Baking
Pizza Dough
Homemade pizza is more accessible than you think, especially if you keep a supply of dough in the freezer, and a few topping ingredients on hand. If you make small pizzas ("pizzettas"), you can individualize the toppings, and satisfy the various tastes of everyone in you household without a whole lot of extra work.
By Mollie Katzen
Christmas Cranberry, Pear and Walnut Torte with Cream Cheese-Orange Frosting
Eggs provide the leavening in this spiced cake, and melted butter keeps it tender.
Chocolate Toffee Cookies
By Ginny Leith Holland
Shortcut Cinnamon Buns
Traditional cinnamon buns are made with yeast, but our biscuit-dough buns are faster to make and just as delicious.
Lemon-Honey Almond Cake
The cake has an appealing, somewhat coarse texture; drizzled with a honey-lemon syrup, the dessert is reminiscent of baklava. Both matzo meal and the more finely ground matzo cake meal are used here.
Passover Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce
Perfect for the Jewish holiday, this flourless torte has an airy soufflé-like texture. The sauce adds a special-occasion touch.
World's Easiest Chocolate Cake (Mud Cake)
"I adapted this recipe from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book," says Ashley-George Menger of New Vernon, New Jersey. "It's the easiest chocolate cake I've ever made—you don't even need a bowl. I love to serve it around the holidays, and with friends and family around, it disappears fast!"
You can also make this cake in 2 (8 1/2- by 4 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans.
By Ashely George Menger
Sour Cream and Herb Muffins
Try these alongside egg dishes at brunch or with soup and salad for lunch.
Honey Cake
This recipe is a variation on the classic Jewish honey cake, which is traditionally eaten at joyful celebrations such as betrothals, weddings, and the New Year, when it symbolizes the hope that the future will be sweet.
Chocolate-Almond Pie
By Lauren Groveman
Grape Tart
To get the look we wanted for this tart, we used grapes in assorted colors and shapes and halved the larger ones. Taste grapes before making the pastry cream. Their flavor will determine how much sugar you use— if the grapes are tart, use 1/3 cup sugar; if sweet, use 1/4 cup.
Molten Chocolate Cakes
Individual warm chocolate cakes with soft centers appeared on restaurant dessert menus across the country late in the decade.