Here’s what our editors and writers are making in their own kitchens.
Zoe Burnett / BuzzFeed
Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes
I've been a fan of Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi ever since I first opened Plenty, and I've bought most of his cookbooks ever since (Jerusalem is my favorite). I also have a huge sweet tooth and baking is probably my favorite pastime. So when I heard a few months ago that Ottolenghi was coming up with a cookbook focused on baking and desserts, I lost my shit and started counting down the days.
The book, written with Helen Goh, a pastry chef and longtime collaborator, met all my expectations. It's filled with beautiful, inspired recipes, some satisfyingly challenging, others very easy to execute. If you love baking and want to spice up your game a little bit, this one is for you.
I picked this recipe to try first because I had most ingredients at home already, and it seemed like an easy one to start with. I usually don't care for cupcakes (the cake is always meh and I'm not a huge fan of the traditional cream cheese frosting), but these ones have a mascarpone-lemon curd frosting (aka two of my favorite things) and that changes everything.
The cake was super light, moist, and fluffy, filled with fresh raspberries. And the frosting was on point. The process was also super easy and straightforward. All in all, a great success! —Marie Telling
Get the recipe here.
@marietelling / Instagram / Via Instagram: @marietelling
Miso Ramen Bowls With Tofu and Bok Choy
I made this recipe from a Sun Basket meal kit, but I will absolutely be bookmarking the recipe and making it over and over again.
I thought making ~fancy~ ramen (aka not just the packaged stuff) would be really difficult. But it actually required little more than chopping veggies and boiling noodles. Don't let the ingredients — dashi seasoning, gochujang sauce — intimidate you: You can buy mostly everything from any Asian grocery store. And knowing that I can make this comforting and hearty soup at home rather than ordering it in or spending $15 for a bowl at a restaurant is a total game-changer for me. You can also substitute whatever protein or veggies you want so you can constantly change up the recipe. —Hannah Loewentheil
Get the recipe here.
Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed
Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies
'Tis the season for all things pumpkin, and these cookies blow every other pumpkin treat out of the water. I've been making them for years and they are a huge hit with friends and coworkers every time. I think it's because of the butterscotch morsels, a supremely underrated ingredient. Their appearance here really takes these cookies to the next level.
Don't believe me? Here are some comments from a few of my coworkers who tried them:
"SO GOOD."
"Rachel, I've been thinking about your cookies non-stop!"
"Eat one of these incredible pumpkin butterscotch cookies and every other cookie will just taste like betrayal. That's how I feel. I never want to eat another type of cookie again."
Get the recipe here.
Rachel Wilkerson Miller / Via therewm.com
Baked Romanesco Broccoli With Mozzarella and Olives
This recipe (on the right of the photo) was fantastic, like a grown-up version of the rectangular-frozen-broccoli-with-melted-Kraft-singles that I was raised on. Bonus: It's romanesco season at the farmer's market! —Dan Wagner
Get the recipe here.
Dan Wagner / BuzzFeed
Chocolate Babka
Over the past two years I've made countless loaves of babka and EVERY. DAMN. TIME. I have been disappointed! The loaves would come out dry, overcooked, not browned enough ― I was always underwhelmed. This month, I tried a new recipe from Bon Appétit that was the babka of my dreams.
Soft, chocolaty, browned, and shiny ― this babka was literally perfect! The recipes does take some time due to the rising and shaping of the dough, but the end result is totally worth it. I decided to skip the streusel topping and wasn't disappointed at all (the loaf was perfect all on it's own). If you love cinnamon rolls, try making a babka to take your baking to a whole new level. —Jesse Szewczyk
Get the recipe here.
@jesseszewczyk / Instagram / Via Instagram: @jesseszewczyk
Olive Oil-Fried Eggs With Yogurt and Lemon
Julia Turshen's trick for cooking eggs (straight out of her cookbook Small Victories) is LEGIT a game changer. The technique solves that dreaded problem of wanting runny yolks but HATING snotty, undercooked whites.
Her trick? As you fry your eggs, add a few drops of water to the pan and immediately cover them with a lid. This will create just enough steam to set the whites while maintaining that beautiful runny yolk. Julia serves them with lemony Greek yogurt and fresh herbs for an unexpected (and delicious) breakfast, but this simple trick is perfect for a simple fried egg toast. Try it out next time you make breakfast for the perfect fried egg. —Jesse Szewczyk
Get the recipe here.
@jesseszewczyk / Instagram / Via Instagram: @jesseszewczyk
Spicy Mexican Soup
My favorite thing about this Gordon Ramsay recipe is that I don't need any fresh ingredients — it's all canned items and spices. The heat and smokiness of the chiles make this the perfect treat on the first truly chilly day of the season. I definitely plan on making a big batch of this soup and freezing it to stock up in time for winter!
The clean-up was so quick because everything cooked in the pan. Plus, I learned how to make tortilla chips which made for the perfect pairing. (Check out the video, you just bake tortillas in oil and paprika.) —Emily Shwake
Get the recipe here.
Emily Shwake / BuzzFeed
Pumpkin Hand Pies
OK, so I know we're past Halloween, but these are so good I'd eat them year-round. I've never cooked a hand pie in my life and not only did I find this recipe super easy, but it was also incredibly delicious. The pumpkin filling was really sweet, and it only took me an hour to prepare the whole thing.
If you are not that into pumpkin, it's pretty easy to substitute it for Nutella or strawberry jam — just get creative! Oh, and it doesn't matter if you don't have a pumpkin cookie cutter, a knife and some first grade-level drawing skills will have you ready to make the coolest hand pies ever. —Karla Agis
Get the recipe here.
Karla Agis / BuzzFeed
Marie Telling / Instagram: @marietelling
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