine vinegar simmered until thick and jammy. A simple homemade chutney with just 30 minutes of cooking.

Homemade Chex-style snack mix with shredded wheat, Cheerios, pretzels, and peanuts baked with Worcestershire, dill, and garlic salt. Keeps for 6 weeks.

Old-fashioned bourbon fruitcake packed with golden raisins, candied cherries, pineapple, citron, pecans, and coconut. Baked low and slow in a tube pan for rich, dense results.

Mom's Portuguese sweet bread (massa sovada) for the bread machine, with eggs, milk, and butter for a tender, slightly sweet loaf. Three loaf sizes given. Adjust sugar for sweeter or more savory. The classic Easter and holiday bread.

Old-fashioned homemade chili sauce simmered for hours from fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, brown sugar, and warm spices including cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. A classic American canned condiment recipe.

Mom's pumpkin cookies loaded with chocolate chips, chopped maraschino cherries, and cinnamon. Soft, cakey drop cookies with 3 cups of pumpkin for a moist fall treat.