Make Ahead

A filling of bittersweet chocolate, dark corn syrup, and rolled oats make this a rich, delicious pie.

This aromatic alternative to pumpkin pie calls for fresh (not canned!) squash and a new twist on the classic crumble topping. If you'd like some sparkle on the edge of your crust, brush it with a beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking.

Brown butter brings out nuttiness of the pecans, while the bite of rum and the slight bitterness of espresso balance out the sweetness of this pie.

One of the most important steps in making custard is making sure the sugar is fully dissolved into the yolks. Be sure to beat them together until pale yellow ribbons form, since the sugar acts as a shield for the yolks, preventing them from curdling when you add the hot cream.

This not-too-sweet loaf would also make amazing French toast.

These sausage-studded cheese puffs are a Cajun take on a classic French appetizer.

Everyone loves a Bundt, and a sweet-potato version drizzled with coffee-chocolate sauce is hard to beat.

These taste even better a few days after they're made.

Feel free to substitute whole milk for the heavy cream.

Baking a batch of these classic Austrian sandwich cookies is a project—but totally worth it.

Almonds were brought to Spain by the Moors, and they've featured in Andalusian cuisine ever since. Typically they are used as a thickener for sauces and, most famously, as the base of ajo blanco. Whole Marcona almonds are roasted with sweet or hot smoked paprika–I prefer to use sweet paprika, introduce a little heat via cayenne, and round it out with cumin and salt. In the event of a crippling Marcona almond shortage, regular blanched almonds will do the trick.

Garlic oil is one of my favorite "secret ingredients" for finishing pizzas. It's quick and easy to make, but it's best made at least an hour in advance. The longer you leave it, the more the garlic flavor infuses into the oil, so I recommend making it a day ahead, at the same time you make your sauce.

This is what I'd call the quintessential American pizza dough, inspired by New York-style pizza: medium thin, satisfyingly chewy, and the ideal companion to mozzarella, tomato sauce, and the pizza toppings Americans love best, from pepperoni and sausage to olives, mushrooms, and other vegetables. It's the dough I teach first to new students, and the one I recommend experimenting with because it's so versatile and user-friendly.

This popular Thai dish has been cooked regularly in our kitchen ever since we first tried it in Bangkok. The first time we made it at home, we stayed true to the original recipe by stir-frying rice noodles in a sweet and a slightly spicy sauce, but through the years, it has slowly transformed into something new. Instead of stir-frying rice noodles, we now simply peel a daikon radish (courgette/zucchini also works fine) into thin strips that we toss with carrot strands, tofu and fresh herbs and cover with a peanut butter and lime dressing. Even though we have changed both cooking method and ingredients, it still has that wonderful flavor combination of sweet, nutty, tangy and a little spicy and the experience is light, fresh and, in our opinion, even tastier.

If you like stuffing with smoked oysters, you'll like it even more with tart lemons on top.

Too-cold doughs can crack and split when rolled; let this sit at room temperature for five minutes first.