Category: baking

Scarpaccia Viareggina (Sweet Zucchini Cake)

This thin, moist cake, filled with tender young zucchini and the unmistakable fragrance of basil, is a traditional cake from the coastal town of Viareggio in northern Tuscany. It was traditionally baked by old sailors with zucchini from their vegetable gardens. Now, come summertime, when zucchini flood market stalls and overtake backyard gardens, locals still…


Peach and Almond Cake

Any combination of stone fruits works well for this simple, summery cake. I love it made with plums, nectarines, and apricots, or a combination of all. I love no-fuss desserts, and this one will delight everyone served plain or with a large dollop of whipped cream. It’s best served at room temperature, and frankly, even…


A Cake for Summer Celebrations

In the early light of a summer morning, my 2-year-old daughter toddles down the stairs with her bunny and favorite book in hand. She climbs sleepily into my lap with her matted hair and koala print pajamas, and while the birds and squirrels come to life outside our window, we read “Blueberries for Sal.” “Kerplunk,…


Easier Than Cheesecake, Just as Delicious

Cheesecake is delicious, but baking a big traditional one can be tricky. You have to bake a large cheesecake inside another pan filled with water to make sure it bakes evenly—a fussy and delicate maneuver in the oven. Smaller cheesecake bars are just as delicious, with a crisp graham cracker crust and a tangy, custardy…


For the Best Berry Cobbler, Bake It Twice

The secret to our cobbler is that we bake the berry filling before topping the cobbler with the biscuit dough. Then we bake it again to get our fluffy, flaky biscuits. This works so well because if the berry filling is hot when the biscuit dough is put on top, it helps cook the biscuits…


A Berry’s Best Friend

Every berry lover should have a recipe for meringues up their sleeve. Snow white, light as air, and egg-shell crisp, meringues will dress up your favorite berries in these easy do-ahead desserts. Crumble and shower meringues as a sweet and dusty garnish, hollow their centers to fill as a sugary edible vessel, or simply fold…


Tomato Pesto Tart Is a Lively Appetizer or First Course

With the advent of frozen all-butter puff pastry available for the home cook, we can make many inventive dishes that are Seriously Simple. I’ve made my share of desserts with commercial puff pastry, but this is my first attempt at a first course or appetizer. I wanted to prepare a simple summer tart that was…


The Family Table: A Recipe ‘Stained From Cherry Juice and Frequent Use’

Submitted by Charlene Hornick, Eugene, Oregon This cherry cake recipe was written on a 3-by-5-inch card in my mother’s recipe box, stained from cherry juice and frequent use. This is a family favorite, passed from my grandmother to my mother. No one knows the origin. It was served to guests about 60 percent of the…


Stocked Up on Baby Potatoes? Here’s a Recipe You’ll Love.

I stopped by the farmers market yesterday and couldn’t resist picking up some baby potatoes—two bags of them! My plan was to cut them up and roast them, but then I remembered a recipe I love to make when these baby potatoes are in season: smashed potatoes. These golden nuggets look like little potato pancakes…


How to Upsize a Cake Mix That’s Too Small for the Recipe

In my kitchen, I have a small collection of cookbooks that I consider prized possessions. One of them, the classic Betty Crocker Cookbook, was a wedding gift and, trust me, it’s seen more than its share of splatters and dog-eared and ripped pages. And I wouldn’t part with it for anything. Another features 100 things…