Baking

Don't be intimidated by homemade ice cream cake—this mint recipe is worth the effort.

Cream cheese makes this pound cake recipe extra moist.

This rosemary focaccia bread recipe calls for chilling the dough overnight, so plan ahead.

This high-end take on the bake-sale favorite ditches dated maraschino cherries, swaps canned pineapple for fresh, and adds cardamom and bourbon to bring out the flavor of the caramel.

This blueberry cobbler recipe is for individual portions—you knew you would find a use for those ramekins!

Finally, a plum pie recipe that gives the stone fruit its due. Use plums that hold their shape when cooked, such as black or red (avoid soft-fleshed Santa Rosas). If you prefer a taller pie, use all 5 pounds of fruit.

Think of this Dutch baby recipe as one gigantic, stress-free pancake.

Simmer butter until its milk solids brown to unleash its nutty alter ego. Use it to bring deep flavor to baked goods, like these financiers, or as a sauce for fish or pasta.

If you can’t make it to Paris to taste Fabrice Le Bourdat’s glazed madeleines (the best in town) you might as well learn to make them at home.