It was a gutsy move baking these for the best French chef around, but I learned to make them from chef Mark Ramsdell of L’ Academie de Cuisine. I was elated when Jacques pronounced them “terrific!” and his daughter (and TV costar), Claudine Pépin said they were the best she’s ever had.
Christmas
The Instant Pot Bible: Classic Cheesecake
We’ve seen a lot of techniques over the years — and written a lot of pressure-cooker cheesecake recipes, too — and we can tell you we heartily don’t get why people tend to overcomplicate what can be a fairly simple process for a rich, mousse-like (not New York–style) cheesecake.
Cooking with Scraps: Any-Season Strata
A strata is a versatile dish for clearing out odds and ends in the fridge, and it’s make-ahead friendly. A strata is also one of the best ways to put stale bread to good use.
Dorie Greenspan’s Triple-Layer Parsnip and Cranberry Cake
A layer cake is like a fanfare: It blares “Celebration!” Full of flavor, this cake is based on nuts, cranberries and grated parsnips, a vegetable that might not spring to mind immediately when you’re thinking cake.
Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Gingerbread Folks
Gingerbread men and women cookies hanging from the tree or sitting on the mantel are a charming holiday tradition. Ginger is not only an appealing spicy flavor, it serves as a great preservative.
Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Milk Chocolate Caramel Tart
If ever there was a melt-in-the-mouth dessert, this is it! Chocolate and caramel tarts are high on the list of the most popular desserts.
