One of the great members of the bar cookie world is the lemon bar. You can say there was BLB (before lemon bar) and ALB (after lemon bar) in my life. Certainly there is no other bar cookie that is as unique and vibrant as the lemon bar.

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Dont have time to make a pie dough? Phyllo to the rescue. Keep a package in your freezer and you are ready to fill with any number of delicious savory fillings, such as goat cheese and herbs, spinach and ricotta,…

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And then there’s the groom’s cake. For this wedding, McVitie’s part of the British conglomerate United Biscuits Group that make those barely sweet wholemeal tea biscuits that have the texture of a graham cracker, will make a chocolate biscuit cake specially requested by Prince William. This is a family favorite for tea time with Earl Grey Tea.

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Back when I was learning how to bake, around 1970 or so, I was always on the look out for good recipes. Especially cakes and quick loaves. I wanted cakes that garnered praise and not a crumb left on any plate. One of the most elusive cakes was poppy seed cake, the kind you could buy a slice in a Jewish deli, have on a Jewish holiday, or have at someone’s grandmothers’ house for brunch.

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Genuine fruit shortcakes are an American summer passion. It is the harmonious balance of sweet, juicy fruit in season, fluffy whipped cream, and crumby, rich biscuits that make them irresistible. No matter how many fancy desserts I make or taste, no matter how many different fruits I showcase in a shortcake, strawberry shortcake is still supreme. It will never go out of style. It is a dessert that is new fashioned as it is old fashioned.

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The other day in the check out line while perusing the scandal sheets, I realized the person in front of me and the one behind me were both buying big bags of fresh sweet cherries. Voila. Cherry season has arrived. Spring is officially here and with it, the first little stone fruit. So buy enough to eat fresh out of hand, then some for cooking a crisp or cobbler (easier than pie), muffins, and some savory dish like duck with cherries.

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One day while I was working at the bakery, one of my customers asked if I would do a special cake for their birthday. It would be a three-tiered construction, something I had never attempted before. The price was negotiated at $45, a large amount in 1979 for a cake and almost a whole day’s pay for me at the time.

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Red wine pan sauce can take even a simple hamburger and make it really special. But here it is paired with a rib-eye, which is basically your standing rib roast, cut into individual portions and deboned. It is tender and tasty, but not as lean as a trimmed fillet.

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There is Mud Cake and there is Mud Cake. The always-fudgey cake takes its name after the thick mud of the Mississippi River banks, needs a glug of bourbon just like on the old riverboats, and is a card-carrying member of the Southern baking repertoire along with banana pudding and biscuits.

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Ink is one of the oldest tools of magic. Whether needed to write a spell or symbol, magical ink can invoke or banish potentially dangerous beings. To make invisible ink appear, hold the paper over a candle flame to gently…

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