Recipes with butter

Crispy pan-fried soft-shell crabs dredged in seasoned flour with paprika, garlic, and cayenne, served on toasted buns with Cajun mayo and scallions. A springtime Gulf Coast treat.

Capon of the North: Irish-style braised capon flamed with whiskey, simmered in red wine with bacon and allspice, finished with a silky egg yolk cream sauce.

Pasticcio di Maccheroni, the Greek baked pasta casserole layered with spiced ground beef, macaroni, grated cheese, and a rich béchamel crown.

Pasticcio di Maccheroni, the Greek baked pasta casserole layered with spiced ground beef, macaroni, grated cheese, and a rich béchamel crown.

German apple cake with tender yeast dough topped with cinnamon apples and buttery streusel crumble for a not-too-sweet dessert that's perfect with coffee.

German apple cake with tender yeast dough topped with cinnamon apples and buttery streusel crumble for a not-too-sweet dessert that's perfect with coffee.

Tender rolled sugar cookies made with Neufchatel cheese, brown sugar, and butter-nut flavoring. Cut into shapes and decorate with a simple powdered sugar icing. Great for holidays.

Danish chocolate shortbread cookies shaped into finger-thick ropes, filled with raspberry preserves, and drizzled with melted chocolate. An elegant holiday cookie with a buttery cocoa base.

Mary Jane's brownies melt butter, sugar, and water on the stove, then stir in a full bag of chocolate chips for an intensely fudgy brownie with nuts. So gooey they're best stored in the fridge.

Shrimp and scallops in white wine cream sauce served over rice. A simple seafood main with cornstarch-thickened cream and dry white wine for a crowd-friendly elegant dinner.

Banana double cream pie: blind-baked pastry shell layered with fresh banana slices, silky vanilla pastry cream, and a whipped double cream border. British classic.

Mississippi mud cake with a fudgy cocoa and pecan cake base, melted marshmallow layer, and rich chocolate pecan icing. A three-layer Southern chocolate dessert that's pure indulgence.

Poppy seed chicken casserole with a creamy sour cream and condensed soup sauce under a buttery cracker and poppy seed topping. A Southern potluck classic.

Kolachkes are Polish-American cream cheese cookies: a tender butter-and-cream-cheese dough wrapped around fruit jam, walnut, or sweet cheese filling. Rolled in powdered sugar instead of flour.

Holdermus is a traditional German elderberry mush thickened with milk and flour or a roux, finished with honey and clarified butter. A rustic farmhouse dessert served straight from the skillet with toasted bread cubes.

New Zealand foil-poached salmon steaks chilled in their own jelled juices, then served cold under warm Hollandaise. Traditional Kiwi method with butter, lemon, and salt. Pairs with mint potatoes and peas.