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Almond Toffee Cake

A single-layer springform cake finished with a boiled almond-and-butter topping that gets browned under the broiler.

Amie's Margarita Recipe

Pitcher margaritas built on frozen limeade, lemon-lime soda, tequila and a bottle of Corona.

“I prefer diet 7-Up or Sprite, not so sweet, and I usually just fill the limeade can twice from a 2-liter bottle instead of using canned soda.”

Autumn Fruits with Cinnamon Custard

Small pears and lady apples poached briefly in vermouth or cider with star anise, then served under cinnamon custard.

Bang Bang Shrimp

Shrimp dredged in flour and cornstarch and pan-fried, served with a sriracha-mayonnaise dipping sauce.

Berries' Stars

Puff pastry shell filled with a lemon and condensed milk cream, covered in strawberries and blueberries, with baked pastry cutouts on top.

Best Baked Apples

Six cored apples stuffed with cranberries, pecans and oats, browned in a skillet, then baked in maple syrup and cider.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes, each topped before baking with a spoonful of cream cheese batter studded with mini chocolate chips.

BLT Dip

Hot baked dip of bacon, cream cheese and two cheeses, showered with fresh tomato and shredded lettuce right before serving.

Blueberry Bundt Cake

Buttermilk Bundt cake with a cooked blueberry and pectin filling swirled through the batter in two layers.

Cake

Sour cream butter cake with lemon zest, swirled through with a cream cheese filling and baked in a tube pan.

Cake at Cindy Schwaninger's Shower

Torn angel food cake layered in a tube pan with three flavors of Jell-O, fruit and vanilla ice cream, then frozen.

Chili

Ground beef browned with brown sugar, then slow-cooked four to eight hours with chili beans, tomato juice and tomato soup.

Chili Con Queso

Seasoned ground beef folded into melted Velveeta with canned tomatoes and green chilies, served warm with corn chips.

Chili Queso Dip

Three ingredients — canned chili con carne and two kinds of Cheese Whiz — melted together in a crock-pot or fondue pot.

Chocolate Ganache Cake

Three nine-inch layers lightened with beaten egg whites, filled with vanilla buttercream and poured over with a microwave ganache.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

Stovetop custard cooked to 175 degrees, strained over bittersweet chocolate, spiked with coffee and chilled in ramekins until set.

“Deb notes coffee cups work fine in place of ramekins -- about the right size.”

Chocolate Walnut Tart

A chocolate walnut tart: cocoa-walnut crust pressed into a tart pan and par-baked, then filled with melted bittersweet chocolate and baked until just set.

“Serves 12 — but not at the Schwaninger house!!”

Confetti Layer Cake

Three white cake layers with ground rainbow sprinkles in the batter, stacked with tinted vanilla buttercream and sprinkles around the base.

Cream Cheese Brownies

Unsweetened chocolate brownie batter marbled with a sour cream and cream cheese filling, baked in an 8-inch square pan.

Crème Brûlée

Custard baked over raspberries in ramekins, then topped with strained berry puree and sugar and broiled over ice water.

Crispy Baked Potato Fans

Russets sliced into fans, microwaved and roasted at 450, then packed with buttered bread crumbs and two cheeses and broiled.

Five Onion Soup with Scallion and Gruyere Croutons

Yellow onions, red onions, shallots, leeks and scallions caramelized, deglazed with a full bottle of red wine, and simmered in beef stock.

Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake

Two cake-flour layers built on six yolks, buttermilk and melted butter, lightened at the end with separately beaten egg whites.

Four Onion Soup

Yellow onion, red onion, leek and green onions sauteed in butter and simmered in canned beef broth and consomme, finished with Swiss and Parmesan toast.

French Chocolate Cake

Two thin layers made with cornstarch instead of flour, melted chocolate beaten into the yolks and stiff whites folded through.

French Onion Soup

Sliced onions cooked slowly in butter, simmered in canned beef broth with Worcestershire, and ladled over toasted French bread with Parmesan.

French Onion Soup - Best!

Onions cooked for hours in a covered pot, then deglazed with water again and again to build a dark crust before the broths go in.

Frozen Punch Slush

Jell-O and a sugar syrup mixed with lemonade and pineapple juice and frozen, then cut with 7-Up as it is served.

Ham Sandwiches (Hawaiian Baked Ham Sandwiches)

A whole pack of Hawaiian rolls layered with shaved ham and provolone, drizzled with Dijon butter and baked as one slab.

Herb Biscuits

Food-processor biscuits carrying Havarti, Parmesan and cottage cheese, with dill, lemon and a pinch of cayenne.

Lemon Pudding Cakes

Baked in ramekins in a water bath, these separate into a sponge top over a loose lemon pudding layer.

Loaded Cauliflower

Boiled cauliflower bound with mayonnaise and sour cream, mixed with mushrooms, bacon and chives, baked under Colby Jack.

Loaded Cauliflower and Buffalo Chicken Casserole (Lightened Up)

Buffalo-sauced cauliflower roasted, then topped with cubed chicken, cheese and turkey bacon; quantities carry diet-plan portion counts.

Mississippi Mud

A dense cocoa sheet cake with walnuts and coconut, spread with marshmallow cream while it's hot and finished with a cocoa frosting swirled through the marshmallow.

Mocha Layer Cake

Boxed devil's food cake built with brewed coffee instead of water, layered with melted chocolate chips and mocha buttercream, then glazed.

Mocha Punch

Sweetened coffee and chocolate base chilled overnight, then scooped full of vanilla and chocolate ice cream in a punch bowl.

“I did not use the whipped cream or chocolate curls.”

Mochaccino Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes made with brewed coffee and coffee extract, studded with chocolate morsels and topped with coffee buttercream.

Mushroom Crescent Snacks

Pastry crust spread with cream cheese, topped with buttery sauteed mushrooms and Parmesan, baked and cut into small squares.

New York-Style Crumb Cake

Buttermilk cake baked in an 8-inch pan under a thick layer of brown sugar crumbs, dusted with confectioners' sugar to serve.

Pan Dulce

Sweet Mexican rolls raised from a yeast starter, each capped with a cinnamon-sugar butter paste that bakes into a crackled crust.

Parmesan Garlic Dip

Shredded parmesan and Swiss bound with mayonnaise and sharpened with garlic, Tabasco and sliced green olives.

Patti's Cake

Three baked meringue discs stacked with a cocoa-and-instant-coffee Dream Whip filling, finished with chocolate curls.

Pear and Blueberry Crisp

Eight pears and two cups of blueberries under a cut-in brown sugar crumble, baked in a 3-quart dish and served with sweetened whipped cream.

Raspberry Crush Punch

Raspberry Kool-Aid and frozen lemonade concentrate with whole frozen berries, topped with 7-Up just before serving.

Reuben Dip

Corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss and Thousand Island melted into cream cheese in the crock pot, scooped up with pumpernickel.

Rhubarb Dessert

Three layers in a 9x13: a brown sugar shortbread base, a rhubarb custard, and a meringue browned on top.

“Deb's note: I use Pet milk for the cream.”

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

Orange-scented sour cream batter over buttered rhubarb, crumb topping on top, turned out of the pan after baking.

Risotto

Rice toasted in butter and onion, then cooked by adding hot chicken stock a cup at a time, finished with cream and parmesan.

Salmon Party Spread

Canned pink salmon blended into cream cheese with peppers, horseradish and a little liquid smoke, chilled overnight and served on crackers.

Spinach Dip

Crock pot dip built on jarred Alfredo sauce with artichokes, frozen spinach, mozzarella, parmesan and cream cheese.

Strawberry Crepes

The Village Inn version, built from rested crepe batter, whipped cream cheese filling, and strawberries cooked down with lemon and cornstarch.

“This is the recipe for the Village Inn strawberry crepes. (We use the Swedish pancake recipe for the crepes themselves.)”

Texas Trash Warm Bean Dip

Refried beans whipped with cream cheese and sour cream, baked under cheddar and Monterey Jack until browned, and scooped with tortilla chips.

Tomato Soup

Onion cooked down in white wine, then simmered with chicken stock, plum tomatoes and roasted tomatoes, pureed, and finished with thyme and honey.

Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cake

Flourless chocolate cake on the bottom, dark chocolate mousse in the middle, gelatin-set white chocolate mousse on top, all chilled in a springform pan.

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Bundt cake carrying two cups of finely chopped nuts and confectioners' sugar, pulled from the oven while the center is still fudgy, then glazed with ganache.

Vanilla Crème Brûlée

Custard built on cream steeped with vanilla bean ground into sugar, baked in a water bath and torched under a brown sugar crust.

Veggie Dip

Mayonnaise and sour cream whisked with lemon juice, paprika, garlic, parsley and dill for dunking raw vegetables.

White Chili

Shredded chicken simmered with white beans, green chilies, cumin and cayenne, then finished with Monterey jack and sour cream.

Wicked Good Boston Cream Pie

Hot-milk sponge baked in two rounds, filled with vanilla pastry cream and covered with a corn syrup chocolate glaze.

“Cake may be made up to 24 hours before serving - it seems to get better and better in the frig!!”