The fact that Ina Garten managed to create a triple chocolate loaf cake that's wonderfully light and tender — better suited for afternoon tea or coffee than as a decadent dessert — is a true gift. With its crackly top and walnut- and chocolate-studded crumb, it satisfies my daily hankering for a chocolate treat without leaving me with a stomachache (if I don't go back for a second slice, that is).
Apple cinnamon toaster strudels, those super-sweet frozen pastries, were definitely a guilty pleasure growing up. I have to admit, it's been years since I last enjoyed one — until this recipe came along.
For a limited time, Anthropologie is offering a further 25 percent off sale items. The sale also just happens to include lots of pieces perfect for entertaining, making now a great time to stock up before the holidays. Items are moving fast in this sale (some of our other picks sold out while we were writing this!) so don't delay if you've got your heart set on anything. You can also view all home sale pieces here.
Dorcas Reilly was 39 when she invented the green bean casserole — a dish that, 55 years later, still gets looked up by more than 2.7 million people around Thanksgiving time. Just one month before this year's holiday dash for her most famous recipe, Reilly passed away at 92 years old, in Newark, New Jersey.
If you know me at all, you know I have a deep love for ricotta — it's probably one of the first five things I'll tell you about myself. I love its creaminess, simplicity, and versatility. So when I spotted this playful-sounding recipe in Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook, Everyday Dorie, I knew I needed to try it.
Dorie says: "Take a peek in my fridge, and you'll find the usual staples — milk, butter, eggs and yogurt, and my favorite plus-one: 'ricotta spoonable.'" This mix of ricotta, lemon, shallots, and fresh herbs is what she keeps on hand to act as both a dip and a condiment. It comes together quickly and can be made year-round, so it's no wonder she always has it on hand (and now, so do I).
We are firm believers that you can have a favorite recipe for brownies from scratch (this is ours) and have a favorite boxed brownie, too. These are not mutually exclusive and here's why: Once you find your favorite mix, you can rest assured that you'll have a brownie just the way you like it, wherever you are. Because sometimes you need a brownie fix with minimal input and maximum brownie enjoyment.
So, what's the best boxed brownie mix? Well, that depends. You see, everyone has a different opinion about what makes a brownie the best. Some people like them chewy, while others go for fudgy, and then there's the crowd who not-so-secretly wishes their brownies were cake.
We taste tested nine major brands against our favorite chewy brownie recipe to narrow the field to four of the best boxed mixes for every kind of brownie-lover, including a gluten-free version!
I've always been a fan of Costco. As a kid, I used to love the 12-packs of muffins from their bakery section, and I was always down for a trip there because that meant I'd get ice cream — well, Kirkland-Signature Non-Fat Swirl Frozen Yogurt, but I digress. My favorite FILA sweatshirt and Adidas track pants were from Costco, and had I held onto these pieces, I'd probably be rocking them again right now.
These days, I don't live nearly as close to Costco as before, but that doesn't stop me from shopping there when I can, or hitting them up online. And let me tell you, when my bath and hand towels start looking a little ratty or discolored, I know where to go: Costco. I know what you're thinking—why not just go to Target or Walmart? Well, I've found Costco's prices to be basically on par with those big boxes, but their quality is much closer to department store-level.
