Baking

If you’re lucky, you’ll find mooncakes with an egg yolk or two, which means there’s more of the best part to share with your family.

I am always in search of the best brownie, and I figure if you can’t find it, make it. So here it is: a triple chocolate brownie, with a layer of toasted chopped nuts encased in dulce de leche, then topped with a zesty cheesecake mixture and baked again. I rest my case.

This simple baked custard from the Darden Sisters relies on honey for sweetness and a bit of citrus extract and zest for a boost of flavor.

This bread is ideal for deep summer when you’re awash in fresh, local tomatoes.

This dish would be just as welcome on the brunch table as on the dinner table, and I wouldn’t fault you for adding a little maple syrup.

These cookies resemble a chewier, soft cookie version of a Nutter Butter, made a little more glam with a peanut butter coconut cream filling.

These raspberry cheesecake brownies are tart, chocolatey, and cheesecake-filled, so stop reading and make them!

This banana bread is great with or without the crumb topping. I like to bake it in a cake pan instead of a loaf pan so it seems extra fancy.

Developed for baking in the mountains, this flavorful pound cake is a winner, especially when topped with creamy homemade chocolate icing.

Bacon and sea salt make this big, warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie sweet and salty. Serve it with a few scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.

Up your toaster pastry game with this homemade version: Store-bought puff pastry filled with bright, lemony, honey-sweetened blueberry compote and iced with a yogurt glaze.

These shortcakes have a touch of fresh basil for an herbal dimension and some cornmeal to the shortcake for texture. Both additions keep the dessert from getting too sweet and pull the classic dish in an unexpected, modern direction.

Locally grown fruit is often more flavorful than supermarket fruit because it’s frequently grown from heirloom seeds and because it’s been allowed to fully ripen before being picked. So if you can, get extra-ripe fruit from your nearest farmer for this pie. If you’re able to do so and the fruit is very sweet, cut down on the sugar, adding only 1/2 to ⅔ cup. But even supermarket fruit tastes great here, particularly if you let it ripen on the counter first. Grapefruit juice keeps the long-baked filling fresh tasting, and coriander adds complexity to the flavor and aroma.