Baked egg custard is the little black dress of dessert recipes. It’s simple and elegant—ready to be dressed up with fresh berries, chocolate syrup, or whipped cream, but it’s also astoundingly good all by itself. Custard, in various forms, has been made for centuries: set into creme brûlée, flan, mini egg custard tarts, or a savory quiche; frozen into … Read more
While a whole roast duck might seem like a special-occasion dish—something you’d serve for Christmas dinner or order in certain Chinese restaurants—it’s actually very simple to make. If you can prepare a Thanksgiving turkey (or even a roast chicken), you can cook a whole duck. In some ways, cooking duck is even easier than cooking … Read more
Hot take: Crispy smashed potatoes are the ultimate form of potato. Sure, mashed potatoes get all the glory, but there’s something about these creamy-in-the-center, crisp-on-the-outside twice-cooked spuds that can’t be beat. The two-step cooking method is key to any good smashed potatoes recipe: Boiling the potatoes fluffs up their interior and gets them soft enough … Read more
Step 1 Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Step 2 Sift 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp. baking soda, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt into a large bowl. Set aside. Step 3 Beat 1 cup (2 sticks) … Read more
We won’t sugarcoat it. This old-fashioned fudge recipe will test your willpower. First, it has no modern tricks to hide behind—no sweetened condensed milk or marshmallow fluff to make easy work of it. Second, you’ll have to beat it with a wooden spoon for about 6 minutes; not long in the grand scheme, but eons … Read more
This cocoa cake asks little and gives so much. But you don’t have to take our word for it: This is “hands down my favorite cake to bake,” writes one reviewer, who goes on to say it’s “always reliable and always delicious.” Another reports to have made the recipe no less than five times, and … Read more
Few can resist the lure of tender, herby Greek lemon potatoes. Often cooked in the drippings of a roasting leg of lamb or whole chicken, Greek potatoes don’t require a big roast for big flavor. Here, the lemony side dish gets its punch from a bit of chicken stock, plus plenty of garlic, oregano, and … Read more
This easy spinach salad recipe has range: It is elegant enough for a dinner party, will impress at a potluck, and makes for a quick and satisfying midweek lunch—especially if you give it main dish energy by adding chickpeas, or sliced hard-boiled eggs. If frying sounds fussy, you can make crispy bacon in the oven. … Read more
A classic mule (a.k.a. a buck) is made with ginger beer, lime juice, and whatever spirit your heart desires—most commonly vodka. This big-batch, low-alcohol version borrows the same winning combination of flavors but swaps out the booze for a sweet and spicy caramelized maple syrup with plenty of tart cranberry juice. The duo tints the … Read more
Plum pudding tastes best when it’s made days, weeks, or even months ahead of time, according to American culinary legend James Beard. “It was customary to make it in early Advent—the religious season before Christmas Day—and use it the following year,” Beard wrote when he published this recipe in 1963. “Everyone in the family was … Read more