The addition of buttermilk in this ultra-retro dessert keeps it from being too cloying and renders cookie salad totally appropriate for the adult palate. Get the recipe for Buttermilk Cookie Salad »

Crunchy, spicy jalapeño slaw tops this ultra-crisp fried chicken sandwich from Bakesale Betty in Oakland. Get the recipe for Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeño Slaw

Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake

The secret to Nashville’s famous hot chicken is in the layering: The bird is marinated in a spicy buttermilk brine, then dredged with more flour and spice, double-fried, and finally slathered with a fiery butter paste to create a crunchy, peppery coating. One bite into its burnished orange crust reveals first a tangy crunch, and then a deeper, complex spice that leaves a lingering fire behind. Adjust the heat by adding as much—or as little—cayenne as you like.

Rustic sour-milk pancakes make for a delicious breakfast, especially when topped stewed blueberries and maple syrup. Get the recipe for Sour-Milk Griddle Cakes »

This recipe comes courtesy of Jenn Louis, chef-owner of Lincoln and Sunshine Tavern in Portland, Oregon. We featured Louis’ ricotta gnocchi in our April 2015 issue, and we can’t stop making this super-creamy ricotta—to add to gnocchi and everything else—because it’s so easy and so darn good. Get the recipe for Homemade Ricotta »

Glazed Grapefruit Cake

One of the pillars of the Southern breakfast table, buttery biscuits smothered in a sausage-studded white gravy makes a hearty meal any time of day. A hint of cayenne brightens the gravy’s richness, but it’s even better with a dash or two of hot sauce. Get the recipe for Biscuits with Sawmill Gravy »

The famous biscuits from the Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston are sweet, buttery, flaky, and pillowy soft. Get the recipe for Honey Buttermilk Biscuits »

These crisp-fried cornmeal balls are traditionally served alongside fried fish and tartar sauce in the Deep South. Get the recipe for Hush Puppies »

There’s an unwavering appeal to two layers of golden sponge cake sandwiching thick custard, all topped with a glossy layer of chocolate.

Classic banana-nut muffins get a tangy boost from buttermilk and a hearty dose of oatmeal for a nutritionally-packed lunchbox (or breakfast) treat.

These donuts puff up visibly when they are ready to be removed from the frying oil. Get the recipe for Devil’s Food Donuts

With a dense, moist interior and slight crunch of an old-fashioned cake donut on the outside, you won’t miss the flour in these rich chocolate donuts. Get the recipe for Gluten-Free Chocolate Donuts with Zebra Glaze »

This rustic whole wheat brown bread is sweetened with molasses and loaded with almonds and diverse seeds. Dense and nutty, it’s delicious smeared with sweet butter or as the basis for an open-face sandwich topped with sharp cheese, cucumber, and a juicy slice of tomato.

Thick Italian meringue is sandwiched between moist layers of cake, which is topped off with sweetened shredded coconut in this recipe from chef Thomas Keller.

This dressing is the perfect accompaniment to roast turkey. Rather than cooking it in the bird, cook it in a baking dish or cast-iron skillet and serve it on the side. Get the recipe for Cornbread Dressing »

Pecan Cream Cake

Grains of cooked farro add substance and nuttiness to this moist, honey and brown sugar-sweetened quick bread. Get the recipe for Cranberry Farro Quick Bread »

Poppy seeds lend their toasty aroma to a creamy pasta dish based on one served by chef Matthew Accarrino at SPQR in San Francisco. Get the recipe for Tagliatelle with Poppy Seeds and Prosciutto »

Eva Powell, a former elementary-school librarian in Mitchell, Indiana, has won the town’s pudding contest five times with her recipe for persimmon pudding with a crispy, cake-like crust.

Chicken and Dumplings

Fried Chicken Livers

This decadent triple-layer dessert takes its name from German’s Sweet Chocolate, a product that’s not German at all: the versatile baking chocolate was created by an American baker named Samuel German in 1852. Get the recipe for German Chocolate Cake »

These soft dinner rolls are based on a popular recipe on the baking website TheFreshLoaf.com

This tart, cooling dip is a classic for good reason—it’s a perfect match for fiery Buffalo wings. Get the recipe for Blue Cheese Dip »

Walnuts, apple, and sliced beet add crunch and flavor to this wintertime salad.

Bananas and pecans come together in an exceptionally moist quick-bread from food editor Ben Mim’s mom—it’s irresistible at any time of day. Get the recipe for Mom’s Banana Bread »

This version of the cake is a potluck and bake sale favorite; the addition of crushed pineapple helps to keep it sweet and moist. Get the recipe for Classic Carrot Cake »

This traditional cake, made here with a rich brioche dough and stuffed with a decadent cream cheese filling, is drizzled with a buttermilk glaze and sprinkled with crunchy green, gold, and purple sanding sugars.

In some parts of the South, cooks prefer corn bread that’s slightly sweet, to counterbalance the salty, smoky flavors of vegetables stewed with pork.

Jalapeños and cilantro punch up classic cornbread.

Instead of plain dinner rolls, we like to serve these fluffy biscuits, fragrant with rosemary and thyme. Get the recipe for Honey and Herb Biscuits »

Inexpensive cube steaks, tenderized by the butcher, work best for this heartland breakfast staple. Get the recipe for Chicken-Fried Steak with Sausage Gravy »

Oyster shells act as a natural serving platter for these crispy fried oysters with a creamy, spicy sauce.

Light, tangy yogurt replaces rich mayonnaise in the herb-laced dressing for this salad.

A North Fork Valley favorite in zucchini season, this moist chocolate cake gets its moistness from buttermilk. Get the recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Cake »

Granola and quinoa lend a sneaky earthy-crunchy vibe to these substantial, fluffy pancakes from Dennis Bernard, chef de cuisine of Chicago’s Dove’s Luncheonette. Get the recipe for Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes with Lemon Crema »

Biscuits with Pancetta, Collard Greens, Marbleized Eggs, and Espresso Aïoli