Recipes with butter

Tangy potted cheese spread with sharp cheddar, port wine, caraway seeds, mustard, and Worcestershire topped with walnuts. A make-ahead British-style appetizer for crackers or Melba toast.

Buttermilk pecan fruitcake made with dried pears and toasted pecans instead of the usual neon candied fruit. Buttermilk keeps the crumb tender, beaten egg whites give it lift. A gift-worthy Christmas loaf.

Pina colada pie layers pineapple sorbet over a macadamia-coconut crust, then crowns with rum-spiked coconut frozen yogurt and fresh pineapple. Frozen tropical cocktail in pie form.

Secret kiss cookies hide a whole chocolate kiss inside a buttery, walnut-flecked shortbread, baked until just set and rolled in powdered sugar. Bite in and the soft chocolate center is the surprise. A Christmas cookie tin favorite.

Classic lamb shepherd's pie with diced cooked lamb, peas, and gravy under a buttery mashed potato crust. A straightforward British comfort dish that uses leftover roast lamb.

Sauteed pork chops with a rich pan sauce of shallots, white wine, Dijon mustard, and julienned sour pickles. A French-inspired weeknight dinner for two.

Killer brownies with six ounces of unsweetened chocolate, dark corn syrup, two cups of walnuts, and a hint of almond extract. Dense, fudgy, and intensely chocolatey.

Mocha nut butter balls: melt-in-your-mouth Russian tea cake-style cookies upgraded with cocoa, instant coffee, and toasted walnuts. Rolled in powdered sugar while warm for the signature snowy coat.

Dandelion soup made with fresh dandelion flowers simmered in a buttery roux-based milk broth with thyme, celery seed, and bay leaf. A creamy, foraged flower soup with earthy herbal flavor.

Three-layer ribbon cookies with cherry, chocolate, and poppy seed stripes pressed into a loaf pan, chilled overnight, then sliced and baked. Bakery-window prettiness from a single dough. The classic icebox cookie for holiday tins.

Brioche bread bakes into rich, eggy, butter-laden French rolls with a tender crumb and signature topknot. Six eggs and a pound and a half of butter folded in slowly build the silky dough. Classic brioche a tete shape from a coffee cup mold.

Salmon rosti layers a crispy two-potato cake of cold mashed and raw shredded potato, topped with canned salmon and melted cheddar. A thrifty British-style supper baked in one dish.

Three-green pasta with scallops and pesto sauce: fettuccine tossed with seared sea scallops, asparagus, green beans, peas, pesto, and cream. A quick spring pasta for six ready in 40 minutes.

Creamy microwave fudge made with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and evaporated milk. Cooked to soft-ball stage in the microwave for a smooth, rich homemade candy.

Timing Tip: Can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Decorate up to 8 hours ahead. Calorie Trimmer: Use reduced-calorie margarine, vanilla nonfat frozen dessert instead of the ice cream and 2 cups thawed frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping for garnish.

Asparagus Maltaise with classic French sauce maltaise - a hollandaise finished with fresh orange juice and orange zest. Rich, bright, and far more interesting than plain butter.