• sck on July 28, 2010

  It's a hit. I loved his ice cream book, so I purchased this volume recently, after hearing David Lebovitz call it "his greatest hits" book. We haven't been disappointed yet.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Butterscotch-pecan ice cream

  • louie734 on April 09, 2014

    This recipe is located online here http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/07/butterscotch-pecan-ice-cream-recipe.html

• Caramel ice cream

  • louie734 on April 09, 2014

    This recipe can be found online here http://www.thekitchn.com/ready-for-dessert-by-david-leb-115591

• Date-nut torte

  • louie734 on April 09, 2014

    This cake was also in Ripe for Dessert, the only change being that the aniseed is increased from 1/4 teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon.

  • fprincess on November 15, 2011

    This cake is very nice with coffee. It's a little on the sweet side (and I did not even dust it with powdered sugar as the recipe specified). I used fennel seeds instead of anise seeds that I am having a hard time finding. It's very easy to make. I found that the torte was great cut into small pieces and enjoyed with coffee. Definitely more a "snack cake" than a dessert cake. eGullet review here with pictures. http://egullet.org/p1848944

• Chocolate crack cookies

  • Jane on April 06, 2015

    I melted the chocolate, butter and rum in the microwave rather than a double boiler which may have been a mistake as it was very solid. As a result the dough after chilling was also very solid. I thought the balls would flatten as they cooked but they didn't so when I was rotating the trays half way through baking I flattened each ball with the bottom of a glass. So they didn't end up looking as they should - the sugar melted into the dough and the cracks weren't as pretty as other crack cookies I've made. But the flavor and texture was very good and I will try making them again, properly following the directions.

  • vickster on March 07, 2015

    Delicious chocolate flavor and great texture. I stopped rolling them in sugar.

  • fprincess on May 21, 2011

    These have to be amongst the most delicious cookies I've had a chance to try. They have a light and crumbly texture thanks to the almond powder, and an intense chocolate flavor, almost like a brownie. They really deserve their name. It's my new favorite recipe from the book! http://egullet.org/p1816311

  • fprincess on September 26, 2011

    I made them again, and they are still exceptional. I tried dark rum and Cognac, and I like the rum version better.

• Fresh ginger cake

  • ComeUndone on December 08, 2010

    Half of mine stuck to the pan when I unmolded (oops on my part). It really was a moist and gingery cake though. However, I couldn't serve torn pieces of cake so I used it as a base to make rum balls. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wscwong/5244507080/

  • fprincess on March 28, 2011

    The Fresh Ginger Cake does not contain any chocolate, but you could think that it does because of its rich flavor. I was a little nervous having never used molasses, and because of the relatively large amount of oil in the recipe. The cake is very moist and the fresh ginger flavor is obvious, with cinnamon in the background. http://egullet.org/p1800789

  • Emily Hope on November 19, 2010

    This was good, but I admit to not being as ecstatic as everyone else seems over this. Good with the asian-spiced roasted pears from the book and some softly whipped cream.

  • wcassity on May 13, 2018

    Loved this. Very moist, nice bite from the ginger. Served with lemon curd mixed with whipped cream, but good by itself or with whipped cream alone.

  • stockholm28 on November 06, 2017

    I've seen lots of raves for this and I had some really nice fresh ginger from the farmers market. The cake is quite moist and has a real bite from the ginger. I'd love a little lemon ice cream to go with it.

• Peach-amaretti crisp

  • ComeUndone on August 14, 2010

    I like the use of amaretti cookies for the crisp, a bit different from the typical oats topping. This one is abundant with almond flavour. I did not have enough peaches so I threw in a cup of blueberries. Will make again.

• Fresh fig and raspberry tart with honey

  • amraub on April 06, 2012

    Almond crust is fantastic with fresh figs and raspberry.

• Butternut squash pie

  • amraub on January 09, 2012

    I also had a problem with too much pie filling for the pie, but the end result tasted great.

  • fprincess on October 05, 2011

    This pie is very good. I used kabocha squash which has great flavor. I really liked the spice combination and the addition of vanilla extract and Cognac was a nice touch. The recipe produced way too much filling for my 9" tart pan, maybe because it's not very deep. I had enough to make two additional small tarts and still had leftover filling.

  • fprincess on October 06, 2011

    eGullet post with pictures here: http://egullet.org/p1841671

  • Christinalego on February 03, 2021

    I made it with acorn squash. Not crazy about it.

• Chocolate orbit cake

  • milgwimper on November 17, 2015

    This is simple and quite delicious. Easy to make and impresses the chocoholics. I would make this again.

  • fprincess on January 23, 2011

    Very rich. Delicious! Use top quality chocolate as it's really showcased in this recipe. I cooked at 212F for 1h30, then 30 min at 230F and skipped the water bath.

• Chocolate pavé

  • fprincess on November 15, 2011

    This pave is not as dense as the ones I had in France, which is not a bad thing. It's more light and airy. It looks more rustic as well, which is probably expected for a recipe from Chez Panisse. The creme anglaise is a great match. eGullet review with pictures here http://egullet.org/p1846332

  • fprincess on June 05, 2020

    Better than I remembered! Very light and delicious. I cooked it for only 30 min which was a bit too short, but it was perfect otherwise!

• Chocolate pots de crème

  • fprincess on April 04, 2011

    Very rich and delicious. Prep takes 20 min and cooking in the oven another 30-35 min so it's ready very little time.

  • DKennedy on May 13, 2013

    Too rich for my taste. Prefer 1-2-3 milk chocolate recipe.

• Chocolate chip cookies

  • fprincess on March 08, 2011

    Excellent! Love the chewy texture.

  • cassiopeia on August 01, 2011

    Brilliant recipe, just perfect with plenty of gooey chocolate and a chewy final biscuit.

• Chocolate chocolate-chip cookies

  • fprincess on May 31, 2011

    Intense chocolate flavor, a little on the sweet side for me.

  • hillsboroks on April 02, 2020

    If I had to describe these cookies in one word it would be decadent! These cookies are so rich and the chocolate flavor is so intense that they are a chocolate lover's dream. I substituted peppermint white chocolate chips and the combination of flavors was perfect. I did have to bake them about 15 minutes. They are a bit of a pain to form (first half of the dough was too soft and warm and then the second half was too hard and cold.) But all the fiddly parts were worth it.

  • Rachaelsb on December 01, 2020

    Another contender for best Chocolate Chip Cookie. Such yummy soft insides with abundance of chocolate goodness,

  • stef on April 24, 2020

    An excellent cookie.crispy on the outside chewy in the middle I used white and milk chocolate chips, half a teaspoon of espresso powder added to dough and a few grains of flake salt were sprinkled on top. 11 minutes in convection oven.

• Buckwheat cake with orange segments

  • fprincess on February 08, 2011

    This cake is quite light and excellent with coffee. The mix of buckwheat and almonds is fantastic; the almonds really enhance the buckwheat flavor. Good if you are gluten-intolerant as it does not contain any flour. I used almond meal instead of grinding sliced almonds.

• Bahamian rum cake

  • fprincess on May 17, 2011

    This cake is very moist and has a delicious flavor from the rum, coconut milk, and shredded coconut. http://egullet.org/p1803494 for picture

  • Susan_F on August 05, 2014

    I'm a little disappointed with this cake, though it's probably more down to my (lack of) baking skills than anything else. It certainly looked good, made in a Nordicware Heritage bundt pan, (and is huge) but for the amount of rum involved it just didn't seem to have the oomph I was expecting. I did use some as a pudding with cream and pineapple and that was nice. Not sure it's something I'll make again though.

  • sweetchefgirl on September 07, 2014

    Really great cake, if you want super boozy increase the rum. I loved this though, serve with tropical fruit.

  • anya_sf on April 19, 2019

    Based on others' recommendations, I baked the cake in a tube pan for easier release. I spooned syrup on top of the cake, cooled, brushed the remaining syrup on the other side, then wrapped the cake in plastic wrap and let the syrup absorb for 9 hours. Then I glazed it and let it sit a day before serving. I used dark muscovado sugar in the glaze to balance some of the sweetness, although it added a strong molasses taste, which may not be everyone's preference. Tip: it's best to have the cake on its final resting place (plate, cake stand, whatever) before applying the remaining syrup, as the bottom will be extremely wet and if you try to move the cake, you'll lose some of the bottom. Everyone who tried the cake said the syrup was evenly distributed. Some thought the rum was pretty strong, but others thought it was just right.

• Flo's chocolate snaps

  • fprincess on May 11, 2011

    Very good butter cookies. These are a snap to make (sorry!). I was expecting them to be a little snappier. They are still excellent.

  • fprincess on May 21, 2011

    Picture http://egullet.org/p1816311

• Chocolate-port truffles

  • fprincess on April 24, 2011

    These are a little messy to make with a 3-step process but they are absolutely worth the effort. Delicious with a great ganache base and the final chocolate coat gives them a slight crunch.

• Crème Anglaise

  • fprincess on November 15, 2011

    A very reliable recipe for an old favorite.

• Croquants

  • fprincess on October 22, 2012

    When I make ice cream with egg yolks I always look for good recipes using egg whites. Also I realized that I had bought way too much almonds by mistake and needed to use them. I've made financiers and macarons so far, but recently I found another gem, the Croquants from Ready for Desserts. I was very skeptical at first. The batter of egg whites + flour + sugar was very thin and I could not picture what these cookies were going to look like in the end (the book does not have a photo). But I decided to trust David Lebovitz and I was amazed when I saw them rising in the oven. They were little crunchy delights. Light and crisp, with a toasted almond flavor. Outstanding with a cup of espresso! Photos here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/136600-baking-etc-with-david-lebovitzs-ready-for-dessert/page__st__30__p__1895262#entry1895262

• Fruit galette

  • fprincess on October 21, 2015

    I make these rustic tarts all the time in summer. I skip the frangipane when I use stone fruit. My favorites are apricots and plums. They are great for picnics. Pictures: https://tartinestotikis.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/rustic-fruit-tarts/

• Galette dough

  • fprincess on August 30, 2013

    Very easy to prepare in a stand mixer. This dough makes a crust that has a great crunchy texture. Best the day of as it gets soft the next day. http://tartinestotikis.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/rustic-fruit-tarts/

• Gâteau Victoire

  • fprincess on February 15, 2011

    Another straightforward recipe which has the originality of not requiring butter or flour. I skipped the water bath altogether and cooked it at 212F in the oven for approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes, then about 15 min at 230F until the center set. As David recommends, because of its very light texture, it's easier to cut it with dental floss.

• Nectarine-frangipane galette

  • fprincess on August 30, 2013

    Made without the frangipane and in two versions: nectarine + apricot, and peach. The first one was my favorite. It really love the easiness of the free-form galette. http://tartinestotikis.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/rustic-fruit-tarts/

• Pavlova

  • fprincess on June 04, 2013

    A pavlova (named after the Russian ballerina) is a meringue with a chewy interior, a dessert that is extremely popular in Australia and in New Zealand. They worked quite well. Most came out great although a couple were still a bit sticky underneath and super sticky inside. I probably should have cooked them a little bit longer. They were delicious topped with fresh fruit (pineapple, strawberry and passion fruit) and whipped cream. It's a light dessert that can be assembled at the last minute. Photos here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/136600-baking-etc-with-david-lebovitzs-ready-for-dessert/?p=1921029

  • fprincess on September 11, 2017

    I made them again, and again they were sticky, although I cooked them almost 1 hour longer than what the recipe called for, and left it in the oven more than an hour after they were done.

• Orange pound cake

  • fprincess on March 01, 2011

    Simple pound cake recipe elevated by the orange zest and glaze. http://forums.egullet.org/topic/136600-baking-etc-with-david-lebovitzs-ready-for-dessert/?p=1795905

• Racines cake

  • fprincess on December 25, 2010

    Light cake and the cacao nibs add texture. A keeper!

  • fprincess on January 16, 2012

    Made again and overcooked a little. Next time I will check it after 15 minutes. It was a little too dry after 20 (the recipe says to bake it for 25 min).

  • cassiopeia on August 01, 2011

    Wonderful chocolate cake that, as an added bonus, has no nuts nor flour. The texture is divine and makes it the perfect dessert cake. Served with a strawberries and thick cream it would be hard to beat. Perfect!

  • anya_sf on September 01, 2019

    I made half the recipe in a 7" springform pan; it baked in 23 min. I didn't have salted butter, so I added 1/8 tsp salt. I used about 1/3 semisweet, 2/3 bittersweet chocolate and the flavor was very dark and intense. It was best with a large dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. Be careful not to overbake as the cake would end up dry (fortunately, mine was just right). We enjoyed it very much.

• Robert's absolute best brownies

  • fprincess on March 17, 2011

    Wow these are indeed the best. Wonderful flavor and texture. Very easy to make nice slices (does not crumble). Highly recommended.

  • fprincess on April 04, 2011

    I made 3 batches of these in the past couple of weeks. It takes 20 min to prep a batch plus 20-25 min in the oven. And you only need one pot. So it's my favorite quick dessert now.

  • MollyB on December 13, 2022

    This is my go-to brownie recipe - they're quick, easy, and very good. I like them more with bittersweet rather than semisweet chocolate, as I've found them a little too sweet when I've used semisweet. It's a good recipe for getting kids cooking, too, as it doesn't require a mixer and you mix them in one pot.

  • FJT on April 20, 2020

    These were very chocolate-y but way too sweet for us.

  • chawkins on April 13, 2019

    This is the same as David Lebovitz's best brownies from the Leite's Culinaria site, with the exception of pan size. The folks there felt that they had better success with an 8" square pan rather than a 9" inch. I reviewed that recipe back in 2013.

  • Lepa on November 26, 2019

    These are easy to make and delicious. We made them with pecans(!) Another reviewer suggests using an eight inch pan and I think that is a great idea, as these were a bit thin. I will use the smaller sized pan next time.

  • anya_sf on April 11, 2019

    I used Guittard semisweet wafers which are 66% cacao and they turned out great. So easy to prepare! The one minute of mixing really does make a difference. Mine baked in 25 minute, so check a bit early.

• Seville orange marmalade

  • fprincess on October 21, 2015

    This is as good as it gets! Don't forget to add a touch of scotch whisky at the end. Pictures: https://tartinestotikis.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/marmalade-skies/

• Very spicy baked pears with caramel

  • Emily Hope on November 19, 2010

    These were really good with the ginger cake from the book. However, I roughly smashed the spices as the recipe indicates, and ended up spending a loooong time manually removing the spices from the outside of the pears because they gave an unpleasantly gritty texture. Perhaps pieces were too small? Too big? Might consider doing in a piece of cheesecloth next time...

• Meyer lemon sorbet

  • TrishaCP on March 26, 2016

    A perfect palate cleanser-really light and refreshing. As David notes, this "really" does freeze hard, even with the booze (I used sparkling wine), so plan ahead to let it soften before serving.

• Passion fruit pound cake

  • TrishaCP on November 20, 2021

    This made a fine pound cake, but I would use oranges the next time. Passion fruit are kind of pricey and hard to find where I live, and while they tasted good, I don’t think this was the best way to use them. Oranges will be delicious.

• Plum-marzipan tart

  • TrishaCP on September 19, 2017

    This is a variation on the apricot-marzipan tart. This is good with plums but I think I would prefer the apricot version. I was also a bit disappointed in the topping because I didn't think it had a ton of almond flavor compared to a frangipane tart. The tart base did not shrink at all during the bake, and I would definitely use it again- the ground almonds in it are delicious.

  • anya_sf on September 05, 2019

    Easy to make, although I had to add a tablespoon of water for the crust dough to come together. Plum and almond flavors go really well together. Note that the recipe actually uses almond paste, not marzipan. Next time I'd add a few extra plums to the filling because I wanted a bit more fruit relative to topping. The tart doesn't keep well, but I didn't expect it to. I'd make it again because it was quite good and not much effort, but there are other plum-almond tarts I like even better.

• Nonfat gingersnaps

  • eliza on November 28, 2017

    I didn't care for these at all. Very sweet and they have a strange texture. I should have known better than to make low fat healthy(ish) cookies. I usually like David Lebovitz's recipes but this is one I won't be repeating.

• Simple cherry sorbet

  • adrienneyoung on July 19, 2020

    Just a little bit too sweet. Will need to cut with something: vanilla?

• Zimtsterne

  • zebsprock on December 21, 2011

    So yummy my dog stole them ALL off the worktop while they were cooling down waiting to be glazed. Luckily almonds aren't toxic to canines like macadamia nuts are! On second attempt, I found it much easier to use ground almonds than grind my own (with a not-very-good food processor), the dough was easier to handle too, and they were less crumbly to cut out. As the dough is pretty sticky, recommend rolling cookies out onto oven-proof non-stick liner if you have.

  • anya_sf on January 01, 2022

    I used almond meal for convenience. This dough was easier to roll than some other Zimtsterne recipes. Although I thought I rolled the dough to the correct thickness, I only got 18 cookies. Baked 15 minutes, they were still very soft - almost too soft initially, but nice and chewy after a few days. There was much more glaze than needed.

• Maple-walnut pear cake

  • aeader on November 21, 2021

    This is a delicious cake and the flavors go very well together. The cake itself has a fine crumb. It was easy to prepare. My pears were overripe which even after baking made the topping a bit too heavy/wet for the cake. Next time I will use less ripe pears, and perhaps 1 less pear altogether. The topping is very sweet, I didn't serve with anything but might try freshly whipped barely sweetened cream next time. I preferred it at room temp rather than warm, as the topping with the maple was too runny when warm.

• Chocolate gelato

  • cassiemcgannon on May 17, 2012

    Delicious made with 'flavoured' chocolate - I used Green and Black's Maya Gold (orange, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla).

  • anya_sf on August 18, 2019

    I used 72% bittersweet chocolate. Boy, was this rich! The gelato base had a thick chocolate pudding consistency before freezing. We paired it with hazelnut ice milk, which was a refreshing counterpoint to the super rich chocolate flavor.

• Strawberry-mango sorbet

  • hillsboroks on June 14, 2021

    This is the same recipe as in "Room for Dessert" and it is fabulous. I ended up doubling the rum and the lime juice as my fruits were quite ripe and very sweet.

• Black and white cookies

  • EmilyR on April 24, 2020

    I love a good black and white and I'm especially missing these now during the quarantine. This is not the recipe - these cookies are... not great. Initially I thought perhaps they were overbaked and dried out a touch. I made larger cookies and put them in for less time. They should be a touch cakey and these were just not like visiting a NYC bakery. I debating making the entire frosting recipe and it frankly tasted like a pressed sugar candy necklace... just sweet without anything interesting going on. Disappointing. I will try another recipe next time.

  • Rachaelsb on December 29, 2019

    These are just wonderful. Having grown up on Black and Whaite (or half-moon cookies) these are such a treat in their freshness. The tang of lemon is unexpectedly satisfying and the frosting on cookie works perfectly. A family favorite for many years.

  • Rachaelsb on December 29, 2019

    These are just wonderful. Having grown up on Black and Whaite (or half-moon cookies) these are such a treat in their freshness. The tang of lemon is unexpectedly satisfying and the frosting on cookie works perfectly. A family favorite for many years.

• Nectarine-cherry cobbler with fluffy biscuits

  • Zosia on July 09, 2018

    The fruit portion was delicious (I used sour cherries) but my biscuits were not particularly fluffy and tasted very plain. I would repeat this fruit combination but choose a different topping. (The spiced biscuit topping from the Baker in Me which had great flavour and was almost cake-like would be good.)

• Almond and chocolate chunk biscotti

  • stef on April 10, 2020

    The log for this biscotti came together easily and slicing was easy too. I used almond extract instead of vanilla. Got 50 biscotti

• Frangipane

  • stef on September 01, 2020

    This went nicely with a nectarine galette. Few ingredients and easy to prepare. Repeat

• Brown sugar-pecan shortbread

  • mamacrumbcake on July 22, 2017

    I am ambivalent about these cookies. There is nothing wrong with them. The texture is good--slightly sandy and crisp--the taste is fine, mostly of pecans, and secondarily brown sugar. But it seems to be missing something. My daughter did not think they were sweet enough. I sprinkled sea salt on them, which is a must. I think the flavor is a bit flat without it. UPDATE: Husband and kids really like these cookies, so maybe it's just me.

• Peanut butter cookies

  • Lepa on April 11, 2019

    I wish I had read the previous note- or maybe the recipe- and let the refrigerated dough come to room temperature. I found these difficult to shape and very crumbly when baked. The recipe warned not to over bake the cookies so I stuck to 10 minutes and am not sure that was a good decision. More time probably would have been better. Overall, this wasn't so successful even if the resulting cookies tasted good.

  • anya_sf on April 03, 2019

    I baked half the cookies after letting the dough rest 2 hours and the remainder the next day. Both batches turned out about the same. The dough was pretty stiff (although I now realize I was supposed to let the dough come to room temperature instead of scooping it straight from the fridge), so the cookies were fairly thick and a bit crumbly. They took about 15 minutes to bake, although I probably made them larger than the stated size. They were soft (rather than chewy) and tasty - what I think of as classic pb cookies.

• Pistachio-cardamom cake

  • Lepa on May 02, 2020

    This cake is amazing. It's not too sweet and has an amazing fragrance, texture and taste from the pistachios, cardamom and the crackly almond top. I highly recommend this for cardamom lovers!

  • Frogcake on May 28, 2016

    I looked for gold leaf and also couldn't find it. This is a lovely fragrant cake that I served to my guests with a small refreshing scoop of tangerine sorbet as recommended.

• Ricotta cheesecake with orange and aniseed

  • Lepa on May 19, 2019

    This cake was dreadful. I make a lot of ricotta cakes and the texture here was off- it left an unpleasant rubbery squeak on the teeth. The taste was also not great. After one bite my kids decided to skip dessert(?!?) So disappointing.

• Buckwheat cake with cider-poached apples

  • e_ballad on August 11, 2017

    Whilst there was a note within the recipe that this cake kept well for days if well-wrapped, unfortunately it turned dry within the day despite a copious amount of plastic wrap. Best eaten straight away!

• Mixed berry pie

  • Frogcake on May 28, 2016

    Fabulous! The pastry is a classic pate brisee - doesn't get any better than this and the mixed berry filling is to die for.

• Kumquat sticky toffee puddings

  • anya_sf on May 04, 2019

    I made 1/2 recipe in a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin. Since sticky toffee pudding is typically so sweet, I wanted to maximize the amount of kumquat slices on top to balance the sweetness. My kumquats were small, so I needed many more than 9. There hardly seemed like enough batter for all 6, but they rose a lot, so the resulting puddings were plenty large. They baked in 20 minutes. We loved them, especially with vanilla ice cream on the side.

• Nectarine-raspberry upside-down gingerbread

  • anya_sf on August 23, 2019

    Although it was definitely fully baked, the cake sank in the middle upon testing it with a toothpick. However, once the cake was inverted, the sunken center wasn't too noticeable. On the first day, the ginger flavor was very strong; we enjoyed the cake with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The next day, the flavor had mellowed, which I preferred, although the fruit no longer looked as pretty. In this cake, the fruit accented the gingerbread, rather than being the highlight of the cake. We liked, but did not love, this cake.

• No-machine chocolate-banana ice cream

  • anya_sf on April 05, 2019

    This ice cream was definitely super easy to make. Lowfat milk worked fine. It stayed smooth and creamy for days. While the flavors tasted great together, the alcohol in the ice cream was too strong for my taste. My husband thought it was awesome. I may try it again with less alcohol.

• Cranzac cookies

  • anya_sf on August 29, 2021

    I made the dough a day ahead; the chilled dough was easy to shape. Mine were slightly larger (about 40 g each) so I got 20 cookies. Baking time was 13 min. The cookies didn't spread much, but flattened a lot upon cooling. They were moist, soft, and pliable. Made with sweetened coconut, they were quite sweet (not too sweet for my family though) - next time I'll try unsweetened coconut.

• Coconut tapioca pudding

  • anya_sf on April 06, 2019

    I made 1/3 recipe to serve 3. I used vanilla sugar, since I didn't have vanilla bean, and lowfat milk. We ate it cold topped with toasted coconut and diced mango. It was delicious, but very thick. It would probably be creamier when served warm, but I imagine you could stir in some cream or coconut milk just before serving. It was plenty sweet, so no extra sugar was needed on the fruit.

• Blackberry-brown butter financiers

  • anya_sf on April 25, 2019

    These financiers were easy to make and smelled like popcorn, thanks to the brown butter. The edges overbaked before the centers were set, which may be due to my lightweight, dark-colored muffin tin. I'd recommend using a light-colored tin. Still, they tasted pretty good, with a nutty flavor, chewy texture, and extra moistness from the berries.

• Banana soufflés

  • anya_sf on April 02, 2019

    I made 3 souffles rather than 4, using the less-rich variation of sugar in place of pastry cream. I had to use 12 oz ramekins, so there's no way 4 oz ramekins would work for 4 souffles. They just took a couple of extra minutes to bake and did not immediately deflate. The souffles had a nice, light texture, and mild banana flavor with a hint of rum. Very nice.

• Apricot soufflés

  • anya_sf on April 30, 2019

    I made 3 larger souffles, which we had no problem eating since they're quite light. The baking time was a minute or so longer. I prepared the apricots a day ahead. I neglected to sprinkle the tops with sugar, but didn't miss it. The apricot flavor was really good. We had the souffles with the raspberry sauce from the same book and the flavors went together well.

• Cheesecake brownies

  • anya_sf on April 02, 2019

    I baked them in a 9" square pan as instructed (in my copy of the book) and the brownies were very thin. (Apparently, the instructions were later changed to an 8" square pan.) After 29 minutes, I feared they were overbaked, but actually they were perfect, so check early. There was so much cheesecake topping that it basically covered the top and couldn't easily be swirled, so they weren't beautiful, but tasted great. They kept well in the refrigerator for several days.

• Chocolate-coconut sherbet

  • anya_sf on April 25, 2019

    Since there's a fair amount of sugar in this, I used 70% bittersweet chocolate. The flavor was super intense and candy-like, resembling a dark chocolate Mounds bar with extra chocolate. It was delicious, but best in small portions.

• Persimmon cake with cream cheese icing

  • anya_sf on February 03, 2020

    My bundt pan is dark, so I reduced the oven temperature to 325 and the cake was still done 5 minutes before the stated time. The cake was moist and delicious. The icing had a nice lemony tang which complemented the cake.

• Pineapple, rhubarb, and raspberry cobbler

  • anya_sf on April 07, 2019

    Half the recipe, with the dough cut into 6 smaller biscuits, was enough for 6 people. I used all frozen fruit, which worked fine. I was intrigued by the pineapple and wondered how it would pair with the rhubarb and raspberry; it added much-needed sweetness, but otherwise wasn't distinguishable. The dough needed extra liquid to come together and the biscuits baked up a bit dry (using buttermilk in the dough). Perhaps more liquid and/or using cream would improve them. Actually, I'd use a different cobbler or, better yet, a sweeter crumble topping next time, since the filling isn't that sweet. For dessert, we topped this with vanilla ice cream, but it would be enjoyable for breakfast, perhaps with yogurt.

• Raspberry sauce

  • anya_sf on April 30, 2019

    The sauce was very easy to make - no cooking required. I used frozen raspberries, substituted Chambord for the Kirsch, and ended up adding a bit more sugar. It went well with apricot souffles.

• Irish coffee cupcakes

  • Kinhawaii on March 09, 2019

    Really enjoyed it, will definitely make again!

• Gingersnaps

  • sdeathe on October 04, 2022

    The flavour of these cookies is outstanding. I will make them again, however, I was surprised at the texture. The headnote says they are "thin, crisp.." Mine were soft and thick, and delicious. I used the weights in grams for measuring, so I'm not sure what happened. Never mind, worth a repeat.

• Chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons

  • dbuhler on March 24, 2023

    These were delicious, but I'm not sure they came out right as the puffed quite a bit in the oven. I did go back and forth for a while about how much coconut I should use because the unsweetened shredded coconut I had didn't match his weight...5 cups for me only weighed 230 grams. I ended up using the volume measurement but I can't help but wonder if I needed more coconut. I used my #50 scoop to portion them out and I got 43 cookies. I also used closer to 7 oz. chocolate which is almost double the called for amount. I haven't had a coconut macaroon since childhood, so it's hard to say if what I made was correct, but they were happily eaten by all. This was a great recipe to use up some of the egg white in the freezer.

• Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan

  He says that it contains his ‘best recipes’ and it does – or at least it contains his best recipes up until the moment his editor said it was deadline time and he had to stop inventing new ones.

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• Fine Cooking

  Lebovitz’s recipes are as impressive as his credentials...so whether you crave a simple classic...or want to try something unexpected...his recipes deliver.

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