MAKES 2 LOAVES
To achieve the proper dough consistency, make sure to weigh your ingredients. The dough will appear very wet and sticky until the final few minutes of kneading; do not be tempted to add supplemental flour.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
This American classic frequently disappoints due to either precious little cinnamon flavor or, just as bad, a gloppy, oozing filling reminiscent of sticky buns. The bread itself is often an afterthought of pedestrian white bread, or else it’s a cakey, dense affair. We swapped in an airy, cottony Japanese white bread called shokupan and struck a balanced filling with a mixture of cinnamon, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. To ensure that our filling stayed put and could be tasted with every bite, we traded the traditional swirl shape for a simple yet elegant Russian braid.

Makes about 6 cups of mix, enough for 3 batches of 8 pancakes each

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
All-purpose flour made for tough pancakes. Replacing half the all-purpose flour with cake flour yielded sturdy yet tender cakes. To give pancakes made from our Better-than-the-Box Pancake Mix complexity and depth, we added an unusual ingredient: malted milk powder. It imparted a sweet, nutty flavor that tasters loved. Tasters also preferred the flavor of butter to vegetable shortening. For higher-rising pancakes, we used fresh buttermilk instead of milk when mixing up the batter. The acid of the buttermilk reacted with the baking soda, causing the batter to bubble.

SERVES 4 TO 6
If pressed for time, a 1-hour marinade will provide sufficient flavor, but it will not tenderize the meat as well as a longer marinade. Make sure to buy English-style ribs that have at least 1 inch of meat on top of the bone, avoiding ones that have little meat and large bones. Two pounds of boneless short ribs at least 4 inches long and 1 inch thick can be used instead of bone-in ribs. Alternatively, 2 1/2 pounds of thinly sliced Korean-style ribs can be used (no butchering is required; see modified instructions in step 5). For a spicier marinade, add 1/2 teaspoon or more hot red pepper flakes. Serve with steamed rice, kimchi (spicy pickled vegetables), and, if available, a spicy bean paste called gochujang. Traditionally, all these ingredients are wrapped in a lettuce leaf and eaten like a taco.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Butchering the short ribs properly proved to be the most important step in developing our grilled Korean short ribs recipe. Using English-style short ribs (the cut most widely available in markets), we made four slices from each rib, evening them out with a quick pounding. The right marinade was also critical—pear puree turned out to be a key ingredient. The pear balanced the acidity of the rice vinegar, adding sweetness and a fruit flavor.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2013/03/we-prove-it-fattier-meat-requires-more-salt-for-seasoning/

10 enchiladas, serving 4 or 5

If you prefer, Monterey Jack can be used instead of cheddar, or, for a mellower flavor and creamier texture, try substituting an equal amount of farmers’ cheese.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Chicken enchiladas are a complete meal that offers a rich and complex combination of flavors, textures, and ingredients. The problem with preparing enchiladas at home is that traditional cooking methods require a whole day of preparation. We wanted a recipe for an Americanized version of chicken enchiladas that could be made in 90 minutes from start to finish. To save time preparing the tortillas, we sprayed them with vegetable oil spray and warmed them on a baking sheet in the oven. We created a quick chili sauce with onions, garlic, spices, and tomato sauce, and to further enhance the sauce’s flavor, we poached the chicken right in the sauce. This step also made for moist, flavorful meat. And cheddar cheese spiked with canned jalapeños and fresh cilantro made a rich, flavorful filling.

MAKES NINE 5-INCH TURNOVERS

If at any point during rolling the dough becomes sticky and difficult to work with, transfer it to a cookie sheet or cutting board, wrap it in plastic, and chill until it becomes workable. The dough can be made through step 4, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. Defrost frozen dough in the refrigerator 1 day before you plan to use it.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For an apple turnover recipe that wouldn’t require a day in the kitchen, we used quick food processor puff pastry and added a quick extra step for more flakiness—the classic technique fraisage, in which the dough is pressed, one handful at a time, against the work surface so the butter is forced into thin sheets. Instead of using chunks or slices in our apple turnover recipe, we grated the apples for maximum flavor, then seasoned them with lemon juice, sugar, and just a pinch of salt, saving the cinnamon for dusting the surface of the turnovers.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2013/02/secrets-to-apple-turnovers/

Makes 11/2 cups, enough to frost 12 cupcakes

Soften the cream cheese at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Do not soften in the microwave or the texture of the frosting will be runny.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We developed our Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting recipe to go with our Carrot Cupcakes recipe. The heavy cream cheese frosting we love with our carrot cake overpowered the delicate texture of our new, lighter cupcakes. We found that first combining the butter and confectioners’ sugar and then adding the cream cheese one piece at a time gave us more control of the frosting’s texture, ultimately producing a pleasing fluffy version.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
These Sugared Lemon Slices produce a lovely candied lemon garnish for cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, and drinks. (They’re also delicious on their own.) It is important to cut them to the recommended thickness: thin enough to be translucent, but not so thin as to fall apart during simmering.

Makes one cake

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To translate our favorite summer sipper into a playful pink cake, we started with our basic chiffon cake recipe. Adding lemon juice, lemon zest, and a few drops of red food coloring to the batter replicates the flavor and color of pink lemonade, and a tangy cream cheese frosting—also bolstered with citrus—tops it off. For a final touch, a ring of sugared lemon slices—pink, of course—circles the cake.

SERVES 12 TO 14

To save time, let the eggs, buttermilk, and butter come up to temperature while the browned butter and spice mixture cools. To prevent unsightly air holes in the finished cake, be sure to follow the instructions for removing air bubbles in the batter (see illustrations below). Leftover cake can be stored, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The cake should be brought to room temperature before serving.

Makes 16 brownies

These brownies are moist and packed with chocolate flavor, but they won’t crumble when you cut them. In fact, they hold up well enough to pack in a child’s lunchbox or bring to a picnic or bake sale. They’re pretty good at home, too, with a tall glass of milk. Use either creamy or chunky peanut butter, but avoid old-fashioned brands with oil on top. To gild the lily, cover these brownies with chocolate frosting (see optional recipe below).

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
This peanut butter swirl brownie recipe is a novel—and delicious—new variation on the plain chocolate brownie. Adding baking powder to this peanut butter swirl brownie recipe lent them slightly cakey, very sturdy texture that didn’t crumble when sliced; unsweetened chocolate added the richest chocolate flavor. Swirl peanut butter into the batter just before sliding the pan into the oven. Finally, ensuring that a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan of brownies came out with some moist batter or crumbs attached indicated the brownies were baked perfectly; around the edges the toothpick should come out clean. We found that topping the peanut butter swirl brownies with chocolate frosting added an extra layer of decadence for special occasions.