Baking

Put a tray of these in the oven when the first guests show up.

Rolling out the dough between sheets of parchment paper means it won't stick to your pin or tear.

If you're not a lamb person, ground beef will also taste great.

The unsung hero of this dish? The nutty-sweet garlic.

Another reason why you should make these mini cakes for dessert? The batter can be prepped the day before.

Why go to the grocery store for plain Jane caramel corn when Clinton's tastier easy-to-make recipe can be ready in almost no time at all.

Tangy, luscious crème fraîche can easily be made by combining 1 cup of cream with 1 tablespoon buttermilk. Stir to mix completely, then leave at room temperature, covered with a clean towel, overnight. Stir to thicken slightly, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Here at Epicurious, we're big fans of the nutty, fruity buckwheat-biscuit shortcakes in Alice Medrich's cookbook, Pure Desserts. So we created a version we can enjoy all year long. Cooking dried apricots in Earl Grey tea with a vanilla bean infuses them with sweet spices that pair nicely with the earthy bitterness of buckwheat flour. Don't forget to freeze the butter for 1 hour before grating.