From James's kitchen
Tested, annotated, and worth returning to. Browse dependable recipes for everyday cooking, relaxed weekends, and occasions worth sharing.
Baking · 223 recipes
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25I found this recipe in the September/October 2020 issue of Bake From Scratch . If you’re not familiar with the magazine, I highly recommend it, the recipes are innovative, delicious, and well tested, and this one is no exception. Made with a simple pound ca…
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26Not only is this a great fall cake recipe, but it’s also perfect for Rosh Hashanah. Baked with traditional ingredients of apple and honey, this moist bundt cake is a great way to celebrate the Jewish New Year.
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27I’m always searching for a great recipe for lemon pound cake, or tea bread, the kind I remember having in Paris, moist but light, and loaded with lemon flavor. This might be the best one I’ve tried, which I discovered on an episode of Milk Street TV called…
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28Peach cobbler is a timeless summer dessert that is easy to throw together and this recipe makes just enough for two generous portions. I think this dessert is best made with fresh peaches at the peak of the season, but frozen peaches will work in a pinch. S…
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29Fool is a popular British dessert that is similar to Eton Mess but without the crumbled meringue shells. It is super easy to throw together – any combination of berries and cream will work, but they look particularly festive in tall stemmed glasses. This ve…
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30If you’re a fan of The Great British Baking Show, you may remember this recipe from an episode where the bakers are challenged by Mary Berry to make a Bakewell Tart , an English confection consisting of a short pastry shell beneath layers of jam, frangipane…
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31Most people love big chewy oatmeal cookies, but I’m partial to this thin, crispy, buttery version from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Perfect Cookie - They stay crisp for days in a sealed container, or you can freeze them and enjoy whenever you’re in the mood…
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32From the brilliant folks at America’s Test Kitchen, they describe these cookies as “chewy, crunchy, salty, and sweet. The addition of crushed pretzel sticks and crunchy peanut butter give the cookies a unique and satisfying texture, and if you are a fan of…
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33This retro recipe from the 70’s was regularly printed on the back of a Duncan Hines yellow cake mix box. You can still make it with a yellow cake mix, but it’s important to add a few extra ingredients to give it a more “from scratch” taste. Sour cream, toas…
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34I posted this vintage recipe 9 years ago, and thought it was worth re-posting in case you are running low on eggs, or just trying to conserve. This moist chocolate cake was popular during the Great Depression, when people had limited access to eggs and oil.…
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35If you’re looking for a refreshing summer treat that big on flavor and low on sugar -this recipe is for you. America’s Test Kitchen has a wonderful cookbook called Naturally Sweet that is loaded with innovative desserts with 50% less sugar. This banana ice…
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36After a long winter, where even Southern California has had its share of cold temperatures, it’s nice to transition to brighter, fresher, springtime recipes. Pavlova is a perfect example - light, airy, elegant – it’s a whimsical dessert that combines crisp…
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37Delicious muffin recipe from Cook’s Country magazine that is perfect to make around the holidays. Ground ginger and crystallized ginger pack these moist and tender muffins with great flavor. I substituted Saco Buttermilk powder and water for the buttermilk…
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38This recipe for "New York-Style Crumb Cake" from Cook's Illustrated reminded me of my years in NYC where you could find big squares of thick crumb coffee cake in nearly every corner deli. It's also reminiscent of Drake's Coffee Cakes - a primarily east coas…
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39This is a great option when you need a dessert for a large group. Using store bought pie crust is a nice shortcut, and though I usually prefer homemade, this Cook’s Country version “doctors up” the dough with crushed animal crackers and melted butter, which…
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40There are hundreds of recipes for chocolate chip cookies – thin, thick, crisp, chewy, with nuts and without – but this happens to be one of my favorites. Years ago my friend Scott took me to Kathleen’s Bake Shop in Southampton, now known as Tate’s , where I…
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41These are wonderful little cookies to serve with tea, or as an after dinner treat with a nice wine. I found the recipe in America’s Test Kitchen’s new Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook and thought they sounded easy and original. Use high quality olive oil h…
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42For the best banana flavor, make sure to use very dark, very ripe bananas. This bread is super moist and is great toasted and spread with a little cream cheese or almond butter.
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43If you're a fan of fudgy, dark chocolate brownies, then you’ll love these cookies. Extremely moist and incredibly rich, these cookies pack a wallop of flavor. The powdered sugar gives them a festive holiday look but they are great any time of the year.
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44Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, so it’s time to start mastering one of this holiday’s classic desserts. There are tons of pumpkin pie recipes, and in November all of the food shows and magazines are filled with both classic and innovative recipes. I’ve trie…
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45America’s Test Kitchen recently published a new cookbook called Naturally Sweet ( available here ) which features classic desserts and baked goods using recipes that rely only on natural, less-processed sweeteners like Sucanat (unrefined cane sugar), coconu…
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46Trifles are such an easy dessert to throw together and great to serve during the summer when berries are at their peak. This version has a few extra steps, but makes a festive presentation for the 4 th of July.
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47This colorful tart has all the flavors of summer – ripe red tomatoes, bright green zucchini, and lots of aromatic basil atop a three cheese filling. And you don’t need the skills of Julia Child to make this recipe – a foolproof “press-in” tart crust from Co…
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48Matzo (or matzoh or matzah) is the perfect crunchy, flaky base for a thin coating of buttery caramel, melted chocolate and a sprinkling of chopped nuts salt. It’s an addictive treat that’s perfect for Passover. Matzo is unleavened bread that first appeared…
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