Serves 8
Once you’ve added the butter in step 3, if the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl after five minutes of mixing, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra flour. The test kitchen’s favorite loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a standard 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking the babka for doneness after 40 minutes.
- Filling:
- large egg white
- Dough:
- large egg yolks plus 1 large egg
- instant or rapid-rise yeast
Serves 10 to 12
Do not use all-purpose flour. Our tasters unflatteringly compared a cake made with it to Wonder Bread. If your angel food cake pan does not have a removable bottom, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. In either case, do not grease the pan (or the paper).
- cake flour
- large egg whites
- cream of tartar
Serves 8
This dessert is best served warm or at room temperature the same day it is made. Scoop it out and serve in a bowl.
- cornstarch
- grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 lemons
- boiling water
Serves 10 to 12
Separate the eggs when they’re cold; it’s easier. You will need a tube pan with a removable bottom for this recipe. Our favorite, the Chicago Metallic Professional Nonstick Angel Food Cake Pan, has both a removable bottom and “feet” to support the pan while the cake cools. If your pan is footless, invert the cake onto the neck of a wine bottle to cool.
- cream of tartar
- plain cake flour
- water
- vegetable oil
Serves 8 to 10
You will need a fully baked pie shell for this recipe. Use your favorite pie dough or use our No-Fear Pie Crust recipe (related). Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
- water
Serves 8
You will need 6 tablespoons of lemon juice for this recipe. Have an extra lemon on hand in case the 3 sliced lemons do not yield enough juice.
- double-crust pie dough
- cornstarch
- heavy cream
Serves 6 to 8
This moist cake gets even better when served with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- natural cocoa powder
- vegetable oil
- distilled white vinegar
- water
- Confectioners' sugar
MAKES 16 TO 20 LARGE COOKIES
If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can reduce the white sugar by one-quarter cup, but you will lose some crispness. Do not overbake these cookies. The edges should be brown but the rest of the cookie should still be very light in color. Parchment makes for easy cookie removal and cleanup, but it’s not a necessity. If you don’t use parchment, let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- eggs
- light brown sugar
- fresh grated nutmeg
- rolled oats
Serves 8 to 10
Keep a close eye on the butter as it melts in the oven so that it doesn’t scorch. Place the hot baking dish with butter on a wire rack after removing it from the oven. Avoid untreated aluminum pans here. If using frozen blueberries, thaw them first.
- grated lemon zest
Serves 8
Use your favorite pie dough or our Single-Crust Pie Dough recipe. Keep an eye on the peaches at the end of their baking time to ensure that they don’t scorch.
- heavy cream