*We like a combination of all-purpose and white whole wheat flours here. Use all AP (for a higher rise), or all white whole wheat (for more fiber and a lower rise), if desired.

Pretty good stuff.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH CAKE, SERVING 12 TO 16

Depending on the oven and the temperature of the ingredients, the cheesecake may bake about 15 minutes faster or slower than the instructions indicate; it is therefore best to check the cake 1 1/4 hours into baking. Although the cheesecake can be made up to three days in advance, the crust will begin to lose its crispness after only one day. To make slicing the cheesecake easy and neat, use a knife with a narrow blade, such as a carving knife; between cuts, dip the blade into a pitcher of hot water and wipe it clean with paper towels. The cheesecake is good on its own, but the Brown Sugar and Bourbon Cream (related recipe) is a grand addition.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We discovered a few keys to the perfect pumpkin cheesecake recipe: For a smooth and creamy texture, we blotted the canned pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove excess moisture before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. We passed over brown sugar, which overpowered the pumpkin, in favor of milder granulated sugar. Baking the cake in a water bath in a moderate oven also helped give our pumpkin cheesecake recipe its velvety texture.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2012/11/we-prove-it-gentle-heat-guarantees-smooth-custards/

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

Use sweet, crisp apples, such as Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Fuji, or Braeburn. The two fillings can be made ahead, cooled, and stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For an apple-cranberry pie recipe with a crisp crust and balanced flavors, we precooked the cranberries so they wouldn’t shed a lot of liquid during baking. Then we arranged the cooked cranberries and apples in two distinct layers, allowing the flavor of each to come through clearly in our apple-cranberry pie recipe.

Serves 10

We suggest French’s French Fried Onions and Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth for this recipe. Fresh green beans are essential—frozen beans will turn to mush in the slow cooker.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For our Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole recipe, we tested frozen beans, fresh raw beans, and blanched fresh beans, and were happy to learn that fresh beans held up well in the slow cooker. We didn’t even bother with the canned stuff. Sautéing the mushrooms before adding them to the slow cooker prevented them from turning slimy. It also gave us the idea to build the whole sauce in the skillet to reduce it and concentrate its flavor. Ground-up fried onions bound our sauce and also added more onion flavor than merely sprinkling them on top.