It’s been a little while!

When we closed down the original blog a few years ago, we knew we couldn’t quite let these recipes just disappear. Over the years, we have found ourselves looking for our own recipes and fielding requests, only to realize that everything was filed away in a deactivated account.

We’ve spent the last month moving everything over here to Substack. Our goal isn’t to start a high-pressure newsletter or a brand-new blog; we simply wanted a permanent, easy-to-use home for the Beneath the Crust collection.

Think of this as a digital version of that old wooden recipe box on the counter—the one with the smudged cards and the tried and true favorites.

What will you find here?

All the old recipes are here and searchable.

We’re not planning on posting daily, weekly, or even monthly. We’ll just be here in the background making sure these recipes are here whenever you (or we!) need them.

nota bene

The content did not transfer seamlessly, so expect some hiccups. We are slowly working through the posts and brushing them up. If you notice something egregious, you’re welcome to message us directly for a quicker fix!

We’re so glad to have this collection back in one place. And who knows? Maybe we’ll find the time to begin posting and sharing what’s cooking again.

Until then, happy baking!

Maria, Sarah & Sophie

Oftentimes you’ll find a peanut butter pie with an Oreo crust…and believe me, you’d be hard pressed to find bigger fans of chocolate and peanut butter than we are! (See this chocolate peanut butter pie.) But for this concoction, I really wanted to let the peanut flavor shine. For that reason, a graham cracker crust is the best choice here. Its golden toasty notes are in harmony with the peanut butter. The heaviness of straight peanut butter is brightened by beating in cream cheese and lightened by folding in whipped cream. Topped with more whipped cream, and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts and shaved chocolate for just the slightest textural and flavorful contrast, if not a symphony of flavors, this creamy peanut butter pie is pretty darn delicious and easy to whip up.

peanut butter pie

Ingredients:

[for the crust]

• 12 graham crackers

• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter, melted

• 1/4 cup sugar

[for the filling/topping]

• 10 ounces heavy cream

• 1 cup peanut butter

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1-2 tablespoons milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• chopped peanuts, for topping

• shaved chocolate, for topping

Directions:

1. Prepare the crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until finely ground. Add the sugar and melted butter and pulse until mixed. Press the moistened crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan, using the bottom of a cup or ramekin to pack the crumbs firmly down. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden. Set aside to cool completely.

2. Prepare the filling. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl and store in the fridge to keep cool. In the same mixing bowl, beat together peanut butter and cream cheese until well mixed and smooth. Add in sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add another tablespoon or so of milk if the mixture is too thick.

3. Fold 6 ounces (roughly 2/3) of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Scrape it into the completely cooled pie crust and smooth the top. Top peanut butter filling with the remaining whipped cream, spreading over the top but leaving a 1 inch border. Top with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts and shaved chocolate. Refrigerate until fully chilled and set, about 2-4 hours and up to 24 hours, before serving. Enjoy!

This banana bread is simple, moist, deeply flavored, delicious…and made in one bowl! It’s a recipe I have memorized because we make it once a week. We eat one loaf for snack and the other for breakfast the next day.

Below is the brown sugar riff — a recent favorite — but there are loads of ways to vary the texture and flavor working with inspiration and what you have on hand. There’s a guide in the notes section to help with that.

Happy baking!

brown sugar banana bread

yields two loaves

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz.) salted butter

• 4-5 very ripe bananas

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• generous pinch of kosher salt

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 cups flour

• 1/2 cup almond flour (optional)

• 3 oz. chopped dark chocolate (optional)

• turbinado/raw sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray two loaf pans.

2. In a large glass bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add bananas and mash with a fork (or potato masher). With a fork, stir in the brown sugar, breaking up any clumps. Sprinkle baking soda over surface of mixture and stir. Add the pinch of salt and stir. Crack in eggs and add the vanilla and stir with fork until thoroughly combined. Add flour and stir just until no more streaks of flour appear in the mixture.

3. Switch to a spatula and add almond flour and chocolate (if using). Stir until just combined, divide batter evenly between two prepared pans, sprinkle with turbinado sugar if using, and bake at 350 degrees until deeply colored, fragrant, and set (about 55 minutes). Let cool in pans for 10-20 minutes until turning out and digging in!

notes

• no microwave? no problem! Just melt the butter on the stove and transfer it to a large mixing bowl to begin.

• sugar: you can just as easily use white sugar instead of brown sugar

• flour: sometimes I use 1 cup whole wheat flour in place of 1 cup of the all purpose flour; if you do this swap, I suggest leaving out the almond flour or your batter might get too dry. If you experiment with other flours, just omit the 1/2 cup almond flour and sub up to 1 cup of a different flour (coconut flour, almond flour, spelt, etc.).

• gluten-free: this banana bread translates well with a 1:1 gf flour. Again, just omit the optional 1/2 cup of added almond flour or you run the risk of the batter drying out.

• chocolate: I like only the slightest hint of chocolate in my banana bread, and when you add chopped chocolate you get all these varying sized shards of chocolate marbled through—my favorite. If you want more chocolate flavor, just double or triple the amount. You can also swap chopped chocolate for the same amount of mini chocolate chips (next best), or regular semisweet chocolate chips (my least favorite, because then you end up with large chunks of hard chips at room temperature, and they have more of a tendency to sink to the bottom).

• mix-ins: the sky is the limit here, but you can safely add up to 1 cup of various mix-ins. Chopped nuts (walnuts are an obvious choice, but pecans, almonds and hazelnuts would be good too), oats, chopped dried fruit (raisins, craisins, etc.), coconut, and so on.

edited 9/6/2024

This banana bread is heavily adapted and streamlined from the original banana bread over at Simply Recipes.

Here’s a cookie chock full of chunky texture. They aren’t much to look at, but yeesh they are addictive. The soft oatmeal cookie base barely holds together an abundance of shredded coconut, pecans, and butterscotch and chocolate chips. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, these make a lovely dessert, but an even better breakfast! Bake them soon, eat them by the dozens.

chockablock cookies

makes 30 cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 oz (1 stick) salted* butter, softened*

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups oats

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/8 teaspoon salt*

• 3/4 cup pecans, chopped (and optional, toasted)

• 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut (and optional, toasted)

• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy and smooth. Scrape down bowl, add in eggs, and beat at medium low until well combined, 1-2 minutes.

2. Add in oats and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down bowl, add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low until well combined. Finally, add in pecans, coconut, chocolate and butterscotch chips and mix until it all just comes together.

3. Roll dough into roughly 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls. Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat at 325 degrees for 14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are barely golden, and cookies are puffed and slightly cracked. Cool on the pan or transfer to a rack. Enjoy!

notes:

• butter/salt: if you’re using unsalted butter, increase the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.

• additions/alternatives: I like this combination, but use another nut, like walnut or peanut, in place of the pecans. drop the butterscotch chips and double the chocolate chips. or add up to 1 cup of raisins or other chopped dried fruit.

• shortcuts: technically, you should be sifting/whisking your dry ingredients together in a separate bowl before adding them to the cookie mixture, but I’ve stopped doing that for cookies looooong ago. I just add the flour, and then sprinkle the leavening (baking powder, baking soda) and salt over the flour before turning the mixer on. It has not made a bit of a difference in my cookie results, and it spares me time & dishes.

Heavily adapted and streamlined from Dorie Greenspan’s cookie in Baking: From my home to yours.

An elegant classic, this tart features a buttery shortbread crust and deeply flavorful salted caramel filling. You probably won’t believe me when I say it’s simple to make, but believe me, it is. It’s a quick fridge-and-pantry-staples raid, I-need-a-dessert-to-bring-to-dinner type dessert that’s just a tad more upscale than a pan of brownies.

salted caramel tart

ingredients:

[for the shortbread crust]

• 1 stick (4 oz) of cold butter, cut into small cubes

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup of white sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

[for the salted caramel filling]

• 1 1/4 cups white sugar

• 1 stick (4 oz) of cold butter, cut into small cubes

• 1 cup heavy cream

• optional: flaky sea salt, for sprinkling; whipped cream, for serving

directions:

1. Prepare the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a tart pan* with cooking oil.

2. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar and salt. And the butter. With a pastry cutter, blend the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. (Alternatively, you can use a food processor. Place ingredients in the processor and pulse.) Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and use your fingers to spread it out and press it down. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup to press down and create a level crust. Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 18-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Prepare the filling. While the crust is cooking, place butter and sugar in a deep saucepan (three quart is a good size). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to caramelize the sugar, about 10-15 minutes. The mixture will go from clumpy to dry and chalky, and finally the butter will separate, but just keep going until it reaches one shade lighter than the color of caramel you want.

4. While the caramel is going in one pan, in another pan add the heavy cream, heat on medium high, and take it off the heat once it reaches a boil. Set aside.

5. When the caramel is a deep golden color, remove from heat and carefully and slowly stir in the cream (watch out! the mixture will steam & bubble quite a bit). Return the caramel mixture to low heat and cook, stirring to dissolve any chunks, for another five minutes or so.*

6. Pour the caramel into baked shortbread crust and let cool to room temp. Sprinkle with sea salt and refrigerate for an hour or two or until ready to serve. Slice & serve with an optional dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!

notes:

• tart pan: if you don’t have a tart pan, you can make this recipe in a 8 or 9 inch square pan.

• sugar chunks in your caramel: don’t worry too much if you still have a few chunks of sugar in your caramel toward the end, so long as you have a fine mesh sieve/strainer, you can just pour the finished caramel through it and strain out any lingering chunks.

• gluten free: this crust works well by swapping out the flour for a gluten-free 1:1 option to make it all gluten-free.

• ganache on top: adds a nice touch. If you opt for that, melt 6 ounces of chopped chocolate (or semi-sweet chocolate chips) with 3 tablespoons of heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring until melted (or you could do it over a double boiler, or you could heat the heavy cream to scalding & add it to the chopped chocolate). Top with flaky sea salt or edible gold leaf!

Adapted from this blog’s millionaire bars [crust] and Leite’s Culinaria salted caramel tart [filling].

As a note, I find they are best baked until they are crisp and snap pleasantly as you bite into them.

Such pretty snow coated Christmas trees!

speculaas

Makes a few dozen, depending on the size of your cutters

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (really the best, but pre-ground will do)

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper (again, pre-ground will do)

• 12 tbs (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, salted

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

• 1/3 cup milk or water (my preference is milk)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix well and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together on medium speed the butter and sugar until well creamed, about 2 minutes.

4. Add half of the flour mixture, and beat slowly to combine. Add all of the milk and then beat slowly to combine. Add the remaining flour, and beat until just combined. If the dough has a few dry bits at the bottom, that is fine. Just turn it out onto the counter and knead briefly to bring altogether into a homogenous mass. (If you want, you can flatten into a squat disc and wrap tightly and store in fridge for a few hours or up to a day or so before continuing on.)

5. Immediately roll out the dough on a lightly floured counter, adding more flour to the counter and rolling pin as needed to keep from sticking. These cookies do not grow much from side to side, but do puff up significantly (a bit of a surprise every year!). So, rolling the dough to about 1/4in thickness is ideal.

6. Cut out desired shapes and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.

7. Chill in fridge for at least 15min or in freezer for at least 5min before baking. This will help maintain the shape of the cookies.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly toasted on bottoms and edges (not a significant difference in color, just a deeper shade of golden brown). Allow to cool entirely on the pan before transferring to a rack or tin (this will help ensure they crisp up nicely). Repeat with remaining pans.

9. When cookies are fully cooled, decorate with either royal frosting or the first, hard-drying frosting Sarah uses in this recipe.

Notes:

• Speaking of spice cookies, one year Maria or I will have to share the jazzed up, taken-to-the-utmost-level of these cookies: gevulde speculaas. They are stuffed with MARZIPAN! Need I say more?

Adapted from Cookies Unlimited by Nick Malgieri.

Anyways, this cookie might be the one that started it all. I was introduced to it through my in-laws (who in turn were introduced to it through some of their in-laws who in turn learnt it from some of theirs!). It was an immediate favorite. A bready/cakey base with a touch of frosting, topped with chopped pecans. Simple, sweet, satisfying. One particular brother-in-law usually made them. And then, one year, they weren’t made. Probably it was the chaos of college or some other very valid reason. But, the fear of it happening again brought me to the decision of making them myself the next year. Plus a few more. And maybe some more.

So here you go! A beloved family recipe.

By the way, these are a great cookie to include kiddos. The dipping into pecans in particular!

ricotta cookies

Disclaimer: This makes an insane amount of cookies (9-10 dozen). Feel free to halve or even quarter the recipe.

Ingredients:

[for the cookie base]

• 1lb. butter

• 2 cups sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1lb. ricotta (whole milk)

• 2 tsp vanilla (you can vary these with lemon, almond, coconut, or other extract)

• 1 tsp salt

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

[for the frosting and topping]

• 8 tbs (1 stick) salted butter, softened

• 8 tbs milk

• 8 cups powdered sugar

• A generous pinch of salt

• 4 tsp vanilla extract (here is where you can also vary with lemon, almond, coconut, or other extract)

• Chopped pecans* (start with 1-2 cups at a time) or other nut or sprinkles or coconut or other desired topping

Directions:

[for the cookie base]

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and frosty on medium speed.

3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, vanilla (or other extract), and salt. Add to butter mixture, mixing on low until well combined.

4. Add flour and baking soda to batter and mix on low until well combined. (Don’t beat on a speed higher than medium or for too long — otherwise you run the risk of these becoming much too soft and tender and cake-like. Again, their texture falls somewhere between bread and cake.)

5. Drop by teaspoonful amounts* onto a parchment lined baking sheet. If you do the full recipe, you will need to do this in several batches.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, one pan at a time. (The recipe says these should not brown — they are meant to be a soft, delicate cookie. I have never quite managed this! They are always a little brown around the edges. But definitely, the tops should remain pale.)

7. Rest on pans for a minute or two, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

[for the frosting and topping]

1. START WITH HALF of the recipe amounts. Some years this proves plenty. Other years, I need more. It depends on how generous you are with the frosting (and how sweet you like your cookies).

2. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low to medium-low to combine. Then increase speed to medium to medium-high until the frosting is light and fluffy and easy to spread. If too thick, add a bit more milk, a teaspoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency.

[to complete the cookies]

1. Have chopped pecans or other topping of choice ready in a shallow bowl or dish.

2. Take one cookie at a time and smear a spoonful or so amount of frosting across the top (a butter knife or small offset spatula works well here).

3. Drop the cookie frosting downwards into the pecans or other topping and gently pick back up. The cookie top should be nicely coated!

4. Enjoy. Or layer in between sheets of parchment paper in a ziploc bag and stash in freezer in happy anticipation of Christmas Day.

Notes:

• You can toast the pecans. I have many years. But, something gets lost if they are well-toasted. The pecans overwhelm the cookie. These are really best with untoasted pecans, or ones that are just lightly toasted.

• Also, you could chop these in the traditional manner. But my favorite way to get nuts into smaller pieces is using my molcajete.

• Confession: I rarely make these a teaspoonful amount…the amount of batter is just so astounding! Hard not to want to get through it more quickly and plop a more generous amount of batter on the pan.

Many thanks to my brother-in-law and the other in-laws who brought this recipe to me.

A while back, I shared a recipe for Raspberry Oat Bars that were quickly becoming a favorite breakfast/snack bar in our home. In fact, they’re made so frequently that the recipe has become lazier — ahem! — modified over time into something far more streamlined, just as tasty and worthy to be shared.

Most notable developments? The entire batter is made in a food processor, nixing the need to get your kitchen mixer dirty too. Instead of 2 egg yolks, I now make the recipe with 1 whole egg. Instead of needing to soften the butter, you can use it straight from the fridge cold. And you have the option of using strawberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen—or just substituting pre-made jam or preserves!

Also worth noting? When the flour is swapped with gluten-free 1:1 flour, the final gluten-free result is nearly undetectable, making this a great gluten-free treat.

So here they are, presented again below, with suitable modifications for the lazy — ahem! — busy home baker.

berry oat bars

Ingredients:

[for the berry jam]

• 6 oz. raspberries or strawberries (fresh or frozen), or a mixture of the two, or the equivalent amount of raspberry or strawberry jam/preserves

• 1/3 cup white sugar (omit if using pre-made jam or preserves)

[for the crust]

• 1 1/2 cups (about 5.5 oz) old fashioned oats

• 1 cup (about 5 oz) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon cloves (optional, for spicy warm flavor)

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 12 tablespoons (6 oz) butter, cold, cut into pieces

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 whole egg

• powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Prepare the berry jam. [Skip this step if using pre-made jam/preserves.] Combine berries and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, mashing them up a bit with a fork or the back of a spoon. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Prepare the bars. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8- or 9x9-inch square pan and line with parchment paper.

3. Place oats in food processor and pulse 10-15 times into a rough powder. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves (if using) and salt and pulse a few more times to combine. Add the butter and sugar and pulse 5-10 times until crumbly. Scrape down food processor, add egg and vanilla, and pulse a final 5-10 times until mixture comes together into a wet ball.

4. Reserve 1/2 cup of batter for the top. Spread remaining batter in the bottom of the pan. It’s quite thick and sticky, so you may want to use your fingers to press it down. Top with the berry jam and spread evenly across. Use the reserved 1/2 cup of batter to pinch off clumps and drop all over the top. (See photos for reference.)

5. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

notes

• Storing: Stash these bars in an airtight container on the counter (a couple days) or in the fridge (a week) or in the freezer (a couple months) layered between parchment, or wrap them individually and keep them in a large zip loc bag. Lately, instead of wrapping individually with plastic wrap, I’ve been using fold-top plastic sandwich bags because it’s so much faster. Like the Peanut Butter Cranberry Oat Bars, these are a great snack for new moms.

• Gluten-Free: Just swap the flour with a gluten free 1:1 replacement flour and these make an awesome gluten-free treat.

• Premade Jam/Preserves: My favorite quick-hack to make these even faster is to use some of Costco’s organic strawberry preserves.

A creamy lightly-spiced cauliflower soup with robust flavor from toasted almonds, slight heat from harissa-infused browned butter and a bright earthiness from a sprinkling of dill as garnish. I think you’ll love this warm earthy soup in the winter months!

I love a classic mildly flavored cream soup, French-style, but for this recipe I wanted something with a little flair. Cauliflower can really flounder in flavorlessness! I turned to Spain for inspiration, where almonds sometimes serve as the base of a soup (almond gazpacho), and pulled in some extra oomph from across the Mediterranean (specifically, harissa, a North African chili paste). The result was something wonderfully balanced, startlingly delicious, and beautiful when dished in bowls and garnished.

Cauliflower and Almond Cream Soup with Harissa Butter, Almonds and Dill

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 2 teaspoons harissa paste, plus more to taste

• 1 small onion (or half a medium-sized onion), chopped

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

• kosher salt and pepper

• 1 large head of cauliflower (about 2.5-3 pounds), washed, trimmed of stem and leaves, and cut into 1-inch florets

• 4 cups stock or broth (chicken or vegetable), plus additional water

• 1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds, plus more for garnish

• 2-3 tablespoons chopped dill, for garnish

Directions:

1. Make the harissa brown butter. In a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat, melt the butter and continue cooking until it turns a light golden brown. Stir in harissa paste. Pour off 2-3 tablespoons of the harissa brown butter into a small bowl and set aside, leaving roughly 1 tablespoon in the pot.

2. Build the soup. Return pot to medium heat and add in chopped onion, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until onions soften and begin to turn translucent. Add cauliflower, stock and 1/2 cup almonds and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook until the cauliflower is completely softened, about 30 minutes.

3. Puree and season. When the cauliflower is soft, remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup until creamy, adding additional water as needed to achieve a smooth creamy consistency. An immersion blender is a great tool for this task, but you can also ladle the soup in batches and puree it in a blender or vitamix. Just be careful while you’re doing this with a hot liquid, and don’t fill the blender all the way or it will explode out! Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed.

4. Garnish and serve. Return the pot to a low heat and heat through before serving. To serve: drizzle with harissa butter, a sprinkling of reserved almonds, and a smattering of dill. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• Bolder Flavor: Add 1-2 more teaspoons of harissa, and up to 1/4 teaspoon more of cinnamon, cumin and coriander, for a spicier, bolder flavor.

• Harissa Paste: Most grocery stores stock this paste, but I found it easily at Trader Joe’s.

• Sliced Toasted Almonds: You can toast your own sliced almonds, but TJS for the win again sells them already toasted. Slivered almonds would also work well in this recipe if that is what you have on hand.

Adapted from two inspiration recipes, Milk Street Best Cauliflower Soup and Taste of Home Moroccan Cauliflower and Almond Soup.

These easy-to-make bars come together quickly and are a favorite grab n’ go snack around here. There’s something about the simple combination of peanut butter, butter, honey and oats, studded with dried cranberries and topped with a drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt that is just so satisfying.

I discovered this recipe newly postpartum, and especially like to have them (or make them) for new moms. Cut them up and stash them in the fridge or freezer between layers of parchment paper or individually wrapped for when you need an easy burst of energy.

Peanut Butter Cranberry Oat Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter (see notes)

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

• 2 cups old fashioned oats

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/3 cup (2 oz) chocolate chips

• flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat, stir the peanut butter, butter, honey, kosher salt and vanilla until ingredients melt together and are smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in oats and cranberries. Spread evenly in an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan that’s either greased or lined with parchment paper (my preference for easier removal & cutting).

3. Melt chocolate chips in a small glass bowl in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over top of bars. Finish with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.

4. Chill bars in fridge until set, about 30 minutes to an hour. Slice and serve chilled, or store in an airtight container in the fridge (up to one week or so) or freezer (for a few months, if they last!).

Notes:

• Peanut butter: I’ve only used creamy natural Skippy or Jeff, but I think other nut butters, and homemade nut butters, would also work well. If the peanut butter you are working with isn’t sweetened already, you may want to taste the mixture and up the amount of honey used.

• Storing: As mentioned above, I like to slice these bars and stash them in a container in the fridge layered between parchment, or wrap them individually and keep them in a large zip loc bag in the freezer. Lately, instead of wrapping individually with plastic wrap, I’ve been using fold-top plastic sandwich bags because it’s so much faster. These bars get quite soft at room temperature, so they are best served & eaten chilled.

Modified from Real Simple Make-Ahead Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars.

These chocolate cherry almond biscotti were good enough to pull me out of sluggish apathy this morning and finally revive a blog wallowing in abandonment for three years. Well, abandoned by us as bloggers, but not as bakers. We continue to reference this blog for our favorite shared recipes on a weekly, if not daily, basis. And it looks like some of you reading this do the same! Thank you for continuing to follow along over the years, even when new content was scarce. After a long break I think we’re ready to start posting regularly again…just in time for the holidays!

So now let’s just cut to the chase.

chocolate cherry almond biscotti

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

• 1 tablespoon finely ground espresso; or 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup white sugar, plus more for sprinkling

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate*, chopped

• 1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

2. Prepare dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on medium high speed butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down bowl, add eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined, about about 1-2 minutes. (Mixture may look curdled; don’t worry.) Add dry ingredients in three additions, mixing on low until just combined. Scrape down bowl. Add chopped almonds, chocolate and cherries and stir on low until just incorporated.

4. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a log approximately 12 inches long, 1 inch high, and 1.5-2 inches wide. Place side by side lengthwise on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, until slightly firm. The logs will spread and crack a bit, and it adds to their charm!

5. Cool cookie logs on pan for about 20 minutes. Then, carefully lift the logs, one at a time, onto a cutting board and slice each log into slices about 1/2-inch thick. You’ll get anywhere from 15-20 slices from each log, depending on how thick you slice them.

6. Stand slices up on the baking sheet (as Dorie says, like “an army of biscotti”!) and return to the oven to bake at 350 degrees for another 10-20 minutes, until firm. Cool completely. Biscotti keep in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 weeks, and in the freezer for several months. These are great for shipping!

Notes:

• Chocolate: We love to keep Trader Joe’s pound plus chocolate bars on hand for baking.

• Slicing biscotti: I like to cut biscotti slices at a diagonal. It makes each slice slightly longer and gives them an elegantly angled edge. I’ve used both serrated knives and carving knives here, and sometimes one works better than the other. If the nuts are catching on the serrated knife’s edge (which sometimes happens when they are left in larger chunks), then try a carving knife.

• Omissions: Sure, you can leave out the cherries, and the almonds for that matter too, but I just love a chok-a-blok biscotti. Here’s another one for the books: Almond Cranberry Biscotti.

Adapted from none other than the Cookie Queen herself, Dorie Greenspan, in Baking: From My Home to Yours. Sophie chronicles her borderline obsession with Dorie’s cookies here.

Backstory: In high school, we spent just over a month living in Trastevere for my dad’s work, and there was this bakery where we would get cakes. One of these cakes, I still fantasize about today. It was a mysterious creamy cake studded with chocolate chips.

Several years later, I happened upon a recipe in the WSJ for “a ricotta cake you oughta make” and a lightbulb went off. That’s it! It must’ve been some sort of ricotta cheesecake! I clipped the recipe from the newspaper and, several years after that, finally got around to making it.

The first time I tried out this recipe, I ate the cake while still just barely warm from the oven. It had a lovely, soft, pillowy, soufflé-like texture. With a brightness from the orange zest and a warmth from the amaretto splashed in, it was utterly unlike anything I’d ever made before.

Eaten warm or at room temperature, it hardly resembles the cake I remember eating in Rome. But stored in the fridge and enjoyed chilled the next day, the cake takes on a denser, creamier texture more like the cake I’m chasing from my past.

One thing to note: the chocolate chips folded in do not exactly stud the cake. I had a feeling when working with this fluffy batter that they would all sink to the bottom, and they did. When I tried again, this time chopping the chocolate into smaller pieces and then folding it in, the larger chunks still sunk to the bottom while the smaller shavings were suspended. In the end, everyone who tried it actually preferred the first attempt, where the chocolate chips sink clean to the bottom and create a chocolate crust effect. But both ways turn out delicious!

I’m still searching out an exact replica of that cake we ate in Rome, but until then, this cake will do as a wonderfully simple and elegant dessert.

Rustic Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup white sugar

• 5 eggs, separated into yolks and whites

• 1 pound whole-milk ricotta

• 1/4 cup (2 oz.) cream cheese

• 2 tablespoons flour (for gluten-free, use corn starch)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sal (or coarse kosher salt)

• 1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)

• 1 tablespoon amaretto liquor (bourbon also works nicely, and I imagine rum, brandy, cointreau, etc. would as well)

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (see headnotes above)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Place sugar and egg yolks in food processor and pulse until well combined. Add ricotta and pulse until combined. Add cream cheese and pulse. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse. Add orange zest, if using, and liquor, and pulse.

3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until just barely forming stiff peaks. Gently fold into batter with a large spatula, stopping while a few streaks of white remain. Add chocolate and fold batter a few more times to incorporate.

4. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees until puffed and dark golden and the center wobbles slightly, about 45 minutes. Let cool at least ten minutes before running a knife around to loosen the edge and removing the sides of the pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature for a fluffy soufflé-like experience—when stored in the fridge and served chilled, it takes on a dense and creamy but no less delicious texture. Store any leftover in the fridge.

Adapted from the Wall Street Journal, A Ricotta Cake You Oughta Make, July 2013.

As much as I love Ottolenghi’s savory recipes for their dynamic flavor profiles, so much do I love his sweet recipes for their subtlety and finesse. Just like his Oat Cranberry Almond Cookies, these Peanut Sandies have flavor without being in your face. They perfectly balance butter with peanut, sweet with salty, not one element outshining the other. The texture is delicate and crumbles away in your mouth. They are, in a word, a delight.

The recipe itself was dead easy, although the ingredient list was undoubtedly initially in weights because the carry over to measuring cups is a little clumsy. I do highly recommend a kitchen scale for all baking, but you should be OK without one if that’s your case.

I made these cookies pretty thin, a little because I wanted to stretch the dough a bit further but mostly because I’m rubbish at estimating thickness - and even if I had a decent grasp on small increments of height - or had thought to grab a ruler - I’m not much better at rolling dough out evenly to a specific thickness. But I just kept an eye on them as they baked and adjusted the time as necessary (which was significantly less, for what it’s worth.) Being so thin they were very light, almost like crisps. I liked it.

I also coated these with the thinnest swipe of chocolate. Peanut and chocolate is an obvious and obviously amazing combination, but I didn’t want to detract from the cookie with a thick coating. It dressed it up a bit and made it really popular with the kids, but I probably prefer them plain and simple. With coffee, obv.

peanut sandies

makes 2 dozen or so, depending on thickness

Ingredients:

• mounded 1/2 cup (90g) unsalted roasted peanuts

• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp (150g) flour, divided

• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (125g) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (50g) powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• turbinado sugar

• chocolate chips or chocolate candy coating, optional

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, blitz together the peanuts and about 1/3 cup (50g) of the flour until the nuts are finely chopped, then set aside.

2. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar for a few minutes until lightened and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Sift in the flour, salt, and baking powder, and beat on low just briefly. Add the nuts/flour mixture and beat just until combined. Gently and deftly, use your hand or a spatula to knead the dough a bit against the side of the bowl to bring it together, then turn out onto plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, and chill for at least an hour to firm up.

3. Preheat the oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4 inch thickness. (I rolled mine closer to 1/8 inch thick.) Cut out into circles or whatever shape you prefer and transfer to one of the prepared sheets. If the dough is sticky and hard to handle, simply pop the pan into your freezer for a minute or two to firm up. Sprinkle the cookies with turbinado sugar, then bake for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness. They should be golden all over and browning at the edges. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire cooling sheets. Re-roll the dough scraps and repeat the process until you’ve used all the dough.

5. When the cookies are cool, melt some chocolate chips or chocolate-flavored candy coating and either drizzle or spread over the cookies. Or serve them with hot chocolate to the same effect. Or use them instead of graham crackers for s’mores - that would be amazing. Or spread them with jelly for a twist on pb&j. Or just eat them plain. With coffee, obv.

I’ve left the recipe much the same, mostly simplifying and clarifying the measurements and giving a bit more detail in the instructions.

Zucchini Bake

Serves about 12 as a side dish and about 6-8 as a main course.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour

• 1 tbs sugar

• 1 tbs baking powder

• 4tbs or 1/2 stick of butter, cut into 1/2 in cubes

• 1/2 tsp oregano

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp parsley

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan/Romano (about 1/2 oz)

• 1-2 pounds of zucchini

• 1 small onion

• 1/2 cup oil

• 4 eggs

• 4-6 oz mild, good melting cheese, grated (We use what is on hand. Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and mild cheddar are safe bets.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13in baking pan and set aside.

2. Measure flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix to combine. Add butter cubes and cut into the flour mixture until the pieces are roughly pea sized. Add oregano, garlic powder, salt, and parsley. Mix well, then set aside.

3. Chop zucchini into bite sized pieces. (I like to make mine into thin quarters. You don’t want the chunks too big, or else they won’t bake up tender.) Dump pieces into flour mixture. Chop the onions finely and add them to the flour mixture as well. Finally, add the grated Parmesan/Romano. Toss everything well to coat with the flour mixture.

4. Measure out oil into a glass liquid measuring cup. Add eggs. Using a fork or whisk, blend well. Pour into zucchini flour mixture, then mix everything until well combined.

5. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Top with grated cheese. Place in heated oven and bake for about 30minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are beginning to brown. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Have Bisquick on hand? Use instead of the flour, sugar, baking powder, and butter mix.

• Fresh herbs can easily be substituted (using about 3x as much as dried). If out of oregano or parsley, try substituting Italian seasoning or basil or thyme instead! Plenty of room for you to tweak to your liking.

The texture is dense and creamy, and serves as perfect base for nearly any fruit that is in the house. On the less sweet side, it is perfect for whipping up on an ordinary day, but can be dressed up with whipped cream for more special occasions. We’ve enjoyed it as dessert, with coffee for breakfast, and also as a snack throughout the day. It is so tasty — it is hard to resist when sitting on the counter.

I’ll offer the basic recipe, but please vary as you wish! It is a very forgiving recipe and every variation I have tried has been a hit. To help you get started, I’ll offer three recent variations. In two of them, I swap in something else for part of the ricotta, in case you run short of the full amount or want to adapt it further.

Everyday ricotta cake

Makes one 9inch circle cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup flour

• 3/4 cup sugar (can increase to 1 cup for a sweeter cake, or if your fruit is especially tart, but I never do)

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 cup ricotta

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1 stick salted butter, melted

• About 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit (chopped into bite side pieces if needed), divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9in cake pan (any will do, but spring-form is slightly easier) and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add to dry ingredients and fold the batter until thoroughly mixed.

4. Fold in butter until fully incorporated, followed by 3/4 of the fruit. If your fruit is tender, take care not to crush it.

5. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth out the top, then scatter the remaining fruit on top.

6. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until nicely bronzed, the center springs back when gently pressed, and a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Then allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy!

Variations:

Berry Medley: Add the zest of one lemon to the dry ingredients. Use a mixture of berries for the fruit (I used a frozen mix of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries). It was a popular flavor!

Bitter Tangerine Goat: Swap in 1/2 cup of goat cheese for an equal part of the ricotta and use chopped tangerines for the fruit. The goat cheese adds a lovely depth to the cake, preserves the rich creaminess, and isn’t overwhelming. It’s flavor is just barely perceptible which contrasts nicely with the citrus. You could easily add more if you want a more dominant flavor. Chopped tangerines (and oranges in general) get bitter when baked, their membranes packing a punch like a grapefruit (even while their insides remain sweet and juicy). My husband loves the bitterness, but it isn’t for everyone.

Almond Apple: Swap in 3/4 cup sour cream for an equal part of the ricotta, add 1/2 tsp almond extract to the wet ingredients (more if you want a pronounced flavor), and use peeled and chopped apples for the fruit. Cut the apple pieces small to ensure they cook through. The sour cream (and larger substitution of it) made the cake slightly less creamy than the full ricotta version, but the difference was small. This cake also improved as it sat, increasing in flavor and becoming more moist and dense in texture the following day.

Adapted from this recipe.

This content contains referral links; all opinions expressed are completely our own.

This month brings yet another installment of The Well-Stocked Kitchen, a series of posts in which we take a virtual tour through our kitchens and name off the items we reach for day after day, those gadgets and doodads that make cooking and baking that much easier, and enjoyable.

This month’s line-up: small appliances. Pretty much any small counter-top item that needs to be plugged in.

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out part 1: stovetop essentials, part 2: cooking essentials, part 3: baking essentials, and part 4: essential utensils.

the well-stocked kitchen

part 5: small appliances

crockpot: a staple of the busy mom, the crockpot or slow cooker is an incredibly easy way to get dinner done. Use it for stews, beans, pulled meat, soup, stock…pretty much anything that cooks best low and slow. Many items can cook for anywhere from 6-8 hours or more on low, which means you can get it set in the morning, leave for a day of work or errands, and return knowing that dinner is ready with little or no extra prep. Crockpots are also a great way to keep food warm at a party. Crockpots can come with fancy frills, like digital displays and programmable timers, but even the most basic styles get the job done.

rice cooker: rice cookers take the risk out of cooking rice, yielding perfectly cooked grains every time. Most rice cookers have programmable timers that adjust for varieties of rice (white, brown). For cooking and keeping rice warm (like for a party), or when a more involved meal means stovetop space is tight, the rice cooker saves the day.

pressure cooker (Instant pot): kill two, or three, or more, birds with one stone, skip the separate slow cooker and rice cooker, and get the multi-purpose Instapot. It yields tender, cooked foods in record times. Many swear by the improved flavor of food cooked under pressure. Personally, I prefer to use my dutch oven whenever possible, but if I need food cooked fast (like, a roast, or chicken breasts from frozen, or beans within the hour) or when stovetop space is tight, I reach for the Instapot. (For great and creative recipe inspiration, check out Amy + Jacky’s PressureCookRecipes.com.)

immersion blender: Transferring ladlefuls of burning hot soup from the pot on the stove into your blender and back again really isn't worth the trouble…especially when the steam causes the liquid to explode through the lid and onto the ceiling! Save yourself the headache and get an immersion blender. Not only can you puree soups directly in the pot, you can also use it to make a more stable whipped cream, smoothies and baby food, or to quickly pulse up things like oats.

toaster/toaster oven: If you want toast, you kind of need a toaster. And that’s pretty much all toasters are good for. Some look cooler than others, but even the barest of bare-bones toasters get the job done. Some more deluxe toaster models include warming racks on top which can also serve the purpose of warming up pastries or muffins or pieces of pizza, and that’s cool. But if you’re willing to sacrifice the counter real estate, and looking for an appliance with a little more purpose, a toaster oven is infinitely more useful. Toaster Ovens toast and roast, cook and bake, warm and broil, and some models even air-fry. It saves you from having to heat up the kitchen on a hot day for a small item. It means you can quickly bake up a few balls of cookie dough or a handful of pizza bites for a late-night snack. You can reheat your leftovers, and throw in a piece of toast, too.

kitchen aid mixer: I don’t care if you think you’re “not a baker,” you need one of these in your kitchen! Someday you’ll be kicking yourself for not having it. Kitchen Aid Mixers aren’t just useful for making cookies, cakes and frosting, with their various extensions, they also make kneading dough and shaping pasta so much more convenient, and therefore fresh bread and pasta that much more attainable. If you are a more serious baker, you’ll want to pay more attention to the model, capacity and style (tilt head or bowl lift) of the Kitchen Aid mixer you select. Many stores carry what appear to be “economy” lines of the Kitchen Aid, which are cheaper and more cheaply made. As for style, I prefer the bowl lift over the head tilt, because it seems more sturdy and heavy-duty. Likewise, I prefer the larger 6 or 7 quart capacity, but it’s a beast of a machine. The classic model (pictured) is a great machine and will serve you well.

blender: better at producing super-silky-smooth purees, I prefer the blender over the food processor for things like smoothies and hummus. Oster makes a good one that is easy to keep clean. There is also the Vitamix, impressive to behold and unparalleled for its crushing power (great for nut butters).

food processor: useful for chopping up veggies, nuts, shredding or slicing large quantities of foods quickly, and making purees, pesto, nut butter, pie crusts, doughs, and more. The Cuisinart is a classic here, with a wide range of styles and models. Look for one with a medium-to-large capacity with the various attachments included so it will work for a greater variety of food prep.

coffee maker: our family is a long-time fan of the Bunn coffee maker, which may seem like a steep price for your daily brew, but it’s well worth the money. The Bunn brews superior coffee. The model with a thermal carafe cost a little bit more, but it keeps your coffee warm without the risk of burning it. Even if you don’t drink coffee yourself, you do want to consider having some sort of a way to provide coffee for guests, even if it’s just a French Press or Pour Over option.

coffee grinder: if you drink coffee regularly, you know what a difference it makes to grind it fresh vs. buy it pre-ground. (It makes even more, perhaps THE difference, to roast it yourself, but that’s another story.) Burr grinders offer greater control and uniformity by grinding the beans instead of slicing them like your typical blade grinder. We like this conical burr grinder by Capresso.

waffle iron: if you’re going to make waffles, you need a waffle iron. It’s worth owning, even if you only eat waffles a handful of times a year. Because without it, there just aren’t any waffles. Make classic waffles, flavored waffles, buttermilk waffles, savory waffles, leige waffles…or waffle up other non-waffle foods. You can invest in a stately, highly-rated waffle iron (like the Cuisinart Double Belgian) but honestly? I love my simple Presto FlipSide.

countertop griddle: an electric griddle is incredibly handy when frying large batches of things that would otherwise take an endless string of batches in a pan on the stove. Think pancakes, pierogies, meatballs, grilled cheese for a crowd. An option with sides, like this one, is even more useful for things like deep frying and cooking down carnitas.

stay tuned for more posts in the well-stocked kitchen series!

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out part 1: stovetop essentials, part 2: cooking essentials, part 3: baking essentials, and part 4: essential utensils.

ham, potato, & cheese galette

Makes 1 large and hefty galette, enough for 8 massive servings or 10-12 more moderate ones.

Ingredients:

[For the Crust]:

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 sticks cold butter, cut into small cubes

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1/4 cup cold water*

• 1 tbs white vinegar (I often sub in ACV for a slightly different flavor profile)

[For the Potato and Ham Filling]:

• 3 lbs baking potatoes

• 2 tbs oil

• 1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 to 1 lb ham, in bite sized pieces

[For the Cheese Sauce]:

• 2 tbs butter

• 2 tbs flour

• 1 1/2 cup milk

• Pinch salt

• 6 oz of cheese, grated (I used a combo of Monterey Jack and cheddar — but anything that melts well and suits your fancy will do!)

[To Finish]:

• I egg, beaten

• 2 oz cheese

Directions:

[For the Crust]:

1. Measure the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and mix.

2. Add cold butter cubes and mix to coat with flour. Then, using your hands, two knives, or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until most of the butter chunks are pea-sized. A few larger butter chunks is more than fine.

3. In a liquid measuring cup, measure the cold water, then add the sour cream and vinegar. Mix well.

4. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour and butter mixture. Stir briefly to mostly moisten the flour. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead briefly until the dough comes together and nearly all the stray flour is incorporated.

5. Wrap with plastic and keep in the fridge for at least an hour (and up to a day or so, or even longer in the freezer).

[For the Potato and Ham Filling]:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks. Spread onto a large baking sheet (but if you have two, use them since they won’t steam or stick as much).

3. Drizzle oil over potatoes followed by the salt. (If the cheese you are using is on the less salty side like mine, use the full amount.) Using your hands, mix well until the potatoes are thoroughly coated.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes or so, until easily bitten and not raw but not as soft as butter (they will cook further in the galette later).

5. Scrape potatoes into a large bowl. If they fall apart a little, that is fine. Add ham to the potatoes and set aside.

[For the Cheese Sauce]:

1. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium low heat. Once melted, add flour and stir to create a paste. Cook for about a minute. Then slowly add milk, whisking well after each little addition. At first, you should only add very little amounts and pause to whisk in to prevent lumps from forming, but towards the last 1/2 cup or so of milk, you can start to pour in larger amounts.

2. Once all the milk is added, cook stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens slightly, to the consistency of heavy cream. Turn off heat.

3. Add grated cheese. Stir until melted and thoroughly mixed.

4. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes and ham. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

[To Finish]:

1. Remove dough from fridge. If it was in the freezer, it may need to come to sit at room temp for 20-30 minutes before it is soft enough to roll.

2. Flour a large surface lightly with flour. Then roll the dough into a large, roughly 20in circle, adding more flour if necessary to keep from sticking.

3. Gently transfer dough to a large pan. (If you don’t do this now, the weight and heat of the filling will make it nearly impossible later.)

4. Add potato, ham, and cheese filling to the middle and spread evenly over the crust, leaving a rough 4in border of crust around the edge. Sprinkle the 2oz of grated cheese on top.

5. Take the crust border and gently fold it over the filling, going around the whole edge of the galette, creating lovely folds.

6. Brush crust with egg wash. Then bake for 40 minutes, rotating halfway through, until well bronzed on top and bottom. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!

Notes:

• My previous galette post uses 1/3 cup of water in the dough. I find that measurement very frustrating with liquids, so opted to use 1/4 cup instead. No notable difference and much more convenient.

• Don’t have a large enough circular pan? No worries. Just roll the dough into a large rectangle and bake on a sheet pan instead. Some servings might not get as much crust. Alternatively, divide dough into two and make two smaller circles.

This content contains referral links; all opinions expressed are completely our own.

This is kind of a crossover between two cookie classics—Keebler’s Magic Middles and Hershey’s Secret Kiss cookies.

I’ve never actually eaten a store-bought Magic Middle, but last summer I tried out Stella Park’s copycat recipe in her phenomenal cookbook BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts. The flavor was perfection, and the magic of finding chocolate on the inside of what looks like a plain sugar cookie was real. My only holdback was the recipe required a bit more technique…work…than I want in a fairly straight-forward cookie.

The Keebler Fudge Magic Middle was a shortbread cookie with a soft chocolate center. Was because, from what I gather, the line of chocolate and peanut butter Middles was discontinued nearly a decade ago.

The Hershey’s Secret Kiss cookie is a pecan shortbread cookie dough rolled in powdered sugar and wrapped around a Hershey’s Kiss. It’s a Christmas cookie platter classic.

Magic “Kiss” Middles combine elements of the two: a soft buttery vanilla sugar cookie dough, rolled in sparkling granulated sugar with the surprise of a milk chocolate kiss inside.

It’s a pretty simple idea, simple to make, but oh so delicious.

Quick Note: I’ve tried several different sugar cookie recipes for the base until returning, again and again, to the most reliable and, quite frankly, delicious sugar cookie I’ve ever had: Bakedat350’s Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookie. They work perfectly as roll-out sugar cookies, and they work perfectly here. They are kind of legendary in the food blog world, and rightly so. If you haven’t made these sugar cookies before, do it now. I don’t think you’ll ever use another recipe again.

magic kiss middles

makes 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (8 oz) cold salted butter, cubed

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 egg, straight from fridge

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 48 Hershey’s Kisses (about 10 oz bag)

• additional white sugar, for rolling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together cold cubed butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until well combined. Scrape down bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture and stir on low until just combined. The mixture will be quite crumbly, so you may want to remove bowl from stand and finish off kneading the dough together by hand.

2. Unwrap Hershey’s kisses. Take about a tablespoon of dough in your hand, flatten slightly, place Kiss in center, and shape the dough around the Kiss until it’s wrapped completely. Roll ball in white sugar and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Repeat with remaining cookies. (I did two sheets at a time, 12 on each, so two total batches in the oven).

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until cookies look set and just begin to catch golden color around the bottom edges. Let rest on pan for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for several days.

Cookie base adapted from Bakedat350’s Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookie. 

Before you ask me, “Why another white sandwich bread recipe?”, let me ask you: do you ever have leftover mashed potatoes going bad in your fridge because no one wants to eat them? Or do you ever have that last bit of buttermilk that you can’t find a use for? And if you said no to both of those, then how about this: Why NOT another white sandwich bread recipe? Especially when it is a supremely soft, voluminous loaf, with a little more chew than your standard white and a bit more flavor profile from the buttermilk, This is a glorious loaf of bread. If you have enough restraint to let it cool completely before slicing, it makes for wonderful sandwiches and even better toast.

potato buttermilk sandwich bread

makes two 9x5 inch loaves

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mashed potato

• 1 stick butter, soft

• 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

• 4 tsp active dry yeast

• 2 Tbsp sugar

• 6 - 6 1/2 cups flour

• 2 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the potatoes and butter. If your potatoes are freshly cooked and hot, great!, just stir in the stick of butter until it melts in. If they’re cold from the fridge, heat them up a bit to the same end.

2. Mix in the buttermilk and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over, and stir to combine. Finally, add the flour and salt, and knead until the dough becomes soft and supple, 10 minutes or so.

3. Transfer the dough and allow to rise until doubled, anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

4. Grease two 9x5 loaves. Gently deflate the dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf. There are a lot of ways to shape a loaf but the easiest way is to gently press and stretch the dough into a rectangle roughly the size of printing paper, 8 x 11 inches. Fold the bottom third up, then the top third over, then place the loaf seam side down in the pan, tucking the ends underneath.

5. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise until the loaf is about 1 inch over the edge of the pan, 1 - 1.5 hrs. Keep an eye on this if your house is especially warm, because you don’t want to overproof your bread. You’ll know the loaf is ready to bake by a simple poke test: Gently poke the dough with your finger; if the dough springs back immediately, it’s not ready to bake; if the poke remains permanently in the loaf, you’ve taken it too far. You want the indentation to linger a few seconds and slowly return to shape. When the dough is close to done, start preheating your oven to 375.

6. When the loaves have risen, slash the loaf lengthwise with a sharp blade if you’d like that classic bread loaf look, or don’t! And brush the loaf with a lightly beaten egg for a shiny crust, or don’t! You can also just brush with a little milk and cream for some color, or don’t! A lot of this is just aesthetic. Bake the loaves for 40 minutes, or until they are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped - or, if you’re looking to be more precise, the internal temperature registers around 180-185.

7. Allow to cool fully before slicing. Enjoy!

Source: Joy of Cooking

Cookies stamped using the cookie stamp pictured and cinnamon to keep from sticking. Pattern remains distinct, and they get the extra flavor boost!

I hit upon this recipe when making homemade mallomars for Easter. We modified the baking and assembly method, so had some extra dough from the cookie base. I rolled them into a few balls, stamped them with my cookie stamp, and out came graham-like cookies I fell in love with. Hopelessly.

About the cookie stamp. Sarah gifted me one she had found in a thrift store, and it is amazingly charming. Cookies that usually have to be rolled out and cut can be rolled into balls and stamped in much less time and with lovely, homey results. For someone who loves efficiency and convenience when cooking and baking but also appreciates a touch of beauty, the cookie stamp is becoming much beloved in my kitchen. Perfect to keep in mind as a little gift too!

Cookies stamped with the cookie stamp using flour to keep from sticking. The pattern is more subtle, but still plenty enough interest for an everyday cookie.

These cookies are delightful on their own, but also pair very well with peanut butter sandwiched in between (or melted chocolate, or both mixed together!). They work well for graham cracker crusts, and based on the mallomars, they would taste delicious for s’mores.

graham cookies

Makes 32 thin, crispy cookies or 16 softer, cakier cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 cup graham or wheat flour*

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• Pinch(es) of spice (Use a variety or none at all! As suits you. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and/or ginger would all be good choices.)

• 1 stick butter, softened

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

• 2 tbs honey

• 1/4 cup milk or water

• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices (if using). Set aside.

2. In a small glass measuring cup, measure the milk or water. Add the vanilla. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, brown sugar, and honey. Beat on medium to low speed until nice and creamy. This should take a couple minutes. Please avoid beating on high speed — you don’t want a lot of air whipped into these.

4. Add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the milk mixture in two parts. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary to ensure everything is mixed thoroughly and evenly.

5. Turn dough onto the counter. Decide if you’d like crisp or cake-like cookies and divide the dough into 32 pieces for the former and into 16 pieces for the latter. (Or make half into 16 pieces and the other half into 8 pieces for a bit of both!) If your dough is very soft or your kitchen very hot, you may need to stick it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up a little if much too soft and messy to deal with, but I usually don’t need to.

6. Roll each piece into a ball. Put on a plate, and stick in the fridge to firm up a little before stamping. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350.

7. About 30 minutes later or so, take your dough balls out of the fridge. Grab a small piece of parchment paper to keep your dough from sticking on the counter. Get your cookie stamp, dust with flour or cinnamon to keep the dough from sticking, then stamp the dough ball into an even disk. Lift stamp, and if needed, gently peel off the cookie disk from the stamp. Transfer to a baking sheet and continue with the remaining dough balls making sure to dust with flour or cinnamon* before stamping each cookie. These cookies do not spread too much, but leaving about an inch between each cookie is a good idea.

8. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cookies should brown on top and around the edges just a little. For crisp cookies, err on the longer side.

9. Let cookies sit on pan for a minute or two then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. These store well in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Notes:

• If you have a white wheat flour, use it for all of the flour and skip using a mixture of pure white and wheat.

• This recipe does tend to stick to the cookie stamp if not generously dusted. Flour works very well and usually doesn’t show after baking. Cinnamon works too and makes the pattern more distinct. I’ve tried cocoa for a chocolate dough, and it also worked, but slightly less well.

• No cookie stamp?

  • These can also be rolled and cut into shapes. (They should be able to be rolled right away on a floured surface, but stick in fridge for 10min to firm up a little if far too soft and messy. After cutting into shapes, transfer to baking pan and allow to firm up in the fridge for about 30 min before baking to help them retain their shape. If you don’t want too much puffing, poke cookies with a fork before baking.)

  • Or: my guess is that the greased bottom of a water glass dusted with flour, cinnamon, or perhaps even granulated sugar would do the trick as well. No pattern, but less effort than rolling and cutting into shapes!

Adapted from this recipe.