40 wood ear recipes

Gold medal caramel bars layer a chocolate cake mix base with caramel topping and chocolate chips, then crumbled cake mix streusel. Four-ingredient potluck bars for the cookie swap.

Double-crust pear and cranberry pie with a cranberry juice glaze drizzled on top. Tart cranberries balance sweet pears in a cornstarch-thickened filling.

Swiss gingerbread from Lucerne with pear purée, walnuts, whole wheat flour and a warming mix of star anise, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Traditional Lebkuchen-style holiday bake.

Lightly spiced pear quick bread sweetened with honey and studded with raisins. Moist, tender crumb thanks to applesauce and minimal oil.

Gooey butter pecan bars layered with melted marshmallows, chocolate chips, and coconut on a cake mix crust. A 5-minute prep, no-fuss dessert bar that disappears at every potluck and bake sale.

Vegetarian mincemeat with fresh pears, mixed dried fruit, candied peel, glace cherries, dates, almonds, citrus zest, and whiskey. A meat-free version of the British holiday classic.

Chocolate caramel nut bars with a German chocolate cake-mix crust, melted caramel middle, and chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. A potluck-ready bar cookie you can shortcut with a boxed mix.

Individual rustic fruit tarts with shortcrust pastry, apricot jam glaze, and thinly sliced apples or pears. A French-bistro dessert that bakes in 15 minutes and looks gorgeous.

Golden coconut bars studded with walnuts and raisins, lightly sweetened with maple flavoring. Made with egg substitute for a lighter treat that bakes in 20 minutes.

Dense apricot bars sweetened with maple syrup and loaded with dried apricots, walnuts, and cashews. No eggs, no butter, finished with powdered sugar icing and optional chocolate drizzle.

Three-ingredient toffee cake made with angel food cake, whipped topping, and crushed Skor bars. No baking required, just 10 minutes of prep and an overnight chill for buttery toffee flavor in every slice.

No bake death by chocolate trifle layers devil's food cake, Kahlua, chocolate pudding, crushed Heath bars, and whipped topping. A potluck-ready chocolate dessert in 15 minutes, no oven required.

Treat your family to the smell of cinnamon in the morning with these scrumptious snacks.

Szechwan cucumber salad with wood ear mushrooms, hot chili peppers, and a tangy soy-vinegar-sesame dressing. A crunchy, spicy Chinese cold salad that comes together in 30 minutes.

Traditional Chinese Buddhist vegetarian stir-fry with wood ear mushrooms, lily buds, bean curd, bean thread noodles, and fresh vegetables in dark soy and sesame oil. A Lunar New Year classic.

Mock fish Buddhist: Chinese vegetarian stir-fry with crispy fried potato slices standing in for fish, paired with snow peas and crunchy wood ear mushrooms. Traditional Buddhist temple cuisine with clever meat-free texture play.