Recipes with butter

Shrimp risotto with fresh Roma tomatoes and sun-dried tomato pesto stirred into creamy arborio rice. White wine-glazed shrimp spooned on top to finish.

Venison-beef stew combines wild game and beef with potatoes, carrots, celery, and peas in a rich broth. A hearty hunter's stew that simmers low and slow for tender results.

Fig garden party cakes layer sponge cake or lady fingers with a homemade dried-fig filling cooked down with peanut butter, butter, and lemon juice. A vintage tea-table dessert with surprising depth.

Mississippi mud bars layer fudgy pecan-studded brownies under a glossy chocolate frosting and another shower of toasted pecans. Cut into small bars, they yield over four dozen from one 9x13 pan. Southern bake-sale royalty.

Carrot cake cheesecake on a cinnamon graham cracker crust with shredded carrots, raisins, nutmeg, and ginger. Topped with an orange cream cheese glaze.

Classic snickerdoodle cookies: tender soft cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, with the signature cream of tartar tang. Yields five dozen for the cookie tin.

Turkey lasagne with a fresh Roma tomato sauce, ricotta, and Parmesan. Ground turkey browned with red wine and oregano layered between noodles and creamy ricotta.

Cheese and chile squares, a baked appetizer of cottage cheese, Longhorn cheddar and Monterey Jack layered with green chiles and a tabasco-spiked egg custard. Cuts into 24 crowd-ready bites for parties.

Classic Reuben sandwiches with corned beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, and Swiss cheese on buttered rye bread. Broiled or grilled until the cheese melts.

Louisiana crawfish étouffée smothers tender tails in a buttery trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper with a kick of pepper. Serve over hot rice for Cajun country at its finest.

Broiled crab melts on Melba toast rounds with lime, green onion, and hot mustard, topped with bubbling Swiss cheese. A two-bite appetizer for parties, ready in 20 minutes.

Old-fashioned sweet potato pie with brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and vanilla baked in a flaky pie shell. A two-temperature baking method ensures a set, silky custard filling.

Hot fudge pudding cake that creates its own chocolate sauce as it bakes. Cocoa batter topped with sugar and hot water, the oven transforms it into cake over fudge sauce.

Chad and I have enjoyed this salad twice over the summer, when fresh figs were available. It is delicious with any type of green. We didn’t eat a lot of figs growing up, but they’re now on the menu!

Tart apples baked with butter, plumped raisins, and lemon, then crowned with a golden meringue and served warm. An elegant, simple dessert that looks far harder than it is.

Grape tartlets with almond crust, fresh seedless grape halves in shortcrust tartlet shells, glazed with apricot-sherry jam and toasted almonds. An elegant French patisserie-style dessert.