Pork tenderloins are often sold two to a package, each piece usually weighing 12 to 16 ounces. The cooking times below are for two average 12-ounce tenderloins; if necessary, adjust the times to suit the size of the cuts you are cooking. For maximum time efficiency, while the pork is brining, make the rub and then light the fire. If you opt not to brine, bypass step 1 in the recipe below and sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt before grilling. Use a rub (see related recipes) whether or not the pork has been brined—it adds flavor and forms a nice crust on the meat.

ready in about an hour and 15 minutes; serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • granulated sugar

Pork tenderloins are often sold two to a package, each piece usually weighing 12 to 16 ounces. The cooking times below are for two average 12-ounce tenderloins; if necessary, adjust the times to suit the size of the cuts you are cooking. For maximum time efficiency, while the pork is brining, make the rub and then light the fire. If you opt not to brine, bypass step 1 in the recipe below and sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt before grilling. Use a rub (see related recipes) whether or not the pork has been brined—it adds flavor and forms a nice crust on the meat.

ready in about an hour and 15 minutes; serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • granulated sugar

More challenging to cook properly than a regular thin frittata, a thick, hearty frittata often ends up dry, overstuffed, and overcooked.

An ovensafe nonstick 12-inch skillet is a must for this recipe and the variations that are linked. Because broilers vary so much in intensity, watch the frittata carefully as it cooks.

ready in about 20 minutes; serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • half-and-half
  • Table salt and ground black pepper

Do not substitute lowfat or skim milk for the whole milk in this recipe. To ensure a sticky and crisp topping, make the topping just before baking. Walnuts can be substituted for the pecans.

ready in about an hour and a half; serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • Casserole
  • large eggs
  • whole milk
  • half-and-half
  • sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • ground cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • Topping
  • packed light brown sugar
  • corn syrup

Mirin, a sweet Japanese rice wine, is a key component of teriyaki; it can be found in the international section of most major supermarkets and in most Asian markets. If you cannot find it, use 2 tablespoons white wine and an extra teaspoon of sugar. If desired, low-sodium soy sauce can be used in place of regular soy sauce. Serve with steamed rice, preferably short grain.

ready in about 45 minutes; serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • Ground black pepper
  • vegetable oil
  • soy sauce
  • sugar
  • mirin
  • grated fresh ginger
  • cornstarch

More challenging to cook properly than a regular thin frittata, a thick, hearty frittata often ends up dry, overstuffed, and overcooked.

An ovensafe nonstick 12-inch skillet is a must for this recipe and the variations that are linked. Because broilers vary so much in intensity, watch the frittata carefully as it cooks.

ready in about 20 minutes; serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • large eggs
  • half-and-half
  • Table salt and ground black pepper
  • olive oil

If your kitchen is very warm, refrigerate all of the dough ingredients for 30 minutes before making the dough. If the dough ever becomes too soft and/or sticky to work with, simply return it to the refrigerator until firm; a dough scraper also comes in handy here. There should be plenty of dough to cut out and make 48 empanadas without having to reroll any dough scraps; we found the rerolled scraps of dough to be very tough. The filling can be made while the dough rests in the refrigerator.

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=3988&bdc=47856

ready in about an hour; serves 48
You might need to buy:
  • For Dough
  • sugar
  • table salt
  • ice water
  • For Filling
  • olive oil
  • tomato paste
  • ground cumin
  • ground cloves
  • cayenne pepper
  • percent lean ground chuck
  • low-sodium beef broth
  • sugar
  • Table salt and ground black pepper

To crush the corn flakes, place them inside a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to break them into pieces no smaller than 1/2 inch.

Want to serve Oven-Fried Chicken after work? Marinate the chicken in the buttermilk mixture and combine the dry ingredients in a zipper-lock bag (all but the oil) the night before or in the morning before heading out. When you come home, all you’ll have to do is heat the oven, toss the crumb mixture with oil, coat the chicken, and bake.

ready in about 50 minutes; serves 8
You might need to buy:
  • buttermilk
  • Dijon mustard
  • table salt
  • garlic powder
  • ground black pepper
  • hot pepper sauce
  • crushed corn flakes
  • fresh bread crumbs
  • ground poultry seasoning
  • paprika
  • cayenne pepper
  • vegetable oil

Do not substitute lowfat or skim milk for the whole milk in this recipe. To ensure a sticky and crisp topping, make the topping just before baking. Walnuts can be substituted for the pecans.

ready in about an hour and a half; serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • ..................................................
  • Topping
  • ..................................................
  • nutmeg
  • ground cinnamon
  • vanilla extract
  • half-and-half
  • sugar
  • whole milk
  • large eggs
  • ..................................................
  • Casserole
  • ..................................................
  • packed light brown sugar
  • corn syrup

Most of the big snack companies sell some variation on a cream-filled, chocolate-covered cupcake. We love the concept, just not the artificial, bland flavors. Could we make cream-filled cupcakes from scratch at home? Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

  • Use the reverse creaming method, which means cutting the butter into the dry ingredients (as with biscuit dough), to achieve a tender, close-crumbed cupcake. A more traditional large-crumbed cake wasn’t sturdy enough to hold the cream and support the thick frosting.
  • To fill the cupcake, cut a cone-shaped hole in the top of the cupcake, remove a portion of the interior, and fill the hole with cream. The frosting will cover any evidence of the hole.
  • Add light corn syrup to the glaze so that it clings tightly to the cupcake and has a glossy texture.

Bake the cupcakes in a greased and floured muffin tin rather than paper cupcake liners so the chocolate glaze can run down the sides of the cooled cakes.

ready in about 50 minutes; serves 12
You might need to buy:
  • Pastry Cream
  • heavy cream
  • large egg yolks
  • sugar
  • table salt
  • cornstarch plus 1 additional teaspoon
  • vanilla extract
  • Cupcakes
  • baking powder
  • table salt
  • sugar
  • large eggs
  • milk
  • vanilla extract
  • Chocolate Glaze
  • heavy cream
  • light corn syrup
  • vanilla extract