Welcome to BA Bake Club, a community of curious bakers. Each month senior test kitchen editors Jesse Szewczyk and Shilpa Uskokovic share a must-make recipe and dive deep on why it works. Come bake and learn with us—ask questions, share pics, listen to our podcast, and lots more here. This shareable pull-apart monkey bread will … Read more
First things first: Never, but never, be tempted to swap in nonstick cooking spray for the melted butter when making popovers. Especially not this popover recipe, which was first printed in the July 1957 issue of Gourmet and was so popular with readers and editors alike that it appeared again in the 1991 anniversary issue dedicated … Read more
These banana chocolate chip muffins have range. Serve them at brunch, take them to a housewarming party, or make a batch to snack on throughout the week—no matter the time or place, they’re sure to please. Overripe bananas have the best texture and richest banana flavor, so wait until yours are brown and speckled. To … Read more
Making a Dutch baby (a.k.a. German pancake) is a cook’s ultimate cheat code: It’s one of those breakfast recipes that look difficult to make when in reality it is quite simple. Just blend a few pantry staples (eggs, milk, flour, pinch of salt, etc.) into a smooth, thin batter, pour batter into a hot pan, … Read more
Breakfast breads dress up a brunch table, encouraging everyone to have another cup of coffee and stay awhile. Homemade muffins and quick breads welcome new neighbors and make excellent additions to a care package. But these recipes can also serve as a gift to yourself—stashed in your freezer, they offer a sweet (or savory) bite … Read more
Like many generations-old dishes, the origins of chiles rellenos are fuzzy. Indigenous cooks in what’s now Mexico and Central America have charred and stuffed chile peppers for centuries. According to one popular story, the dish rose to prominence in Mexico in 1821. As the legend goes, nuns in a Puebla convent served stuffed peppers beneath … Read more
Frozen shredded potato patties transform into a crispy yet fluffy crust for this meaty hash-brown-and-egg casserole. It hits as well at a leisurely brunch (it’s prime holiday breakfast fodder) as it does for a weeknight dinner. Need a go-to breakfast bake for busy mornings? This cozy crowd-pleaser is a make-ahead dream (see Do Ahead for … Read more
A good crumb cake—like the ones I grew up with in New Jersey—is top heavy. The simple vanilla cake supports a thick second story of tender, cinnamon-laced, brown sugar streusel and a snowcap of powdered sugar. At New Jersey bakeries, crumb cake is typically sold by the rectangular slice directly from the sheet pan; at … Read more
Is there a marked difference between New Jersey–style crumb cake and New York–style crumb cake? Not really. But as someone from the Garden State, I’ll always think of this style of cake as the former. “Crumb cake” is a moist vanilla cake topped with a thick layer of cinnamon-scented brown sugar streusel. Unlike “coffee cake,” … Read more
Clafoutis might be one of the easiest, most forgiving French desserts. It’s the kind of dish you keep in your back pocket, ready to pull out when you’re at an ill-equipped vacation stay or when friends stop by at the last minute and you suddenly get the urge to whip something up. And because it’s … Read more