Recipes with sugar

Celebration rugelach stacks three tiers of cream cheese pastry filled with walnuts, golden raisins, cinnamon, and raspberry preserves into a stunning Hanukkah or holiday centerpiece.

In this recipe, chayote's delicate texture and taste combine with almonds, sugar, brandy, eggs, cream, raisins and sponge cake to make an elegant pudding-like filling for the pale-green shells.

Orange-kissed cheesecake on a chocolate graham cracker crust, made lighter with nonfat cottage cheese and reduced-fat cream cheese. Bright citrus meets dark cocoa in every forkful.

Kalte Ente, a classic German wine punch made with chilled Moselle wine, champagne, lemon, and sugar. An elegant, refreshing punch served ice-cold in a glass bowl.

Pickled rosebuds preserved in white wine vinegar and sugar for one month. A floral, tangy garnish for salads, sandwiches, and cheese boards.

Chinese-style oven-roasted spareribs glazed with hoisin, plum sauce, honey, and soy. Marinated for hours and hung vertically for crispy, lacquered edges you'd swear came from a Chinatown window.

Kiwi health bread packed with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, and caraway in a half whole wheat dough sweetened with honey and molasses. Makes 3 hearty loaves.

Chocolate lovers beware, this dessert is sure to satisfy your tastebuds and keep you in the holiday spirit with a minty taste.

Cold egg noodles tossed in a creamy Sichuan peanut sauce with sesame oil, chili oil, lime, and dark soy, topped with shredded chicken, green beans, scallions, and cilantro. Served at room temperature.

Old-fashioned fruit dessert salad with pineapple chunks, sliced bananas, and marshmallows tossed in a hot custard sauce made from pineapple juice and cream.

This Swiss monastery tart has a cocoa-almond-cinnamon shortcrust filled with raspberry jam and topped with a golden lattice. A rustic European bake with roots in St. Gallen's monastic kitchens.

Pennsylvania Dutch fastnachts (fried doughnuts) made with yeast dough, evaporated milk, nutmeg, and lemon juice, then tossed in cinnamon sugar. A Shrove Tuesday tradition.

Tender marinated beef and crisp asparagus stir-fried with pungent fermented black beans and garlic in a savory cornstarch gravy. A classic Chinese takeout dish made from scratch at home.

Chocolate chip walnut pie with a chewy brown sugar custard, pockets of melted chocolate, and toasted walnuts in a flaky shell. Half cookie, half pie. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Cinnamon bread pudding with raisins and a warm whiskey-yogurt sauce. A lighter take on the Southern classic using skim milk and egg whites without losing any comfort.

Almond paste macaroons studded with coconut and walnuts, piped into rosettes and crowned with candied cherries. Chewy, fragrant Italian-style cookies for the holiday tin.