Make your own pâtisserie creation that tastes as good as it looks.

Makes one 9-inch tart

Serves 8 to 10

If you don’t have a vanilla bean, substitute 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract with the butter in step 4. Don’t wash the berries or they’ll lose their flavor and shape.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/05/secrets-to-making-a-fabulous-fruit-tart/

Serves 12

This recipe must be prepared with natural cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa will not yield the proper color or rise.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

If you can’t find superfine sugar in the supermarket, simply process 1 cup granulated sugar in a food processor for about 30 seconds, then measure out ¾ cup for the recipe. The dough scraps can be patted together, chilled, and rerolled one time only. For best results, be sure to bake the cookies one sheet at a time.

Serves 8

Use a melon baller or a metal teaspoon measure to core the apples. We like to serve the dumplings warm with vanilla ice cream and Cider Sauce (see Cider Sauce recipe). Other sweet, moderately firm apples, such as Braeburns or Galas, can be used in this recipe.

Even opinionated Bostonians approve.

Serves 8 to 10

Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites or they will not combine well with the batter. Try to use a 9-inch sponge cake for this recipe; if using an 8-inch cake, the layer of pastry cream will be on the thick side. Before serving, be sure to refrigerate the finished cake until the glaze has set (this will take at least 2 hours), but do not refrigerate the cake for more than 24 hours or it will turn soggy.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: We needed a tender, flavorful base for our Boston Cream Pie, so we opted for a hot-milk sponge cake. Unlike other sponge cakes, this kind includes some melted butter and warm milk, which makes for a cake with a tender, moist crumb.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/09/the-secret-to-boston-cream-pie/

This French pastry is impressively elegant and deceivingly simple.

Makes 6 Napoleons

You will need two large rimmed baking sheets of the same size to make this recipe. If the dough becomes too warm and sticky to work with, cover it with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator until firm. You can substitute a 1-pound box of store-bought frozen puff pastry for the homemade puff pastry if desired. If using store-bought puff pastry, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then unwrap both pieces of dough, stack one on top of the other, and roll into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle between two sheets of parchment paper, proceeding with the recipe as directed.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: In order to prevent the puff pastry from puffing up during baking, we weighted it down with a rimmed baking sheet and an ovenproof dish. For the Napoleons’ traditional decorative swirl, we used the tip of a small knife to drag the vanilla glaze over the chocolate glaze.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/09/secrets-to-french-napoleons/

For the best in the South, we took a cue from the North.

Serves 12

While any 10-inch ovensafe skillet will work here, our first choice (for both tradition and function) is a cast-iron skillet. Avoid coarsely ground cornmeal, as it will make the corn bread gritty.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Unlike sweet and cakey Northern versions that are better suited to the dessert table, Southern cornbread recipes contain neither sugar nor flour, making them savory enough to join the main course. We wanted to develop a proper Southern cornbread recipe that made cornbread with hearty corn flavor, a sturdy, moist crumb, and a dark brown crust that would win Northern allegiance. Finely ground Quaker cornmeal gave our cornbread the right texture, and dry-toasting the cornmeal in the oven for five minutes intensified the corn flavor. Buttermilk, which tasters preferred to milk, added a sharp tang that worked well with the corn. When it came to fat selection, a combination of butter (for flavor) and vegetable oil (which can withstand high heat without burning) worked best in our Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread recipe.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/09/secrets-to-southern-style-skillet-cornbread/

SERVES 4

A 10-inch ovenproof skillet is necessary for this recipe; we highly recommend using a nonstick skillet for the sake of easy cleanup, but a regular skillet will work as well. You can also use a cast-iron pan; if you do, set the oven temperature to 425 degrees in step 1, and when cooking the apples in step 3, cook them only until just barely golden, about 6 minutes. Cast iron retains heat better than stainless steel, making the higher oven temperature unnecessary. If you prefer tart apples, use Granny Smiths; if you prefer sweet ones, use Braeburns. For serving, dust the apple pancake with confectioners’ sugar and pass warm maple syrup or caramel sauce (recipe linked) separately, if desired.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/10/secrets-to-german-apple-pancakes/

Serves 12

For this recipe, we recommend using light or mild molasses so it won’t overpower the subtle bourbon flavor.

MAKES 30 COOKIES

The hazelnuts will continue to toast while the biscotti bake, so toast the nuts only until they are just fragrant.