Recipes with butter

Sole fillets rolled around crab, baked under a classic Mornay sauce with sauteed mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Make-ahead elegant seafood casserole.

Microwave cheese casserole layered with corn chips, green chili tomato sauce, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. A Tex-Mex style layered casserole ready in about 40 minutes.

New England clam chowder made the proper way with whole clams steamed open, salt pork rendered, and a milk-flour finish whisked in at the end. Pennsylvania-style chowder with a creamy thick body.

Whole chicken roasted French-style in a covered casserole with sherry, baby onions, and potatoes. The herb-stuffed cavity perfumes the bird while pan juices reduce into a thin gravy.

Fried rabbit simmered first in salted water with peppercorns and bay leaves until tender, then dredged in flour and pan-fried in butter until golden. A two-step method for crispy, juicy rabbit.

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.

Baked apple pancake made with beer batter, beaten egg whites, Granny Smith apples, and cinnamon-brown sugar. A puffy, oven-baked skillet pancake that rises golden and dramatic.