Author: Chef M

Weeknights are the time to break out the boneless, skinless chicken thighs—there’s no prep, they’re fast-cooking, and they take beautifully to spices, like the blend featured here. Cooked thighs also keep well in the fridge, making this a good candidate for tomorrow’s lunch. Think about doubling the tahini sauce, because it’s killer on roasted vegetables (carrots and winter squash especially), burgers, and, of course, more chicken.

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Butternut squash soup is a fall staple, but many recipes fail to live up to their potential, ending up too sweet or with too little squash flavor plus, prepping the squash can be time-consuming and unwieldy. We found the solution to these problems in our Dutch oven. We sautéed a shallot in butter with the reserved squash seeds and fibers before adding water for a flavorful, squash-enhanced liquid that we then used for steaming the squash. The Dutch oven’s ample size provided plenty of room for steaming, and we could drop the squash in unpeeled and quartered, which cut out…

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It’s hard to beat a classic tomato soup, whether as a simple lunch on its own or as a dip for a melty grilled cheese. We used canned diced tomatoes so we could make this soup any time of year. To enhance the tomatoes’ complexity, we browned most of them in our Dutch oven to concentrate their flavor, and saved some to add toward the end of cooking to keep the soup fresh. But the real key to a satiny, well-balanced soup turned out to be just ½ teaspoon of baking soda, which helped neutralize the metallic taste and acidity…

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Packed with protein and low on carbs, this caramel monkey bread is so delicious your non-keto friends will be asking for the recipe! Although erythritol doesn’t caramelize in the same way sugar traditionally does, it still creates a flavorful and sticky alternative that will have you forgetting all about the sugar.

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Ah, eggnog! The holiday beverage that is often found clasped in your tipsy aunt’s hand as she tells awful stories at all the family holiday parties. But this year, things can be different. Instead, imagine yourself sitting in the corner, eating Eggnog Mini Donuts.

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Make the most of fresh cherry season by baking the little stone fruits right into charming tea cakes. The cakes, made with ground almonds, brown butter, and egg whites, are similar to financiers, which are small, springy brick-shaped cakes named for their resemblance to gold bullion. These cakes are baked with the pits left inside the cherries (be sure to warn guests before serving). Or, if you prefer, remove the pits before baking, leaving the stems intact.

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Bakers have long swirled dark and light batters together to make marbleized cakes. This version, baked in cupcake tins, relies on equal parts milk and cream for richness. Creating the two-tone appearance is as easy as a few strokes with a knife or skewer. There’s no need to be precise; each cupcake’s unique pattern is part of its charm. They’re pretty enough to leave unadorned, but if you prefer, drizzle the cupcakes with milk glaze or top with dark chocolate frosting.

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Appearances can be deceiving: These sugared flower–topped cupcakes look like dainty petits four, but the lavender-flavored and -colored icing hides a rich chocolate brownie cupcake. Look for dried lavender at specialty markets or online; edible pesticide-free flowers can be found at baking-supply stores. You can also make the icing without the lavender.

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