902 light recipes

Traditional fruitcake studded with dates, figs, candied citron, pecans, and brandy-soaked fruits becomes a family heirloom recipe worth making.

Company apple pie is a three-pie batch showstopper with a sugar crust, lemony apple filling, caramel sauce stripes, cream cheese topping, and chopped walnuts. Built to feed a crowd.

From-scratch devil's food cake with boiling water for intense chocolate depth, topped with a fudge frosting made from melted semi-sweet chocolate and butter.

Loaded drop cookies packed with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, oatmeal, nuts, and candy-coated chocolates on top. These kitchen sink cookies have everything but the sink.

Sweet corn and sharp cheddar chowder with potatoes, half-and-half, and a dry mustard kick. Creamy, hearty, and ready in one pot for a weeknight dinner.

Rolled lasagna noodles stuffed with seasoned chicken, spinach and mushrooms, smothered in a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce and broiled until golden. A make-ahead Italian comfort classic.

Classic pecan pie loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, baked low and slow until golden and set. Garnished with chocolate-dipped pecans and whipped cream.

Scandinavian-style meatball cakes made from ground veal and pork with cream and eggs, served alongside beer rice cooked in French onion soup. A hearty, pub-inspired dinner.

Chocolate mint cookie sandwiches stack slice-and-bake chocolate rounds around a cool mint buttercream, then dip half in semisweet chocolate glaze.

Slow-simmered Italian pizza sauce built on canned plum tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, basil and tarragon. A balanced, herb-forward sauce that gets even better after an overnight chill in the fridge.

Herbed zucchini-pea soup blends tender zucchini and shelled green peas with parsley, oregano, chervil, a touch of horseradish, and half-and-half. A chilled summer soup with a sneaky sharp finish.

Brandy-spiked pumpkin cheesecake on a buttery pecan crust with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and mace. A rich, spiced holiday dessert worth the overnight chill.

Orange spice muffins with whole wheat flour, sour cream, fresh orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Topped with cinnamon sugar for a warmly spiced holiday breakfast.

Whole wheat carrot spice bread with oats, dates, and warm cinnamon-ginger spice. A hearty, low-fat quick bread made with applesauce and egg whites instead of butter or oil.

Chocolate cherry cookies with a whole maraschino cherry hidden inside each cocoa cookie, drizzled with melted chocolate icing. A cherry cordial in cookie form.

PBO snackers: peanut butter oatmeal cookies with cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate chips. Chewy-centered, crisp-edged lunchbox classics that bake up in 15 minutes flat.