MAKES 24 COOKIES

Do not use unsalted peanut butter for this recipe.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Peanut butter flavor molecules can be trapped by flour in baked applications, so we ratcheted up the flavor’s intensity by sandwiching an uncooked peanut butter filling between our cookies. Adding a full cup of confectioners’ sugar to the filling made it firm enough to stay in place, and we balanced the sweetness with a relatively low-sugar cookie component. Extra liquid and extra baking soda gave our cookies the thin, flat dimensions and sturdy crunch that are vital to a sandwich cookie.

MAKES 8

It is important to work the dough as little as possible—work quickly and knead and fold the dough only the number of times called for. The butter should be frozen solid before grating. In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture and workbowls before use. While the recipe calls for 2 whole sticks of butter, only 10 tablespoons are actually used (see step 1). If fresh berries are unavailable, an equal amount of frozen berries (do not defrost) can be substituted. An equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries can be used in place of the blueberries. Cut larger berries into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before incorporating. Refrigerate or freeze leftover scones, wrapped in foil, in an airtight container. To serve, remove foil and place scones on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven. Heat until warmed through and recrisped, 8 to 10 minutes if refrigerated, 16 to 20 minutes if frozen. See final step for information on making the scone dough in advance.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For our ultimate blueberry scone recipe, we wanted to bring together the sweetness of a coffeehouse confection, the moist freshness of a muffin, the richness of clotted cream and jam, and the super-flaky crumb of a good biscuit. Increasing the amount of butter and adding enough sugar gave the scones sweetness without making them cloying; cutting frozen butter into the flour and giving the dough a few folds helped the scones rise; and rolling out the dough before pressing the berries into it and rolling it up like a jellyroll before flattening it and cutting out the scones all contributed to making this our ideal scone recipe.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2013/01/we-prove-it-why-dough-leavened-with-baking-powder-freezes-so-well/

Makes about 15 (4-inch) pancakes

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Getting the height and lightness of traditional pancakes with the more robust flavor and texture of cornmeal pancakes is tougher than it seems. Coarsely ground cornmeal can be sandy, and lacks the gluten necessary to support a fluffy internal structure. We found that we could use more cornmeal without getting too much grit by heating it with some of the buttermilk to soften it. Soaking the cornmeal also thickened the batter, helping it ride higher in the pan instead of spreading out. Letting the batter sit for a few minutes before griddling the cakes allowed the buttermilk to react with the baking soda, making the batter foamy, which resulted in fluffier, airier pancakes.

[Lemon-Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes:
When fresh blueberries are not in season, frozen blueberries are a good alternative. To make sure that frozen berries do not bleed, rinse them under cool water in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear, then spread them on a paper towel-lined plate to dry. If you have buttermilk on hand, use 2 cups instead of the milk and lemon juice.]

Serves 8 to 10

The heavy cream must be ice cold; if not, it won’t hold stiff peaks, no matter how long or hard you beat it. Soften the cream cheese at room temperature; the microwave will cause the cheese to separate.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We wanted our Raspberry Chiffon Pie recipe to produce an intensely flavored pie, so we ramped up its flavor by including a layer of sweetened, thickened fruit on the crust and beneath the chiffon. We also stiffened our recipe’s chiffon filling by using extra gelatin and a little cream cheese, which enabled it to hold additional raspberry puree for even more flavor.

MAKES 9-10 SCONES

Work the dough quickly, don’t overmix, and put the dough rounds into the heated oven as soon as possible. The process—from mixing to pulling the finished scones out of the oven—shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes. Scones are best served warm and fresh, split open and topped with thick homemade strawberry or raspberry jam and clotted cream (or crème fraîche, marscarpone, or whipped cream). If your currants are old and dry, plump them in 1/4 cup sweet sherry or sweet marsala for 10 minutes, then drain. Brush dough tops with a beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. This recipe can be doubled.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
During testing, we discovered two secrets to an authentic scone recipe, one that produced light and fluffy scones with a delicate texture: working the dough quickly and lightly and then baking it immediately in a preheated oven. Speed is of the essence to keep the dough from becoming tough; it is also important when using homemade single-acting baking powder for leavener, as this scone recipe does, because you want the powder to do its work in the oven, not before baking. The whole process shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes, from mixing the ingredients together to pulling the finished scones out of the oven.

MAKES 8-9 SCONES

Work the dough quickly, don’t overmix, and put the dough rounds into the heated oven as soon as possible. The process—from mixing to pulling the finished scones out of the oven—shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes. Scones are best served warm and fresh, split open and topped with thick homemade strawberry or raspberry jam and clotted cream (or crème fraîche, marscarpone, or whipped cream). This recipe can be doubled.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
During testing, we discovered two secrets to an authentic scone recipe, one that produced light and fluffy scones with a delicate texture: working the dough quickly and lightly and then baking it immediately in a preheated oven. Speed is of the essence to keep the dough from becoming tough; it is also important when using homemade single-acting baking powder for leavener, as this scone recipe does, because you want the powder to do its work in the oven, not before baking. The whole process shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes, from mixing the ingredients together to pulling the finished scones out of the oven.

Serves 6 to 8

If you cannot find hot Italian sausage, use the sweet variety and add 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the soup along with the garlic and rosemary in step 2. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Traditional pasta and bean soup recipes start by cooking dried beans for hours in either water or broth to create a rich, flavorful base. Because we wanted to streamline our Pasta and Bean Soup recipe by using canned beans and store-bought broth, we knew that we’d have to get a lot of flavor out of the meat and vegetables. To do this, we started our Pasta and Bean Soup with hearty and fully seasoned hot Italian sausage, which gave it just the right amount of meaty, spicy flavor. Sautéing the vegetables in the sausage drippings (along with a bit of oil) built even more flavor. A can of diced tomatoes tasted better, and required less effort, than fresh tomatoes, since the juices had a bright flavor. To create body, we pureed half the beans with a portion of the broth prior to cooking—this gave a thick, creamy texture without the hassle of pureeing hot soup in a blender. Cooking the pasta separately before adding it to the soup at the end of cooking prevented the pasta from absorbing too much liquid and becoming bloated.

MAKES ABOUT 30 COOKIES

If you cannot find superfine sugar, you can obtain a close approximation by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for about 20 seconds.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
In our search for a holiday cookie recipe that would yield cookies sturdy enough to decorate yet tender enough to eat, we started with the fat and found the right amount of butter to give the cookies great flavor without making them greasy. We used all-purpose flour in our holiday cookie dough recipe because it gave the dough enough gluten to provide structure. Superfine sugar gave our cookies a fine, even crumb. A surprise ingredient—cream cheese—added flavor and richness to our Jam Sandwiches without altering the texture of the cookies.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2013/01/secrets-to-jam-sandwiches-cookies/

Serves 6

Sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, will make this recipe overly sweet. Be patient when caramelizing the onions in step 2; the entire process takes 45 to 60 minutes. Use broiler-safe crocks and keep the rim of the bowls 4 to 5 inches from the heating element to obtain a proper gratinée of melted, bubbly cheese. If using ordinary soup bowls, sprinkle the toasted bread slices with Gruyère and return them to the broiler until the cheese melts, then float them on top of the soup. We prefer Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth and Pacific Beef Broth. For the best flavor, make the soup a day or 2 in advance. Alternatively, the onions can be prepared through step 1, cooled in the pot, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before proceeding with the recipe.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
With too many onion soups, digging through a layer of congealed cheese unearths a disappointing broth that just doesn’t taste like onions. The ideal French onion soup combines a satisfying broth redolent of sweet caramelized onions with a slice of toasted baguette and melted cheese. We wanted a foolproof method for achieving extraordinarily deep flavor from the humble onion—the star of this classic soup.

The secret to a rich broth was to caramelize the onions fully. The good news is that caramelizing the onions, deglazing the pot, and then repeating this process dozens of times will keep ratcheting up the flavor. The bad news is what a laborious, hands-on process this proved to be. Fortunately, we found that if we first cooked the onions covered in a hot oven for two and a half hours, we only needed to deglaze the onions on the stovetop three or four times. Just one type of onion (yellow) was sufficient, but a combination of three different liquids (water, chicken broth, and beef broth) added maximum flavor. For the topping, we toasted the bread before floating it on the soup to ward off sogginess and added only a modest sprinkling of nutty Gruyère so the broth wasn’t overpowered.

A chocolaty twist on the classic dessert.

Serves 12

You will need 1 tablespoon of melted butter for brushing the pan. For neat, professional-looking pieces of cake, clean the knife thoroughly between slices (see photo).

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: To prevent our chocolate swirl from getting grainy, we combined it with some cream. This kept the swirl smooth and alleviated any potential grittiness. Dipping our knife in water between slices made sure every piece was as clean and pretty as the one before it.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/11/secrets-to-marble-cheesecake/