Makes 14 biscuits

Do not underbake these biscuits or they will taste slightly gummy. Check for doneness by checking the bottom of a biscuit—it should be golden brown. Freeze the butter and cream cheese just until solid, otherwise, they will be difficult to cut into the flour mixture.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Even without a slathering of butter or jam, an average biscuit can pack a pretty mean caloric punch. We lightened these by reducing the amount of butter by half and replacing the shortening with cream cheese. The whole-wheat flour gives these a hearty taste and a chewy, flaky texture.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2013/06/secrets-to-whole-wheat-buttermilk-biscuits/

Makes one 9‐inch crust

If the dough becomes too soft to work with when pressing it into the tart pan in step 3, let it firm up in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: We wanted to come up with a way to make a healthier tart crust. First, we swapped in 6 tablespoons of olive oil for the 8 tablespoons of butter a tart crust typically contains. Furthermore, we substituted whole-wheat flour for a portion of the all-purpose white flour, which gave the crust not only a healthful boost, but a heartier flavor as well. The dough is soft and cannot be rolled out, so we pressed pieces of the dough right into the tart pan. A sprinkling of Parmesan cheese over the crust admittedly doesn’t cut calories or fat, but it does add important flavor and provides a moisture barrier to a variety of savory fillings.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2013/04/secrets-to-olive-oil-tart-crust/

Makes about 20 fritters
Use medium- or finely ground cornmeal. Serve with honey butter.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
A quick-cooked mixture of cornmeal and water is the base for this simple dish. A mere tablespoon of flour helped bind the mix together, an egg added richness and structure, and baking powder kept our hot water cornbread light. After a few minutes in hot oil, these bite-size morsels were crispy and brown—ready to be eaten warm with a dab of honey butter.

Makes 9 Rolls
These rolls are ideal for both burgers and sandwiches. Don’t salt the cooking water for the potatoes. A pound of russet potatoes should yield just over 1 very firmly packed cup (1/2 pound) of mash. To ensure optimum rise, your dough should be warm; if your potatoes or potato water is too hot to touch, let cool before proceeding with the recipe. This dough looks very dry when mixing begins but will soften as mixing progresses. If you prefer, you may portion the rolls by weight in step 5 (2.75 ounces of dough per roll).

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Mashed potatoes are hefty and substantial, but in a potato rolls recipe, they give the crumb a light, tender, moist texture. That’s because the starches in potatoes dilute the gluten-forming proteins, which weakens the structural network and makes it softer, moister, and more tender. For the lightest potato rolls, we use a combination of ½ pound of mashed russet potatoes and high-protein bread flour. This creates a potato roll dough with a stable structure that supports the greatest amount of potatoes, producing rolls that were not only perfectly risen but also light and airy.