warm chocolate pudding cakes with caramel sauce

the goods:
cake:
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus more for ramekins
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for ramekins
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream

whipped cream, for serving


Butter four 6-ounce ramekins, then coat lightly with sugar, tapping out excess.



In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, combine butter and chocolate. Stir until melted.



In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, yolks, flour, and salt.



Add chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.



Fill each ramekin three-quarters full with batter; place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate 15 minutes.



Meanwhile make the caramel sauce:
In a medium saucepan, heat sugar over medium-high until melted and brown at edges, 3 minutes. With a heat-resistant spatula, pull melted sugar toward center until all sugar is melted and caramel is a deep amber in color, 3 minutes more.
Immediately whisk in butter, salt, and vanilla.
Whisk in cream.
Pour into a heatproof container and let cool.



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until center of cake is soft but not wet when pressed, 27 to 30 minutes.



Let cool 5 minutes.



Top cakes with caramel and whipped cream.



Pour a BIG glass of milk.



Or put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of cake to cut the richness.

ultimate chocolate chip cookies

the goods:

3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 and 1/4 cups (2 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups packed, light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped



In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.



In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high until light and fluffy, 6 minutes.



Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture just until incorporated.



Fold in chocolate chips and chunks.



Using a 1/4 cup ice-cream scoop, drop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate 1 hour.



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange 9 unbaked cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.



Bake until edges are light golden brown, 17 to 18 minutes.



Transfer cookies to a wire rack to let cool.



Bake remaining dough using new parchment each time.



Milk is a necessity!

apple cranberry crisp

the goods:
filling:
unsalted butter, for baking dish
2.5 pounds sweet, firm Gala apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

crisp topping:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt



Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9x13 or 10x10 baking dish.



In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, sugar, flour, vanilla, and orange zest and juice.



Transfer to a baking dish.



In a medium bowl, combing crisp ingredients. Pinch together with your fingers until coarse crumbs form.



Sprinkle crisp topping over apple mixture.



Bake until topping is browned and juices are thick and bubbling around edges, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

lemon-zucchini cornmeal cookies

the goods:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon packed finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 medium zucchini, grated on small holes of a box grater (about 1 cup)



Preheat oven to 325 degrees.



In a medium bowl, mix butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy.



Stir in vanilla, lemon zest, and salt.



Add flour and cornmeal.



Mix until mixture is crumbly.



Add zucchini and stir until a thick dough forms.



Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.



Bake until cookies are light golden brown at edges, 25-30 minutes.



Let cool completely on wire racks.



Serve with milk!

plum cake

the goods:

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup sour cream
3 plums halved, pitted, and cut into eighths
confectioners' sugar for dusting



Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and 8-inch cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 and 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt.



Using an electric mixer, beat butter a sugars until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs one at a time, until incorporated; beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Beat in 1/2 the flour mixture, then sour cream. Add remaining flour mixture; mix just until combined.



Spread batter into pan and smooth top. In a bowl, toss plums with 2 tablespoons flour.



Sprinkle plums over batter.



Bake until cake is golden, about 30 minutes; loosely tent with foil and bake until cake pulls away from side of pan, about 30 minutes more.



Let cake cool completely in pan. Run knife around cake edge and remove cake from pan.



Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

plum galette

the goods:

2 and 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
1/4 cup almonds toasted
5 to 6 plums, halved, pitted, and 1/4 inch thick (keep slices together)
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream



In a food processor, combine 2 and 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.



Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough holds together (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't overmix.



Remove dough from processor and shape into a disc; wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.



Meanwhile, wipe out food processor and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal.



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.



Sprinkle almond mixture over dough. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; pressing lightly to fan out, leaving a 2-inch border.



Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sugar.



Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 70 minutes.

Flourless double-chocolate pecan cookies

for Candice


the goods:

3 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 and 1/2 cups chopped pecans
4 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa, and salt.



Stir in Chocolate and pecans.



Add egg whites and stir just until incorporated (do not overmix).



Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 3 inches apart, onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.



Bake until cookie tops are dry and crackled, about 25 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.



Transfer sheet to a wire rack to let cookies cool completely.