Recipes with sugar

Lemon poppy seed bundt cake that starts with yellow cake mix and gets a fresh lemon juice kick, crunchy poppy seeds, and a tangy glaze drizzle. A shortcut bakery cake that tastes from scratch.

Lemon cream and nut cookies, buttery shortbread ovals spread with homemade lemon curd and crowned with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, prunes, rum-soaked raisins, and candied orange. A jewel-box holiday cookie.

Salt-and-pepper spicy shrimp: the classic Cantonese wok-fried shell-on shrimp tossed with garlic, ginger, scallions, chiles, and crunchy peppercorn-salt. Dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

Flourless chocolate cake with crushed amaretti cookies, cocoa, and cream baked in a water bath. A dense, Italian-style loaf cake with almond flavor and a fudgy, custard-like center.

Cranberry nut bread with fresh orange zest, orange juice, and chopped walnuts or pecans. A tart, citrusy quick bread loaf that also works as muffins for holiday breakfasts and gifting.

Santa's Whiskers are festive slice-and-bake cookies with candied cherries and pecans in a buttery dough, rolled in flaked coconut for a snowy, whiskery edge.

Creamy pumpkin pecan pie with toasted pecans pureed into the filling itself, plus heavy cream, dark rum, and warm spices. A decadent twist on traditional pumpkin pie.

Rustic fig tartlets topped with paper-thin prosciutto di Parma, fennel seeds, and extra virgin olive oil. A handmade pastry shell with jammy baked figs and salty cured ham.

Strawberry spread made with fresh strawberries, orange juice, orange zest, and a hint of coriander, set with gelatin. A low-sugar, no-cook jam alternative ready in a few hours.

Whole wheat French toast with orange zest, cinnamon, and vanilla, served with sugar-macerated orange slices and a sprinkle of wheat germ. A lighter brunch option.

Chocolate layer cake stacks three buttermilk chocolate layers with a warm date-and-nut custard filling, then coats the whole thing in fudge frosting. An old-fashioned three-layer showstopper.

Chocolate layer cake stacks three buttermilk chocolate layers with a warm date-and-nut custard filling, then coats the whole thing in fudge frosting. An old-fashioned three-layer showstopper.

Chocolate cinnamon meringue cookies with toasted pecans and cocoa powder. Crisp on the outside, chewy in the center, and naturally gluten-free.

Popcorn fruit cookies made with ground popped corn, cornmeal, dried fruit, and nutmeg. A crunchy, unusual rolled cookie with a satisfying corn-forward crumble.

Sweet-sour braised red cabbage with bacon, apples, cloves, red wine, and wine vinegar. A classic German-style side dish simmered until tender and glossy.

Crushed crackers folded into stiff meringue with pecans create a crispy-chewy crust that bakes into a pie shell, topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.