Warming Desserts
Khushbu Shah Eva Powell, a former elementary-school librarian in Mitchell, Indiana, has won the town’s pudding contest five times with her method for persimmon pudding with a crispy, cake-like crust.
Helen Rosner This easy and impressive bread, with a boost of nutty taste from farro, is delicious plain and even better smeared with rich apple butter. Anna Stockwell A variation of traditional sweet potato casserole gets its depth of savor from bourbon and pineapple. Photography by Anna Stockwell Browned butter accentuates the flavor of earthy walnuts and a sour cream topping offsets the richness of the filling for a balanced, delectable dessert.
Andrew Ingalls Thick dreamy custard is spooned over dense currant-laden steamed pudding in this classic English dessert. If a traditional mold isn’t available, use a 2-qt. ramekin.
Place a piece of parchment paper slightly larger than the ramekin over its top and tie tightly around edge of dish with kitchen twine. See the Recipe for Spotted Dick » Photography by Penny De Los Santos Adapted from Robbin Gourley’s Cakewalk (Doubleday, 1994), this time-tested recipe for moist chocolate layer cake has a velvety crumb and rich chocolate icing—the perfect birthday treat for your favorite chocolate-lover.
Todd Coleman If you find yourself with a surplus of fresh cranberries, these elegant cakes are the perfect solution. They can be cooked in individual miniature pans, or in a single skillet for convenience.
Khushbu Shah When making this deluxe campfire treat, look for square marshmallows; they fit the graham crackers better and give chocolate a wider surface to melt on. Michael Kraus As a kid, I wasn’t really into preparation or baking, preferring instead to be outside playing soccer. The one thing that I did enjoy helping my mom make, even so, was her strawberry bread: packed with fresh strawberries, I loved to eat it hot out of the oven slathered in butter.
It’s so fast and easy, I make it all the time now, with whatever fresh or frozen fruits I have lying around. —Farideh Sadeghin, test kitchen director Get the method for Strawberry Loaf Bread » Photography by Yossy Arefi In the style of a tarte Tatin, rhubarb is caramelized until soft before being topped with batter and baked. Get the method for Rhubarb Tarte Tatin » Todd Coleman A deep-dish pie is packed with both sweet and tart apples to balance the rich, salted caramel sauce.
- Who: Khushbu Shah Eva Powell · Helen Rosner This · Anna Stockwell
