Makes about 22 cookies
Measure the molasses in a liquid measuring cup. If you find that the dough sticks to your palms as you shape the balls, moisten your hands occasionally in a bowl filled with cold water and shake off the excess. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time. If baked two sheets at a time, the cookies started on the bottom rack won’t develop the attractive cracks. The cookies should look slightly raw and underbaked when removed from the oven. If you plan to glaze the cookies (see recipe below), save the parchment paper used to bake them.
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- ground cloves
- ground allspice
- ground black pepper
- table salt
- large egg yolk
- vanilla extract
Makes two 9-inch cake layers
Nonstick cooking spray can be used for greasing the pans (proceed with flouring as directed). Bring all ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Frost the cake with our Foolproof Chocolate Frosting (see related recipe) or your favorite topping.
- baking powder
- baking soda
- table salt
- vegetable oil
- vanilla extract
Makes 24
This recipe easily doubles. Make sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.
- old-fashioned oats
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- table salt
- packed light brown sugar
- large egg
- vanilla extract
- semisweet chocolate chips
Makes sixteen 2-inch bars
Using three types of citrus (orange, lemon, and lime) gives these bars a slightly more complex, floral flavor.
- Crust:
- animal crackers
- salt
- Filling:
- salt
- egg yolk
- lime juice
- lemon juice
- orange juice
Makes sixteen 2-inch bars
If you cannot find fresh Key limes, use regular (Persian) limes. Do not use bottled lime juice. Grate the zest from the limes before juicing them, avoiding the bitter white pith that lies just beneath the outermost skin. The optional coconut garnish adds textural interest and tames the lime flavor for those who find it too intense. The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan; you will need a double layer of extra-wide foil for the pan (each sheet about 20 inches in length) and should increase the baking times by a minute or two.
- Crust:
- animal crackers
- salt
- Filling:
- salt
- egg yolk
Serves 6 to 8
While the blueberries are baking, prepare the ingredients for the biscuit topping, but do not stir the wet into the dry ingredients until just before the berries come out of the oven. A standard or deep-dish 9-inch pie pan works well; an 8-inch-square baking dish can also be used. Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream is the perfect accompaniment. To reheat leftovers, put the cobbler in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until heated through.
- Filling:
- cornstarch
- ground cinnamon
- salt
- grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
- Biscuit Topping:
- stone-ground cornmeal
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- buttermilk
- vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Makes 12 cupcakes
This recipe does not double very well. Cupcakes made from a doubled batch and baked side by side in the oven yield a slightly compromised rise. It’s best to make two separate batches and bake each separately. Store leftover cupcakes (frosted or unfrosted) in the refrigerator, but let them come to room temperature before serving.
- baking soda
- baking powder
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- table salt
Makes about 2 cups
Do not substitute semisweet chocolate chips for the chopped semisweet chocolate in the frosting—chocolate chips contain less cocoa butter than bar chocolate and will not melt as readily. For best results, don’t make the frosting until the cakes are cooled, and use the frosting as soon as it is ready. If the frosting gets too cold and stiff to spread easily, wrap the mixer bowl with a towel soaked in hot water and mix on low speed until the frosting appears creamy and smooth. Refrigerated leftover cake should sit at room temperature before serving until the frosting softens.
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- corn syrup
- vanilla extract
- salt
- cold heavy cream
SERVES 10 TO 12
Do not substitute semisweet chocolate chips for the chopped semisweet chocolate in the frosting—chocolate chips contain less cocoa butter than bar chocolate and will not melt as readily. For best results, don’t make the frosting until the cakes are cooled, and use the frosting as soon as it is ready. If the frosting gets too cold and stiff to spread easily, wrap the mixer bowl with a towel soaked in hot water and mix on low speed until the frosting appears creamy and smooth. Refrigerated leftover cake should sit at room temperature before serving until the frosting softens.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
The mixing method was the key to getting the right texture for our chocolate layer cake recipe. After trying both creaming and “reverse creaming,” we turned to ribboning— whipping eggs with sugar until they double in volume, then adding the butter, dry ingredients, and milk. The egg foam aerated the cake, giving it both the structure and the tenderness that neither creaming nor reverse creaming could provide. To give our open-crumbed cake rich chocolate flavor, we simply melted unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder in hot water over a double boiler, then stirred in sugar until it dissolved before adding the chocolate mixture to the batter.
http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2013/01/old-fashioned-chocolate-layer-cake/
- CAKE
- hot water
- baking soda
- table salt
- buttermilk
- vanilla extract
- large eggs
- large egg yolks
- FROSTING
- sugar
- corn syrup
- vanilla extract
- table salt
Makes 12 pieces
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
This rich chocolate butter cake is layered with fluffy seven-minute icing and topped with a drippy chocolate glaze. We added light corn syrup to the chocolate glaze so that it clung tightly to the cake and had a glossy texture. Using an offset spatula ensured the icing on our Chocolate Shadow Cake spread in an even layer.
- large egg whites
- water
- sugar
- cream of tartar
- salt
- vanilla extract
- unsalted butter
- light corn syrup