When real estate agents talk about luring potential buyers at an open house with the smell of baked goods, they’re probably referring to banana bread specifically. Banana bread in the oven smells like comfort, like the very notion of home itself (as seen on TV, with a sleepy dog and flowers in the front yard). … Read more
For shortbread, buttery texture is everything, which is why most recipes limit the liquid they use and rely on eggs as the only binder. Bakers are hesitant to add water, which, when worked with flour, creates gluten. But dry shortbread dough is hard to work with and often results in overly brittle cookies that shatter … Read more
Saddle up because I have a new cookie to tell you about: cowboy cookies. Yes, the yeehawing, bootstrapping, twang-a-langing cowboys have their own namesake cookie and it’s pretty darn good. Most recipes for this all-American cookie involve an oatmeal cookie base studded with coconut, chocolate, and pecans: An oatmeal cookie taken to the max, if … Read more
Step 1 Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Scatter 1 cup coarsely chopped raw pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and 1 cup (packed) unsweetened coconut flakes on another rimmed baking sheet. Toast coconuts and pecans, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back and stirring after … Read more
These pancakes are inspired by Hummingbird cake, a moist spice cake with bananas, pecans, and crushed pineapple that originated in Jamaica in the 1960s and went on to become a popular dessert in the American South. Instead of using canned crushed pineapple, I caramelize thin slices of fresh pineapple in maple syrup before piling them … Read more
Derby pie is a nut pie (traditionally walnut, often pecan) that’s similar to a classic pecan pie except that it’s studded with chocolate chips and flavored with a heavy glug of bourbon. It was invented in 1954 by Walter and Leaudra Kern at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky. Sticky-sweet and gooey, yet sturdy enough … Read more
This recipe is a twofer—two recipes in one and doing double duty as either a breakfast or a dessert. And you can make just one at a time or 50 for a giant party. They aren’t finicky, travel well, and can be served warm, cold, or any temp in between. Plus, there’s very little more … Read more
There’s something about these hearty flourless oatmeal cookies that hits just right. They have a homespun appeal that says, “I’m wholesome enough to eat for breakfast—but decadent enough to satisfy as dessert.” Jammed with mix-ins including dried sour cherries, rich chunks of dark chocolate, crunchy toasted pecans, and a rounding hit of warm cinnamon, it’s … Read more