dessert
I bake the cakes for everyone's birthday in my home, including my own. For my birthday this year, I chose to deviate from the standard panel of cakes and made Cook's Illustrated Gingerbread Layer Cake (subscription required). It has a strong spice flavor that's
dessert
Serving size can make a big difference with food, especially finger foods. Smaller sizes can make imposing desserts or sides more accessible by empowering eaters to control the quantity. I have adapted Flour Bakery's famous Brioche au Chocolat recipe for my own use, cutting down on the size
dessert
The New York Times' Italian Ricotta Cookies are a favorite in my household. Light and fluffy, the cookies are more cupcake top than cookie. The cookies themselves have a touch of lemon zest, but fresh lemon juice in the icing brings a fresh brightness while taming the sweetness. The
dessert
The Breville Control Freak is an arguably over-engineered induction cooktop that excels at precise regulation of temperature with a surface sensor (used to measure the pan) as well as a probe-style sensor. You can easily switch between the two, and the probe has both oil and non-oil setttings. Since receiving
dessert
Ripe summer strawberries are a great way to add character and a subtle sweetness to desserts. Strawberry shortcake is a perennial favorite, but the heaviness of the biscuit can be a bit much when warm weather may be better paired with a lighter treat. Fat-free angel food cake is the
dessert
When shopping for kitchen appliances before an old renovation, the saleswoman touted the benefit of convection in an electric oven. To ensure even cooking when cooking two sheet pans of cookies, recipes recommend swapping the upper and lower racks and rotating the pans midway through cooking. Not necessary with this
bread
Although most people don’t place English muffins in a category of haute cuisine, they are a workhorse that can meet a number of breakfast tastes. They were a rare sight at our breakfast table, but since my family enjoys various bread and egg combinations with increasing regularity, their absence
dessert
One of the annoyances with recipes that use either egg yolks or whites instead of whole eggs is that I have to figure out a use for the leftover parts or feel guilty about throwing perfectly usable egg. Since I don’t mind eating egg white omelettes, it’s easier
dessert
There’s a simplicity to sugar cookies that is undeniably appealing. They are, by design, not a fancy dessert, but a clean-tasting, universally acceptable snack. Once you accept their limitations, you can enjoy them for what they are. They are also a perfect vehicle for decorating. The traditional cookie form
dessert
Just like the half-moon cookies I pursued in an attempt to recreate childhood favorites, chocolate mint brownies were an obvious addition. I’m not sure why the combination of rich chocolate and the sharp taste of peppermint go so well together, but it’s an undeniably appealing combination. Surprisingly, good
bread
Most people are familiar with whole wheat bread. Many have strong opinions. But few are familiar with a middle path between white flour and wheat: bolted wheat. White flour is ground wheat with the bran and germ filtered out. May family generally prefers the clean, slightly sweet taste of white
bread
After giving up on pure sourdough-leavened bagels, I resumed my making usual bagels using a hybrid of commercial yeast and sourdough starter. Driven to expand my bagel repertoire, I recalled my son’s fondness for chocolate chip bagels, but thought I could take it to the next level. After my