For a smooth pudding, it is important to pass the pudding through a fine-mesh strainer in order to remove any bits of cooked egg.
- packed dark brown sugar
- cornstarch
- table salt
- half-and-half
- large egg yolks
- unsalted butter
- vanilla extract
- butterscotch or caramel sauce
If the egg whites to be whipped are not at room temperature, set them in a pan placed in hot tap water and stir them until they are tepid. Coconut is very nice as a variation for this cake. Add 2/3 to 1 cup lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut, lightly chopped, to the batter before folding in the egg whites.
- granulated sugar
- cake flour
- baking soda
- table salt
- water
- vegetable oil
- vanilla extract
- cream of tartar
The longer you let the zest and juice mixture steep, the more intensely citrusy your margaritas will be. We recommend steeping for the full 24 hours, although the margaritas will still be great if the mixture is steeped for the minimum four hours. If you’re in a rush and need to serve the drinks immediately, omit the zest and skip the steeping process altogether. We suggest using reposado (“rested”) tequila, which is made from 100 percent blue agave and aged for between two and 12 months. Tasters liked its mellow flavor and thought it blended perfectly with the other ingredients.
- grated lime zest
- lime juice from 2 to 3 medium limes
- grated lemon zest
- lemon juice from 2 to 3 medium lemons
- superfine sugar
- table salt
- crushed ice
- triple sec
The test kitchen prefers the hearty strands of egg-enriched fettuccine usually sold in 12-ounce boxes. We found that you need to salt the water used to cook the pasta and vegetables quite heavily to make sure they emerge nicely seasoned.
- unsalted butter
- Table salt and ground black pepper
- heavy cream
- frozen peas
- lemon juice
- thinly sliced fresh basil
Refer to the illustrations below when layering the batter and streusel in the pan. A fixed-bottom, 10-inch tube pan (with 10-cup capacity) is best for this recipe. Note that the streusel is divided into two parts—one for the inner swirls, one for the topping.
- Streusel
- ground cinnamon
- Cake
- large eggs
- sour cream
- vanilla extract
- baking powder
- baking soda
- table salt
Natural cocoa powder will work in this recipe, but we found that Dutch-processed yields the best chocolate flavor. Espresso powder provides complexity, but instant coffee can be substituted in a pinch. The dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to two weeks. Defrost frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight, then let stand at room temperature until firm yet malleable, about 30 minutes. The cookies are refined enough to serve plain, but a dusting of sifted confectioners’ sugar or chocolate glaze is a nice touch. Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days but should be dusted with sugar or glazed the day they are served.
- sliced almonds
- ground cinnamon
- cayenne pepper
- espresso powder
- table salt
- large egg yolks
- vanilla extract
- Optional Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze
- bittersweet chocolate
- unsalted butter
- corn syrup
- vanilla extract
Because the spiciness of jalapeños varies from chile to chile, we try to control the heat by removing the ribs and seeds (the source of most of the heat) from those chiles that are cooked in the rice. Use an ovensafe pot about 12 inches in diameter so that the rice cooks evenly and in the time indicated. The pot’s depth is less important than its diameter; we’ve successfully used both a straight-sided sauté pan and a Dutch oven. Whichever type of pot you use, it should have a tight-fitting, ovensafe lid. Vegetable broth can be substituted for chicken broth.
- medium jalapeño chiles
- long grain white rice
- canola oil
- tomato paste
- table salt
- minced fresh cilantro leaves
Freezer Chicken Enchiladas
Preparing enchiladas can be a multi-hour, labor-intensive endeavor. There’s the sauce to prep and the filling to cook, and finally, all the rolling. We wanted to find a way to streamline chicken enchiladas and make them freezable so that they could be prepared well ahead of time and stored at the ready. Here’s what we discovered:
Test Kitchen Discoveries
- Freeze the rolled enchiladas and sauce separately; otherwise they will turn into a mushy mess.
- Spray the tortillas with vegetable oil cooking spray and briefly heat them in the oven to make them pliant enough to roll easily.
- Bake the enchiladas while still frozen. We found that defrosting them actually leads to a dried-out texture once baked.
- Partially bake the enchiladas “naked,” or without sauce. A light coat of vegetable oil spray will keep the tortillas from drying out too much.
- For authentic flavor, puree and “fry” the sauce until the flavor and color has intensified. Most Mexican sauces are prepared in this fashion.
- Smoky chipotle chiles add both heat and a rich flavor to the sauce. These chiles, which are smoked jalapeños, come packed in a tomato-based adobo sauce. They are found in the Mexican foods section of most supermarkets.
Use leftover cooked chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken in this recipe. Note that you won’t need 1 1/2 cups of the cheese until you bake the enchiladas. Serve with avocado, pickled jalapeños, shredded lettuce, and/or sour cream.
- canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- ground cumin
- coriander
- table salt
- low-sodium chicken broth
- vegetable oil
- shredded cooked chicken
- shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- minced canned pickled jalapeños
- Cooking spray
In addition to serving this salsa with tortilla chips, you might try mixing it in with pasta—about a tablespoon or so per serving. You’ll still get a good dose of heat.
- vegetable oil
- Table salt and ground black pepper
- lime juice from 2 medium limes
- chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- olive oil
Add the orzo to the boiling water a couple of minutes before slipping the pork chops into the hot oil.
- Table salt
- orzo
- baby spinach
- olive oil
- grated lemon zest
- Ground black pepper