Makes 25 small brownies

Note that for the caramel, you will need a candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer that registers high temperatures. Use a ¼-cup dry measuring cup that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to drizzle the caramel over the brownie batter in step 5. Be very careful when working with the hot caramel; if the caramel cools to the point where it is no longer pourable, reheat it briefly in the microwave (do not let it boil).

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/06/secrets-to-making-turtle-brownies/

Makes 8

You will need a large pastry bag with a ½-inch plain tip and a ¼-inch plain tip for this recipe. Be sure the pastry cream is thoroughly chilled before filling the pastries.The chocolate glaze should still be warm when glazing the éclairs.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/02/secrets-to-making-eclairs/

Makes 8 corn dogs

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To re-create this state fair favorite at home, we made a light batter with flour, cornmeal, buttermilk, and eggs. Coating the skewered hot dogs in flour before batter-dipping ensures the batter adheres to the hot dogs. To make coating the hot dogs easy, we transfer the batter to a tall drinking glass for even, hassle free dunking.

Serves 8 to 10

This recipe is usually served in a clear dish so you can see the layers. For a crowd, double the recipe and serve in a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish. If you don’t have time to make fresh guacamole as called for, simply mash 3 avocados with 3 tablespoons lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
With bold Southwestern flavors and an appealing ingredient list, seven-layer dip recipes sound like a hit. But most versions of this party classic assume that guests won’t notice the messy layers and tired flavors. Canned black beans stood in for refried beans in our Ultimate Seven-Layer Dip recipe, while garlic, chili powder, and lime juice added flavor. We found that sour cream on its own quickly watered down our Ultimate Seven-Layer Dip recipe, but combining it with cheese gave its layer more structure.

Serves 8 to 10

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
A little mint extract was all we needed to develop cool mint flavor in our Mint Chocolate Chip Cake without overpowering the chocolate. A coating of mini chocolate chips around the exterior of the cake, combined with a chocolate buttercream frosting, produced plenty of chocolate flavor.

MAKES 12 ROLLS

Don’t salt the water in which you boil the potatoes. A pound of russet potatoes should yield a little more than one firmly packed cup (1/2 pound) of mashed potatoes. To ensure optimum rise, your dough should be warm; if your potatoes or potato water is too hot to touch, set it aside to cool before proceeding with the recipe. Bread flour is best for this recipe; do not attempt to substitute all-purpose flour. This dough looks very dry when mixing begins, but resist the urge to add more water; the dough will soften as mixing progresses. If you prefer, you may portion the rolls by weight in step 5 (2 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.

SERVES 4

While the bananas cook, scoop the ice cream into individual bowls so they are ready to go once the sauce has been flambéed. Before flambéing, make sure to roll up long shirt sleeves, tie back long hair, turn off the exhaust fan (otherwise the fan may pull the flames up) and turn off any lit burners (this is critical if you have a gas stove).

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/super-quick-video-tips/2013/02/how-to-set-bananas-on-fire-safely-video/

MAKES 2 LOAVES

Two tablespoons of nonfat milk powder can be used in place of the liquid milk; increase the amount of water in the dough to 1 cup. As you make this bread, keep in mind that the dough is wet and very sticky. The key to manipulating it is working quickly and gently; rough handling will result in flat, tough loaves. When possible, use a large rubber spatula or bowl scraper to move the dough. If you have to use your hands, make sure they are well floured. Because the dough is so sticky, it must be prepared in a stand mixer. If you don’t have a baking stone, bake the bread on an overturned and preheated rimmed baking sheet set on the lowest oven rack. The bread will keep for up to 2 days, well wrapped and stored at room temperature. To recrisp the crust, place the unwrapped bread in a 450-degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes. The bread will keep frozen for several months wrapped in foil and placed in a large zipper-lock bag. Thaw the bread at room temperature and recrisp using the instructions above.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For a ciabatta recipe with airy texture, tangy flavor, and perfect lift, we chose all-purpose flour, which gave the bread an open, springy texture. A sponge fermented for 12 hours gave the bread its requisite flavor. A combination of kneading and turning lent the dough just the right amount of gluten for the medium-size bubbles we were looking for in the perfect ciabatta recipe.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2013/01/secrets-to-ciabatta-bread/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=secrets-to-ciabatta-bread

SERVES 4

Look for chops with a small eye and a large amount of marbling, as these are the best suited to braising. The pork scraps can be removed when straining the sauce in step 4 and served alongside the chops. (They taste great.)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
When braising pork chops, it’s important to avoid lean loin chops that have a tendency to dry out when even slightly overcooked. Instead, begin with a blade chop, which, like other braising cuts, has a larger amount of fat and connective tissue. Trim the chops of excess fat and connective tissue to prevent buckling when cooked, and use those trimmings to build a rich and flavorful braising liquid that can quickly be turned into a tasty sauce for your braised chops.

Serves 8

You will need a 9-inch nonstick cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches high for this cake. Alternatively, use a 10-inch ovenproof stainless steel skillet (don’t use cast iron) to both cook the apples and bake the cake, with the following modifications: Cook the apples in the skillet and set them aside while mixing the batter (it’s OK if the skillet is still warm when the batter is added) and increase the baking time by 7 to 9 minutes. If you don’t have either a 2-inch high cake pan or an ovenproof skillet, use an 8-inch square pan.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Pineapple has become synonymous with upside-down cake ever since canned pineapple was introduced into this country in the early 1900s. But at one time, upside-down cakes were made with seasonal fruit, such as apples. We loved the idea of resurrecting apple upside-down cake. We wanted a rich buttery cake topped with tightly packed, burnished, sweet apples.

We started our testing with choosing the type of apple. Most apples turned mushy and watery and were simply too sweet, but crisp, tart Granny Smiths made the cut. Following the lead of recipes found in our research, we shingled the apples in the pan and poured the cake batter over the top. But once baked and inverted, our apple layer was shrunken and dry. The solution turned out to be increasing the number of apples, for a hefty layer of fruit. This effort yielded better results, but we found the apples to be overcooked, so we turned to a method uncovered in our recipe for Deep-Dish Apple Pie—we precooked half the apples by sautéing them on the stovetop then we cut the remainder thin, so they baked through evenly. For the butter cake, we tested milk, buttermilk, yogurt, and sour cream. Sour cream won hands down—its subtle tang balanced the sweetness of the cake and complemented the caramelized apples. And another addition—cornmeal—gave the cake a hint of earthy flavor and a pleasantly coarse texture. Our final discovery came when we attempted to release the cake cleanly from the pan. Typical recipes instruct a 5 to 10-minute cooling period, but we found that a full 20 minutes was required to allow the apple filling to set. And turning the cake out onto a rack to finish cooling let the bottom of the cake breathe, preventing sogginess, which is typical of so many upside-down cakes.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/gadgets-and-gear/2013/01/meet-the-apple-slicer-of-your-dreams/