Baking

Bisquick got its start in the early thirties when Carl Smith, a salesman for General Mills, took a late-night train ride. He went to the dining car in hopes of finding something to eat, and was pleasantly surprised to be served freshly made biscuits. When he asked about them, the chef confessed that he kept a pre-mixed batch of ingredients for the dough in the freezer for late orders. Smith reported back to General Mills, suggesting that they market such a mix, and they did. But it’s not just for biscuits; Bisquick can be used to make pancakes and waffles, and this luscious coffee cake, too.

Many southerners object to the practice of adding sugar to corn bread, but associate food editor Alexis Touchet, who grew up in Louisiana, is all for it. Sugar, in fact, is listed as an optional ingredient in the recipe for "pain de maïs nonpareil" in The Picayune's Creole Cook Book, first published in 1901. It's important here that your cast-iron skillet is well seasoned and thoroughly preheated—you want the batter to sizzle when you pour it in.

Capri, Italy This decadent flourless chocolate and almond cake originated on the island of Capri, where it's called torta Caprese.

The frozen berries aren't thawed before you use them, so this dessert is super fast.

Schwarzwälder Torte Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling meringues)

Lorraine Stevenski of Clearwater, Florida, writes: "I cook just about every weeknight for my family. To speed things up, I do my grocery shopping on weekends, along with making quick breads, cakes, and other baked goods. My 12-year-old son, Billy, is also a big help in the kitchen. He has practically become my personal sous chef with all the chopping and grilling he does."

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr (includes cooling)

We chose Golden Delicious apples because they are available everywhere, but you can use locally grown heirloom varieties from your farmers' market instead. Just be sure to ask which ones are best for baking.

"My grandmother was a reporter in New York before she got married and moved to Montana to start a new life on a ranch," writes Joyce Litz of Albuquerque, New Mexico. "At the time she didn't know how to cook, and learning wasn't easy — the place didn't even have running water. Still, she appreciated good food, so she persevered and became a great cook. Later my grandmother taught me ranch-style cooking, a lot of which involved getting simple but flavorful, hearty meals ready in a hurry." Boost the payoff with a scoop of ice cream.

This dessert has a silky texture and intense flavors. Begin preparing it a day ahead.

This flan is my variation of a classic Cuban dessert that's usually made with calabaza (also known as West Indian pumpkin). I've added a crunchy gingersnap crust, and the overall effect is like a cheesecake with a crispy crust. Use canned pumpkin if calabaza is unavailable.

You can start baking this beautiful cake two days ahead: Make the cake layers and the raspberry curd a day before assembling; then the completed cake can be refrigerated a day before serving.

These can be cut out the night before, refrigerated unbaked on a baking sheet, and then popped into the oven in the morning. They will be ready in just 20 minutes.

European-style butter pushes the already incredible crumbly richness of classic shortbread to a whole new level.