America’s Test Kitchen

This foolproof French toast recipe guarantees crisp, custardy slices by keeping things simple. Stale bread is standard, but we got better (and more efficient) results from oven-dried slices. [FLEX-CONTENT] For the batter, we beat milk, egg yolks, and melted butter for an indulgent coating; brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon added warm, sweet flavors. After soaking…

Perhaps the most famous holiday cake is the Yule Log, which, for good reason, gets trotted out every holiday season. There’s much to be said for this classic, but we wanted to develop a unique variation for the holidays with a pumpkin jelly roll cake encasing a simple filling. [FLEX-CONTENT] We initially thought incorporating pumpkin…

This velvety pumpkin soup is surprisingly easy and fast thanks to canned pumpkin. The trick is getting rich, balanced pumpkin flavor out of a can. We started by creating a deeply flavorful base for our soup by softening onion and then adding cumin, coriander, and nutmeg, which gave us a warm-spiced flavor that paired well…

A stack of fluffy, golden pancakes is the perfect starting place for a standout brunch, delivering piping hot cakes with distinct sweet tang and an open, airy texture. Buttermilk was a must. It contributed to the pancakes’ flavor and, with some leavening help from small amounts of baking powder and baking soda, it also created…

Great chili should have bold, long-simmered flavor, even if it’s made with convenient ground beef. The multicooker was the perfect way to achieve this with a minimum of hands-on time. A combination of chili powder, cumin, and garlic was all we needed to give the chili great spice flavor. We used crushed tomatoes plus chicken…

With a tangy, rich flavor and velvety consistency, cheesecake’s characteristic qualities make it well-suited to variation: Lemon cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, and berry cheesecake are all common. But our favorite variation might just be pumpkin cheesecake. [FLEX-CONTENT] We love the way the tangy cream cheese offsets the warm-spiced pumpkin, and we set out to create a…

This light yet deeply flavorful soup is a celebration of colors, tastes, and textures, overflowing with garnishes and tender shredded chicken. We wanted it to have authentic flavor with a streamlined method, and the multicooker was the perfect ally. To replicate the traditionally deep, roasty, smoky notes of the broth, typically achieved by charring the…

Jolts of grill flavor and spicy heat can enhance the delicately sweet and briny flavor of shrimp, but it’s easy to overdo it. Most recipes overcook the shrimp and finish them in a bath of mouth-numbing sauce; we wanted juicy shrimp with a smoky crust and chili flavor that was more than just superficial. To…

All of the elements of this brightly flavored dish come together quickly on the grill. Cooking the chicken on the cooler side of the grill avoids flare-ups while still giving it great flavor and char. To round out our grilled succotash we use convenient canned butter beans, which are super-quick to prepare and have a…

Don’t be intimidated by mussels; they’re easier to prepare than you think and they make a great weeknight option. The mussels here are cooked in a flavorful broth that becomes a light sauce for the pasta. [FLEX-CONTENT] The addition of fresh tarragon underscores the anise flavor of the sauteed fennel in the sauce. When cleaning…