MAKES 32 TO 40 PIECES

A straight-sided traditional (not nonstick) metal baking pan works best for making baklava; the straight sides ensure that the pieces will have nicely shaped edges, and the surface of a traditional pan will not be marred by the knife during cutting, as would a nonstick surface. If you don’t have this type of pan, a glass baking dish will work. Make sure that the phyllo is fully thawed before use; leave it in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for four to five hours. When assembling, use the nicest, most intact phyllo sheets for the bottom and top layers; use sheets with tears or ones that are smaller than the size of the pan in the middle layers, where their imperfections will go unnoticed. If, after assembly, you have remaining clarified butter, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator; it can be used for sautéing.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We wanted our baklava recipe to produce crisp, flaky, buttery lozenges, light yet rich, filled with fragrant nuts and spices, and sweetened just assertively enough to pair with a Turkish coffee. To achieve this goal, we sprinkled store-bought phyllo dough with three separate layers of nuts (a combination of almonds and walnuts) flavored with cinnamon and cloves. We clarified the butter for even browning. We found that cutting the baklava rather than just scoring it before baking helped it absorb the sugar syrup. Finally, allowing the baklava to sit overnight before serving improved itsthe flavor of our baklava recipe and was worth the wait.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/10/secrets-to-better-baklava/

MAKES 64 ONE-INCH BROWNIES

Either Dutch-processed or natural cocoa works well in this recipe. These brownies are very rich, so we prefer to cut them into small squares for serving.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To develop a rich, deep chocolate flavor for our fudgy brownie recipe, we ultimately found it necessary to use three types of chocolate: unsweetened chocolate laid a solid, intense foundation; semisweet chocolate provided a mellow, even, somewhat sweet flavor; and cocoa smoothed out any rough edges introduced by the unsweetened chocolate (which can contribute a sour, acrid flavor) and added complexity to what can be the bland flavor of semisweet chocolate. We focused on flour, butter, and eggs to arrive at the chewy texture we wanted in our brownie recipe. Too little flour meant the batter was goopy; too much made the brownies dry and muted the chocolate flavor.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2012/11/we-prove-it-gentle-folding-stops-tough-quick-breads/

Want a coffee cake that’s sure to impress houseguests? Put a ring on it.

Makes 2 rings, each serving 6

A single tube of almond paste makes enough filling for two coffee cakes; bake both at the same time or freeze one and bake it up to one month later.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Why buy inferior boxed versions when you can make a better coffee cake at home—one with buttery layers of dough, a sweet almond filling, and a smooth glaze of white frosting? To achieve our ultimate recipe, we mixed almond paste with cream cheese for an intense, nutty filling that didn’t leak out of the dough when baked. We also used honey in place of sugar to sweeten our dough and keep it moist. It also lent our Almond Ring Coffee Cake recipe a slight caramel flavor.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/11/the-secrets-to-ring-shaped-coffee-cake/

The cupcake itself has a larger crumb than most cakes (I believe this is due to the addition of the gelatin) and are more like a muffin consistency in texture. They also have a flat top rather than a round top and may even sink a little in the center, but don’t be alarmed.

Serves 4

To reduce fat and calories further, substitute 2 percent milk for the whole milk; the pudding will have a slightly looser consistency. Don’t use 1 percent or skim milk; in our opinion, the pudding won’t be worth eating. Once the pudding comes to a boil, make sure to simmer it for a full 2 minutes to cook out the flavor of the cornstarch. To learn more about cocoa powder, see related tasting.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We wanted our Low-Fat Chocolate Pudding recipe to feature rich chocolate flavor and a thick, creamy texture—and many fewer calories than traditional recipes. We found that a blend of bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder reduced the fat level and maximized our pudding’s flavor, while cooking the chocolate from the start—rather than stirring it in at the end—intensified the chocolate’s flavors. We also found that whole milk thickened with cornstarch came close to approximating the heavy cream used in most chocolate pudding recipes.

Traditional homemade chocolate pudding has 581 calories, 34 grams of fat, and 202 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. Our Low-Fat Chocolate Pudding has 286 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 21 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.