365 Magazine

I love all things Diana Henry, the famed British food writer—and a friend of mine!—whose books are packed with recipes that are the perfect blend of elegance and ease. This cake is a take on her rhubarb and almond cake, which is my very favorite kind of cake—one that is casual enough for breakfast or midafternoon snacking but also fancy enough for a dinner-party dessert. It’s sweet, but not too much, with a wonderful, generous layer of streusel.

A blueberry scone recipe from Chef Zac Young, pastry chef, TV personality and owner of Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Yep, you read that right. Your favorite cake is now a cookie! Now you can have your cake and eat your cookie too. You’re welcome.

In my opinion, the sheet cake doesn’t get enough love. While, yes, no one is ever sad when one shows up at a barbecue or potluck, it’s often overlooked when it comes to more “elevated” baking. So consider this its time to shine. To me, few things are more sophisticated than salted caramel, which when ribboned into the cake, folded into the frosting, and drizzled over the top, instantly transforms this cake into pure decadence. But in the spirit of keeping things as simple as possible, instead of making caramel from scratch, we’re starting with store-bought candies.

If you consider yourself a Chocolate Chip Cookie Person and were planning to skip past this page, we urge you to stay and continue reading these important and potentially life-changing words. These ultrachewy cookies are persuasively spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and vanilla, and loaded with plump raisins and rolled oats.

This started out as a strawberry shortcake, which felt like a necessary addition to any good grill book. But as often happens, a little playing around with the format led to this super-fun upside-down cake. Placing whole strawberries in the bottom of the pan means that when it’s flipped, the batter creates cavernous little tunnels around the fruit, perfect for catching drips of soft whipped cream.

The name of this recipe says it all. These brownies are just as rich, gooey, and chocolatey as you’d want them to be—plus they come together quickly in one bowl. But the single most exciting feature is that you can keep the leftovers in the freezer. Pull one out, pop it in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds, and you have an on-demand, single-serving fresh-baked brownie to enjoy.

A strawberry donut recipe from Chef Zac Young, pastry chef, TV personality and owner of Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

We all know blondies are brownies’ favorite cousin. These Salted Caramel Blondies can easily make you feel like you have this baking thing down pat. They are a dream of salty and sweet. The pretzel crumble adds a delightful crunch to the soft and chewy blondie.

Peach Wineberry Sorbet from Chrissy Tracey’s Forest & Forage cookbook.

I created this recipe for someone I love very dearly whose favorite dessert is an oatmeal cookie pie—a nostalgic classic that’s super fun to make (and also very kid friendly!).

Tiramisu is probably the best known of all Italian desserts, with its signature combination of coffee, cream, and sponge. But across Italy you can find this creamy trifle in more unusual guises, particularly in summer when berries abound.