This recipe is among those in my new cookbook, Short and Sweet! If you haven’t heard me shout it from the rooftops, this book (my 2nd!) is out on October 6th. I wrote Short and Sweet for the home baker who wants tasty, beautiful bakes, with an easy-going vibe and simple pantry requirements. Every recipe can be mixed by hand, and you’ll need a minimal list of tools and ingredients. I also developed the recipes to be QUICK, so there are no overnight chilling periods for cookie doughs or yeast breads. If you’re interested in learning more about Short and Sweet or want to preorder a copy, you can visit my website.

Almond Crunch Brownies

Serves 16

File this brownie recipe in the category of “accidentally gluten-free.” I didn’t set out to avoid wheat flour, but using almond flour adds a new dimension of flavor and a decadent density to make the ultimate fudgey brownies. A sprinkling of nuts on top adds a layer of crunchy texture and signals that these are all about the almond!

10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter

1 cup (190 g) semisweet chocolate chips

1½ cups (330 g) lightly packed brown sugar

¾ cup (70 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons fine salt

1½ cups (150 g) ultra fine almond flour

¾ cup (85 g) sliced raw almonds

-Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan, then line with a sheet of parchment paper that overhangs the edges on two sides.

-In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and about half of the chocolate chips. Heat at full power in 30-second increments, stirring well with a rubber spatula after each, until melted, about 90 seconds total (a few remaining bits of chocolate are okay).

- Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, and salt to the bowl and whisk until combined. Continue whisking vigorously until shiny and glossy, about 30 seconds.

- Add the almond flour and stir with a rubber spatula for 30 seconds until the batter is glossy and thick. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and sprinkle with the sliced almonds and remaining chocolate chips and press them into place.

-Bake for 36 to 39 minutes, or until puffed and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with fudgy crumbs but no raw batter attached. Allow to cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour, then use the parchment to remove from the pan. Cut into 16 squares. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Thank you for reading my newsletter. I hope that you get the chance to make this brownie recipe! If you do, feel free to tag me on Instagram and share how much you enjoyed them.

Until next time!

-Dan

As we move into August, I’m craving simple bakes that highlight my favorite summer flavors. And there’s nothing that stands out more than ruby red, ripe strawberries. A triple layer strawberry shortcake is my go-to when I’m craving a showstopper, but these fresh strawberry cupcakes are a simpler bake that captures the beauty of my favorite summer berry.

This recipe is from my new cookbook, Short and Sweet, which is out on October 6th! Like all of the recipes in my new book, these cupcakes are mixed by hand and made simply with all-purpose flour. I tested just about every way I could think of to make a strawberry cake base, like using strawberry powder, puree, and concentrate to flavor the batter. The trick here is to dice fresh strawberries and toss them with lemon juice to protect their bright color during baking. As they bake, the fresh strawberries impart their sweet flavor into these fluffy cupcakes.

My New Cookbook

It’s interesting to note that the key to keeping strawberries bright red during baking is to make an acidic batter. That’s why this cupcake batter uses no baking soda, which would make the batter more alkaline and cause the strawberries to turn a grayish-purple color. The addition of the lemon juice with the strawberries ensures that the batter remains acidic.

I finish these with strawberry frosting, which I make by whisking a bit of high quality strawberry jam into vanilla buttercream. If you need to adjust the sweetness of your jam buttercream, try whisking in a bit of lemon juice to balance the flavor. Barely sweetened whipped cream would also be a fantastic topping. Either way, I reserve a few beautiful strawberries to halve, and then top the cupcakes once they are finished.

Now for the recipe.

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

¾ cup (125 g) diced fresh strawberries

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (150 g) all-purpose flour

⅔ cup (130 g) granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine salt

½ cup (120 g) heavy cream, cold

¼ cup (55 g) neutral oil, such as avocado or canola

1 large egg, cold

1 large egg white, cold

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

About 1 ½ cups strawberry or vanilla buttercream or prepared whipped cream

12 fresh strawberries, halved, for topping, if desired

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Line the cups of a standard 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.

2. In a small bowl, combine the diced strawberries and lemon juice and toss to coat.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until blended. Stir in the heavy cream, oil, egg, egg white, and vanilla with a rubber spatula and mix until the eggs are incorporated. Scrape the bowl, then stir vigorously until the batter is smooth and shiny, about 20 seconds. Add the strawberries and any collected juice and fold with the spatula to distribute.

4. Use a ¼-cup scoop to divide the batter evenly among the lined cupcake cups. Bake for 21 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a few cupcakes comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting, about 45 minutes.

5. To frost the cupcakes, use a spoon to dollop about 2 tablespoons buttercream onto the center of each cupcake, then use the spoon or an offset spatula to tap and spread the buttercream across the top of the cupcake. Top each with fresh strawberries, if you like. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Thank you for reading my newest post! I would love to hear from you if you bake this recipe. And if you’d like to learn more about Short and Sweet or preorder a copy before it goes on sale on October 6th, you can visit my website.

The first pie that I ever baked was a peach pie for my dad. I used frozen peaches and I didn’t let it bake long enough for the filling to set. When we cut into it, the filling ran through the pie plate like soup. My dad ate it anyway (he’s that kind of dad,) but I remember standing at the counter feeling like my pie definitely didn’t look like the one in the cookbook.

Fruit pies are tricky because fruit release a ton of liquid as it bakes, and getting that filling to set without turning it into a gluey mess is a real balancing act. After a lot of soupy pies, I found a few tricks that changed everything for me. Baking a fruit pie until the center bubbles is your first step to success. Most fruit pies will use cornstarch or flour as a thickener, and these need to come to a boil to reach their full potential.

While developing my blueberry pie recipe, I decided to add some dried blueberries to the mix to turn up the flavor in the pie. It turns out that not only did the dried blueberries add concentrated (natural) flavor, but they also absorbed some of the excess liquid from the fresh blueberries in the filling.

The Trick-Adding dried fruit to fruit pie fillings

Adding dried fruit, like dried blueberries to your blueberry pie, gives you bold flavor and a perfectly set filling. Dried blueberries are basically blueberry raisins, packed with concentrated flavor, and thirsty enough to absorb liquid as the pie bakes. As the filling bakes, the dried blueberries soak up the liquid released by the fresh blueberries and contribute their own bright, concentrated flavor right back into the filling. It’s a win-win, blueberry pie thickened with more blueberry!

Adding about a half cup of dried fruit to your pie filling should do the trick. This works beautifully for cherry pie too, just swap in dried cherries or dried cranberries. For a summer peach pie, a handful of freeze dried apples does the same job.

A few more tips for a perfectly set pie

Bake Until it’s Done: I bake most of my fruit pies for an hour or more. In order to properly thicken, the filling needs to reach a strong bubble all the way at the very center, and that just takes time. If the top of the pie starts to over brown, simply drape a sheet of aluminum foil over top and use oven mitt covered hands to gently wrap the foil around the pie edges.

Be Patient While it Cools: In many ways, allowing your pie to cool completely before slicing is as essential to its success as the baking time itself. As the pie cools, the juices set and the flavors develop. A cooled pie slices neatly and the topping stays put rather than running all over the plate. Factor in a 3 hour cooling period before you plan to serve your pie.

Add Dried Fruit: A 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of dried fruit stirred into your filling helps control juiciness while baking, so you get bold flavor and a filling that holds its shape when you slice it. Use more or less dried fruit depending on how much extra thickening you are looking to add to your recipe.

Between the long bake, the patient cool down, and the dried fruit trick, you’ll get a pie that actually holds together when you slice it.

Now let’s talk crust.

Cream Cheese Pie Crust

Cream cheese adds richness and flexibility to pie dough, making it my go-to for an easy to roll and tasty crust. If your kitchen is hot, place the mixer bowl and paddle in the freezer for ten minutes before mixing the dough.

Yield: enough for 2 single-crust pies or 1 double-crust pie

Ingredients

- 2 1/2 cups (325 g) all-purpose flour

- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt

- 14 tablespoons (195 g) cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

- 4 ounces (115 g) cold full-fat cream cheese, cut in 1-inch cubes

- 2 1/2 tablespoons cold water

1. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 30 seconds to combine.

2. Add the butter and cream cheese all at once and mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.

3. Drizzle in the water and continue to mix on low for 10 to 15 seconds, or until small clumps of dough start to form; the clumps will look a bit like popcorn.

4. Turn the crumbs out onto your work surface and gather them into a mound. Press and knead the mass 3 or 4 times until the mixture looks cohesive with no dry spots.

5. For a double-crust or lattice-crust pie, divide the dough using 2/3 (about 15 ounces) for the bottom crust and the remaining 1/3 (about 9 ounces) for the top. For 2 single-crust pies, divide the dough into two equal portions.

6. Flatten into 1/2-inch thick disks, wrap both portions in plastic, and chill for at least two hours or up to two days. The well-wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.

There’s a lot to love about the silky texture of Swiss meringue buttercream, but some people find the cooking process to be a bit time consuming. When I started Baked By Dan, I was creating multiple custom cakes per week. Sculpted cakes and wedding cakes take hours of preparation, so I used a powdered sugar based American buttercream that could be mixed quickly. I liked that I could make a 10 quart batch easily, and that it required no cooking. Over the years I began testing and developing new recipes and I grew to love Swiss buttercream because it is light, smooth, and not overly sweet.

The recipe that follows combines the ease of American buttercream with the silkiness of a Swiss buttercream. This recipe contains no egg whites and requires no cooking. Because the formula has a higher amount of butter than sugar by weight, the frosting is balanced in sweetness. The initial step of combining powdered sugar and boiling water guarantees that you won’t experience any gritty texture. I use this buttercream for frosting cakes and cupcakes and for basic piping work. For this recipe I choose a chocolate chip that I enjoy eating on its own (often by the handful,) to add a rich chocolate flavor.

SILKY CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Enough to frost 24 cupcakes or fill/frost an 8” or 9” layer cake

3 cups (360 grams) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy

⅓ cup (80 grams) boiling water

4 sticks (454 grams) unsalted butter, at spreadable room temperature

⅛ teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup (65 grams) heavy cream, cold

1 1/4 cups (240 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted

Add the confectioners sugar and boiling water to a bowl or large measuring cup and stir with a whisk until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium high speed until smooth and creamy, about 5-7 minutes. Scrape the bowl and paddle well then add the vanilla and salt and mix on medium for another minute.

Lower the mixer to stir speed and gradually mix in the warm sugar syrup. Once all of the syrup has been added, stop and scrape the bowl and then mix again on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.

With the mixer on low, add the heavy cream, then beat on medium for a minute to combine. Add the melted chocolate and mix on medium for another minute. The buttercream will be light and fluffy and ready to use.

To smooth the buttercream and remove air bubbles, scoop about one cup of the buttercream into a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave until melted, about 10-12 seconds. Add the melted butter cream back into the mixer bowl and stir vigorously with a rubber spatula to combine. Continue stirring until the frosting is smooth and ‘condensed’ with less air bubbles and a silkier appearance.

Thank you for reading my newsletter! Let me know if you give this recipe a try.

How to Shape Philadelphia Pretzels

This dough is stiff, so take your time during the rolling step. If the dough springs back when rolling then let it rest, covered, for another 10 minutes before you continue working with it.

Common Questions

Why add mustard to the dough?

I add the mustard purely for flavor. If you would prefer to leave it out you can.

Why add cornmeal to the dough?

Cornmeal adds flavor and contributes chew. Corn flour is a common ingredient in Philly soft pretzels, but cornmeal is easier to source for home cooks.

What if I’m out of buttermilk?

Buttermilk adds flavor and helps the pretzels brown in the oven. An equal amount of warm water can be used in its place.

After devouring an incredible breakfast sandwich on a house-made English muffin from a Philadelphia bakery, I set out to finesse my own recipe.

How to stretch and fold the dough

Because this is a wet dough (high hydration,) it cannot be kneaded like a firmer bread dough. To develop gluten, you stretch and fold the dough. Dip your hand in cool water to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers, grip the edge of the dough and stretch upwards. Fold the dough towards the center and repeat this process all along the edge of the dough.

How to shape the English muffins

After chilling overnight the dough will firm up a bit and make shaping easier. Divide the dough into 6 pieces on a floured surface. Use your hands to grip both sides of the dough and stretch slightly, then press the ends of the dough into the center. Repeat all the way around to form a tight ball. Flip the dough over so that the seam is on the bottom and the smooth side is facing up.

Subscribe now

OATS AND HONEY ENGLISH MUFFINS

Makes 6 English Muffins

My homemade English muffins are airy and soft with a bit of chew from bread flour. Oats and honey add a subtle sweet nuttiness. A touch of baking powder makes these even lighter as they cook. The trick to working with this sticky dough is shaping it while it’s cold, for a big texture payoff… perfectly toastable nooks and crannies.

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoon (200 g) warm water

⅓ cup (35 g) rolled oats

2 tablespoons (40 g) honey

2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted

2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast

1 teaspoon fine salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 ¾ cups (225 g) bread flour

Fine cornmeal, for dusting

The day before you plan to cook the muffins, combine the warm water, oats, honey, melted butter and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. Stir until the yeast dissolves.

Use a rubber spatula to stir in the salt and baking powder, and then stir in the flour and mix until a sticky dough forms, about one minute.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until puffy, about one hour. Dip your hand in cold water, grab some of the dough from the edge of the bowl, stretch upwards and fold over. Repeat all the way around the bowl, 6-8 times. Recover the dough and place in the refrigerator overnight (or for up to 2 days.)

To cook the muffins, sprinkle a layer of cornmeal onto a small plate. Lightly grease two 10” or larger skillets (stainless steel, cast iron or non stick all work.) To shape the muffins, scrape the cold dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 6 pieces. Shape each into a 3” round by pulling on the edge of the dough and pressing inwards.

Dunk both sides of each muffin into the cornmeal and press in gently. Place 3 muffins in each skillet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Place each skillet over low heat and cook for 8-10 minutes on the first side, until the muffins release from the pan and are deep golden brown. Flip and cook on the second side until deep golden, another 6-8 minutes. They are done when about 200*F internal temp. Cool on a wire rack and split with a fork. Store leftovers covered at room temp up to two days. Or split each muffin and freeze for longer storage. Makes 6.

Share

Order Bake Your Heart Out

While the ingredients in bars and cookies tend to be the same, it’s all about their ratios when it comes to distinguishing bar cookies from their perfectly round counterparts. Cookies need a certain amount of flour to give them structure, but blondies and brownies don’t have to worry about spreading or losing their shape. The lower ratio of flour in blondies and brownies is what makes them denser, chewier and richer.

Bar cookies are also great opportunities to layer the things that you love. I’m thinking of the Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars from Bake Your Heart Out, a triple layered bonanza of a toasted graham cracker crust, tangy red velvet brownie and a creamy cheesecake top. Simple elements, layered for a fantastic finish. And a batch of bars can be instantly elevated with a layer of frosting to take them from everyday bakes to something more celebratory.

Subscribe now

I like to think of blondies as butterscotch brownies. If you look at old school butterscotch recipes, you’ll see that it’s really a butter caramel made with brown sugar. As the mixture cooks, the milk solids in the butter toast while the molasses-y brown sugar caramelizes. This process produces a flavor that is more complex than a caramel made from white sugar alone. And while most blondie recipes start with a combo of melted butter and brown sugar, I take it a step further and actually simmer the two together, to create a flavorful base for a blondie that is out of this world! Don’t let that step intimidate you- it takes all of 5 minutes for the butterscotch to cook, and at that point the mixture is transferred to a bowl to finish mixing by hand.

Butterscotch Blondies

Reprinted from Bake Your Heart Out

Makes 16 blondies

2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) cold unsalted butter

1 1/3 cups (295 g) lightly packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1¼ cups (200 g) semisweet chocolate chunks, chilled

Preheat the oven to 325℉ with a rack in the center position. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick baking spray and line it with a long strip of parchment that overhangs the edges on two sides.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder until free of clumps; set aside.

Melt 8 tablespoons (113 g) of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is mostly melted, add the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until the butter has completely melted and the mixture begins to bubble. Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer without stirring for 5 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the butterscotch at a steady simmer, with large bubbles that slowly burst and release wisps of steam. Pour the butterscotch into a large, heatproof bowl, add the remaining 8 tablespoons (113 g) of butter and stir to melt. Don’t worry if the melted butter doesn’t incorporate fully; it’s okay if there is some butter pooled around the edges. Set the caramel aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Add the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk to the cooled caramel and whisk vigorously for 60 seconds, or until smooth and shiny, like a rich caramel sauce. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour, mixing until fully incorporated into a smooth batter.

Stir all but ¼ cup of the chocolate chunks in the batter and spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chunks over the batter and dust with a bit of coarse salt if desired. Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, the surface is puffed and wrinkled, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached but no raw batter. (You may need to insert the toothpick into a few different spots to be sure you aren’t hitting molten chocolate.) Cool the blondies in the pan completely (they will settle as they cool), about 2 hours. Cut into 16 squares. Store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Baker’s Note: Chilling the chocolate chunks prevents them from melting when stirred into warm batter. For ultra-sharp squares, refrigerate the cooled blondies for 1 hour before cutting with a sharp knife.

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter! I hope that you’re inspired to give my recipe a try, and if you haven’t checked out my cookbook I would delighted if you did. Until next time -Dan

The one thing that set my childhood cheesecake apart was the crust. My mom and I always used the premade shortbread crusts from Keebler, the kind that comes pre-formed in a disposable pie pan with a plastic lid that doubled for storage once the cheesecake was done baking. The crusts were also sold in mini size, and I’ll never forget the time my Mom spent an entire day baking dozens of mini cheesecakes for me to take into school to celebrate my birthday. It was that crumb crust base, pressed into a pie pan, that’s always stuck with me as an ode to the cheesecakes of my childhood. And even to this day I know that I can make every member of my family happy if I bring a cheesecake to the party.

As a budding young baker, having mastered simpler cheesecakes, I set out to bake one like the pros did, springform pan and all. My first attempt, which was destined for a birthday party, was a disaster because I had unknowingly underbaked the cheesecake. When I went to serve it the next day I was met with a cheesecake pudding situation, not the creamy and sliceable masterpiece that I'd hoped for. I wasn't aware back then that I could actually judge the doneness of cheesecake by more than eye alone- an instant read thermometer would take guesswork out of the equation. It was learning to measure the internal temperature to gauge doneness that was a game changer in my cheesecake baking.

I've made many types of cheesecake over the years, from minis, to bars and no-bakes, all to my family’s delight, and decided to include my “creamy dreamy” cheesecake recipe in Bake Your Heart Out. While developing the recipe that follows for my book, I discovered one of the most unique (IMO,) baking tips in my arsenal… melted cream cheese-more on that below.

Checkout my Cookbook

Some tips that I find helpful when baking cheesecake

Melt your cream cheese- Instead of softening cream cheese and then patiently mixing it to remove lumps, just melt it. I cut the blocks of cream cheese into cubes, place them in a large microwave safe mixing bowl and microwave in 20-30 second increments. Stir after each blitz to smooth everything out until the cream cheese has melted to the consistency of mayonnaise. Keep in mind that it won’t take more than a minute or so- we’re going for warm and melty, not hot and steaming.

Whisk your eggs before adding them to the custard- By whisking the eggs along with the liquid in your recipe (like sour or heavy  cream,) the eggs will incorporate more easily into the cream cheese. This means that you're less likely to overmix and incorporate excess air into your custard. 

Be generous with vanilla and don't forget the salt- I enjoy the flavor of a full tablespoon of vanilla extract in my cheesecake. And while I baked cheesecakes for years and didn’t add any salt (many recipes don’t call for it,) the salt definitely highlights the flavors in the finished cheesecake.

Trust in the thermometer- I always found it tricky to judge a cheesecake's doneness purely by observing how much it wobbles, and that method is what led to my underbaked cheesecake situation all those years ago. Nowadays I rely on an instant read thermometer, inserted into the very center of the cheesecake, and I aim for a temp between 155-165*F. Once the cheesecake reaches that temp I turn off the oven and crack the door, then let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 45 minutes. This slow cool prevents cracking and allows carryover heat to fully set the center of the cheesecake.

Subscribe now

And now for my Creamy Dreamy Cheesecake Pie, found on page 171 of Bake Your Heart Out. It’s baked in a pie pan so there’s no fear that the water bath will leak into the pan during baking, and it’s easy to slice and serve. Though if you were feeling particularly ambitious you could easily double the filling recipe and bake the cheesecake in a 9” springform pan for a taller New York style cheesecake presentation. Note that a larger amount of custard will take longer to bake, but aim for the internal temp specified in the recipe and you’ll have a perfectly set cheesecake. Checkout this video on how to hack the springform pan so that it won’t leak when using a water bath.

Creamy Dreamy Cheesecake Pie

Reprinted from Bake Your Heart Out

Serves 8

Crust

1 2/3 cups (190 g) fine vanilla wafer crumbs, from about 45 vanilla wafers, or 1 2/3 cups (190 g) graham cracker crumbs, from about 12 crackers

2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated or light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake filling

16 ounces (452 g) full-fat cream cheese, cut in 1- inch cubes

3⁄4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/4 cup (60 g) heavy cream, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 

For serving

1 cup (240 g) heavy cream, whipped

1 ounce dark chocolate, shaved

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Butter just the bottom of a 9- inch pie pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment, smoothing it into place.

2. To make the crust: Combine the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until evenly moistened. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Form the crust by pressing the crumbs onto the sides of the pan, aiming for a thickness of about 1⁄4 inch. Spread the loose crumbs onto the bottom of the pan. Use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to compress the crumbs firmly onto the bottom and up the sides, extending the crust just a bit beyond the rim.

3. Bake on the center rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it smells toasty and feels set. Place the baked crust onto a rimmed baking sheet and set aside while you make the filling. The walls of the crust may shrink down a bit as it cools, but that is fine. Leave the oven on.

4. To make the filling: In a large microwave- safe bowl, heat the cream cheese for 30 seconds. Move the pieces around with a rubber spatula, then heat for another 30 seconds. Use the spatula to stir and smear the cream cheese until it is nearly smooth, with a texture like mayonnaise. Heat for 10 more seconds and stir until no lumps remain. Add the sugar and salt to the melted cream cheese and stir for 60 seconds, or until it is smooth and shiny like yogurt.

5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until completely homogeneous; there should be no strands of egg white clinging to the whisk when it is raised from the eggs. Whisk in the cream, vanilla, and lemon juice. Use the spatula to stir the egg mixture into the cream cheese one-third at a time, blending completely after each addition. Pour the filling into the warm crust; it should fill the crust just to the top of the crumbs.

6. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F. Place the cheesecake on its baking sheet on the center rack and carefully pour very hot water into the baking sheet to make a 1⁄2- inch- deep water bath. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the outer 2 1⁄2 or 3 inches of the cheesecake is set and the inner portion wobbles like jelly. The internal temperature at the center of the cheesecake should be 155°F to 165°F (see Baker’s Note). Don’t worry if the top browns a little, that’s just fine.

7. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake stand in the oven with the door open just a bit (slip a wooden spoon into the opening to hold the door open a crack) for 45 minutes. Lift the pan out of the water bath and place the cheesecake on a wire rack. (Let the water cool a bit before discarding.) Cool the cheesecake for about 90 minutes, or until the bottom of the pan is cool to the touch. Cover with an inverted plate or drape with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

8. To serve, warm the bottom of the pan to help release the crust by setting it on a rimmed baking sheet filled with steaming- hot water for 2 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings.

Baker’s Note

Taking the internal temperature of the cheesecake is the easiest way to know that it is baked. A temperature of around 155°F yields a creamier cheesecake and 165°F indicates a firmer texture.

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter! Be sure to let me know if you try my cheesecake recipe, and if you haven’t checked out my cookbook I would delighted if you did. Until next time -Dan

When it comes to cookies I have a hard time picking a favorite. Sometimes I bake purely for the act of baking itself and making a recipe that doesn't feel routine seems more invigorating than baking on autopilot. Texture plays a big role in how we categorize cookies- some like theirs thick and chewy, others are team cakey or crunchy. There’s room for all of these versions on my cookie tray and so I ask ‘who needs just one favorite!?’

My hunger for perfecting chocolate chip cookies began as a kid, after noticing that the recipe that we baked with my mom always turned out flat (love you Mom!) I wanted our cookies to look like the ones on the bag of chocolate chips and so I set out to crack the code. The internet was just becoming a resource and I searched for answers on sites like baking911 and FoodTv.com.

Since then my love for the CCC has continued and every few months I get the urge to tinker with my recipes.

Subscribe now

Here are some tidbits that I’ve learned along the way

-I prefer a chocolate chipper that’s made with all brown sugar because it’ll lend more flavor and chew than a blend of white and brown sugars. To convert a recipe to use all brown sugar, find the total amount of sugar in the recipe by adding the amount of white and brown sugar, usually around 1 ½ cups, and use that amount of brown sugar.

-Chilling your cookie dough really does make a difference. Cookie dough that has chilled overnight will spread less and make a chewier cookie. Chilling cookie dough gives the flour more time to fully hydrate, so a cookie baked from chilled dough will retain more moisture after baking.

-Less baking soda=less spread. As a kid I learned that I could add more flour to my dough to make the cookies spread less, and that's definitely true. But baking soda also plays a role here. Baking soda slows down the ‘setting’ of the flour and eggs in the dough, which in turn gives the dough more time to spread before it sets. Use less soda for less spread- a ½ teaspoon instead of the full teaspoon in most CCC recipes will work well.

-Don't skimp on the salt. Where some recipes call for 1 teaspoon of salt, I go for a teaspoon and a half. Your cookies will taste better, plain and simple.

-Damage control after baking means that you can reshape cookies that have gone rogue. Use a metal spoon or silicone spatula to push in any edges to make a rounder cookie. Do this as soon as the cookies have finished baking. 

-A couple of perfectly placed chips make a cookie look inviting- so press a few into the surface of the cookie while they’re warm and they’ll melt into place.

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be sharing some recipes from my upcoming cookbook, Bake Your Heart Out, which hits bookshelves on Oct 3rd. Right now you can pre-order a copy, and when you do you’ll get invited to a virtual baking class with me in the fall and get 3 bonus recipes emailed directly to you. Visit this link to get the goods after you’ve pre ordered.

I’ve got two fantastic recipes for chocolate chip cookies in Bake Your Heart Out. There’s a recipe for the thin and crispy camp and then there is the thick and decadent version that I’ve titled THICK AND CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES. These are made with sweetened condensed milk which gives them an irresistibly dense texture on the inside, similar to a blondie. I used this recipe (scaled up 6 times!) to make packaged cookie favors when my sister got married, so you know that I stand by the recipe. A quick note- a standard can of sweetened condensed milk is 1 cup, so you’ll be able to make 3 batches from one can. Transfer leftover SCM to a covered container and store in the fridge for 1 month or freeze indefinitely. No need to thaw before measuring because it won't freeze solid.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Reprinted from Bake Your Heart Out

Makes 15 large cookies

1 cup (2 sticks/226 g) unsalted butter, melted

1 ⅓ cups (295 g) lightly packed light brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup (120 g) sweetened condensed milk

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 ¾ cups (360 g) all-purpose flour

12 ounces (340 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or semisweet chocolate chunks

Flaky salt for sprinkling (optional)

1. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. Mix with a rubber spatula until combined, breaking up any sugar lumps. Add the condensed milk, egg yolks, and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Stir in the flour and mix until nearly combined, then stir in the chocolate pieces and mix until uniform.

2. Use a large (1⁄4 cup) scoop to portion the dough onto a parchment- lined baking sheet or plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

3. To bake, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Arrange 6 cookies on each baking sheet. Flatten the dough balls to about 1 inch thick and sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt (if using). Bake the cookies on the center rack, one sheet at a time, for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers no longer look wet. The cookies will puff up but will settle as they cool. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets. Store the cookies in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Thank you for reading my newsletter. I hope that you enjoy my tips for better chocolate chip cookies and get to try my new recipe. I bet that my thick and chewy chocolate chunk cookies will become a new favorite. If you bake the recipe feel free to tag me on Instagram and share how much you enjoyed them.

Until next time!

-Dan

Pre-order Bake Your Heart Out

All this is to say that Bake Your Heart Out feels like the story of my life lived in baking, at least up until this point, all in one book. Is it possible that one’s first book can be their life's work? For years I kept a giant binder that held all of my notes and recipes—but nowadays I reach for my own real life cookbook when I bake—and I think that is pretty darn cool. Bake Your Heart Out is available on Oct 3, and is available now for pre-order!! And when you pre-order you’ll get an e-book of 3 incredible recipes (pictured below) that didn't make their way into the book itself. You’ll also be invited to a pre-orders-only virtual baking class with me this fall. If you’ve already pre-ordered, THANK YOU! Follow this link to receive your bonus recipes!

I can’t wait for you to try the recipes, stain the pages with vanilla, and bookmark your favorites. If you’ve loved my baking tips and recipes on Instagram, you’ll find even more gems in my book that will really push your bakes to the next level. With game-changing versions of your favorite classics and some new flavor combinations you’ll want to bake on repeat, these recipes will inspire you to bake your heart out every time you turn on the oven. So do me a huge favor and show the publisher and booksellers how excited you are to get your hands on my book and preorder your copy today. It really makes a difference! 

Do you find yourself craving different desserts depending on the season? With Summer in full swing I’ve been craving chilly desserts to satisfy my sweet tooth. Tiramisu, cheesecake and ice cream all come to mind, but come to think of it, I’d devour these any time of year. I’ve got an equal opportunity sweet tooth—give me a slice of shortcake in October or pumpkin pie in July. But when it’s hot, I’m not dying to turn my oven on, and the benefit of making many chilled desserts is that I don’t have to. I’ve been making my no-churn chocolate ice cream all summer and my family and friends have really enjoyed it. As a kid I made ice cream in an old fashioned machine where I’d layer ice and rock salt in a bucket that chilled the ice cream canister. I’ve used many ice cream machines over the years and really find the texture of these no churn treats to be nearly as perfect as the more labor-intensive recipes. 

If you’ve made a no-churn ice cream before then you’ve probably used sweetened condensed milk. It’s one of my favorite ingredients (you’ll find many uses for condensed milk in Bake Your Heart Out) but it definitely has a noticeable flavor in ice cream and that wasn’t the vibe here. Instead I make a super easy brown sugar simple syrup and then add some dry milk powder, which keeps the ice cream cream scoopable as it freezes. Whisking the cocoa into the hot simple syrup enhances its flavor by warming the cocoa butter in the cocoa. After that, all there is to do is fold in some whipped cream and freeze—and voilà, perfect chocolate ice cream.  

Easy Old Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart

1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
⅔ cup (165 g) water
½ cup (45 g) dutch cocoa powder
½ cup (40 g) instant nonfat dry milk
½ teaspoon fine salt
2 cups (480 g) cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

Add the light brown sugar and the water to a medium microwave safe bowl. Heat for 5-6 minutes, stopping to stir occasionally, until the mixture has come to a rapid boil and the sugar is dissolved. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk until combined. Sift in the instant dry milk and the fine salt and whisk to combine. Strain the chocolate mixture into another medium bowl and set aside until barely warm.

Add the cold heavy cream and the vanilla to your mixer bowl and whip until medium peaks form (think shaving cream consistency.) Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in three parts, folding just until combined. Transfer the mixture to a 9x5 loaf pan, or similar sized container, and cover. Freeze overnight or until firm. Place the ice cream container in the refrigerator for 5 minutes before serving for easier scooping.

TIP: Who doesn’t love an ice cream mix in?! Fold in up to 1 cup of your favorite mix-in after folding in the last portion of whipped cream. Think crushed cookies, toasted nuts or chocolate chips (I prefer the minis because they are more pleasant to eat when frozen.) The possibilities are endless!

Thank you for reading my newsletter. I hope that you enjoyed hearing about my upcoming cookbook and that you get a chance to make some ice cream! If you haven’t already, follow me on Instagram where I share more tips and recipes and answer your questions in a weekly Q&A.

Until next time!

-Dan

It’s been a yearly tradition in my family to clear our schedules and spend a week together at the Jersey shore. When I was growing up, North Wildwood NJ was our favorite shore spot. I knew the perfect spot on the beach, the best stop for pizza, and eventually my favorite bar to grab a drink.

These days I dig a more relaxed family beach vibe, and we’ve started a fresh tradition at a new shore point. This will be the second summer that my niece gets to experience a family beach vacation and I know it’ll be one for the books.

Summer is the perfect time for creating desserts that incorporate the beautiful berries of the season. You can’t go wrong with the abundance of sweet strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. I usually head to the local Produce Junction to stock up on berries in bulk. When I get home I give the berries a quick soak in a water/vinegar bath to remove any dirt and extend their shelf life. If you haven’t tried this trick I would highly recommend it- I’ve had berries last for over a week in the fridge after a water/vinegar wash!

Simply fill a bowl with about a quart of cool water and a tablespoon of vinegar (any type will work.) Add the berries and stir them around so that they are submerged and then let them hangout for about 5 minutes. Transfer the berries to a colander, give them a quick rinse and then dry them thoroughly on a clean towel before storing in the refrigerator. You can reuse the vinegar water to soak another round of berries if you like.

Fruit tarts are a real chance to show off your creativity as a baker. When filled with a simple flavored whipped cream and fresh berries, a fruit tart can be a low effort/BIG reward kind of baking project. And while one fruit tart is beautiful, there is something about mini fruit tarts that feels extra fancy. If you’ve got a standard 12 cup muffin pan you can make a dozen tart shells easily- no specialty tart pans required!

Here’s how you can easily make mini tart shells…

Mini Fruit Tarts

Makes 12

2 disks of your favorite pie dough for the shells

Lemon Cream

2 ounces (55 g) cold cream cheese

3 tablespoons (40 g) granulated sugar

Zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch fine salt

1 1/4 cups (300 g) cold heavy cream 

⅓ cup your favorite fruit preserves

1-2 pints fresh berries

To make the tart shells: On a floured surface, roll the pie dough to ⅛”-¼” thick. Use a 3”- 3.5” circle cutter to cut out 12 disks of dough (scrap pie dough can be saved by brushing off excess flour, stacking the pieces and wrapping/chilling before re-rolling.) Turn a standard 12-cup muffin pan upside down- you’ll be shaping the dough over the bottom of the wells. Place a disk of dough over the center of one of the well bottoms. Use one hand to hold the center in place while using your other hand to press the dough against the edge of the pan, shaping it tightly around the sides. Repeat with the remaining discs and then place the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350*F with a rack in the center. 

To bake the shells, place the chilled dough on a sheet pan to make handling easier. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough portions and then place a sheet pan on top of the parchment. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until the crusts start turning golden and no longer look wet. Carefully remove the sheet tray and parchment from the top and continue baking until desired color is achieved. Cool then carefully remove from the pan.

To make the lemon cream: Combine the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low with the whisk attachment until combined. Scrape the bowl and beat on medium high until smooth with no lumps of cheese remaining, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and mix on low to combine, scraping the bowl as needed. Whip on medium speed just until peaks form; remove the bowl from the mixer and use the whisk to beat the cream a few times by hand until it forms medium peaks with the spreadable consistency of shaving cream.

To assemble: Place a small spoonful of fruit preserves into the bottom of each crust. Spoon or pipe about 2 tablespoons of lemon cream over the preserves and spread to fill the tart shell. Arrange berries on top as you’d like. Chill until serving. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to one day.

Hey there, Dan Langan here from Baked By Dan. If you’ve signed up for this mailing list you probably follow me on social media or maybe you came across one of my recipes on TV or online. However you found your way here, welcome! You’ll find even more of the home baking tips and hacks I’ve become known for; first access to brand new recipes that I’m sharing with my followers; and updates about what’s going on in my world, both in and out of the kitchen. 

For a minute now I’ve been wanting a place to delve into some of the baking issues that keep me up at night – does it really matter if your eggs are at room temperature? What’s the difference between chopped chocolate and chocolate chips? And should I be spending $25 on a bottle of vanilla? – in a bit more depth than even my wordiest Insta captions can accommodate. I’d also love to offer a window onto some of my other current obsessions, preoccupations, and opinions that have nothing to do with baking at all! (shout out to the home DIYers- I’ve got some new projects of my own in the works.) Lastly, I’d love to make this a living forum for the kitchen issues that haunt your  dreams so I can celebrate your successes and solve your dilemmas right along with you. Sound good? If so, I hope you will subscribe (I promise not to inundate your inbox) and share this with anyone you think might be looking for some upbeat intel from a born-and-bred Philly guy who loves nothing better than to get in the kitchen, roll up his sleeves, and bake his heart out.

Subscribe now

Which is exactly where I was earlier this morning, making a batch of confetti cookies. Measuring out the high-end vanilla I use that runs about $1 per teaspoon (yup, do the math on a 4 ounce bottle that goes for $25) got me thinking of all the questions I get about buying and using vanilla extract. When did vanilla get so expensive? And is the pricey stuff worth it? I bet, like me, you’ve been wondering which to buy, or maybe you’ve collected a few over the years, which is fine, since vanilla has an indefinite shelf life. But which do you use when? 

The reality is that you shouldn’t assume the super fancy stuff will be the most pleasing to your taste buds. Tests have shown that for many people the imitation stuff tastes more “like vanilla” than the costly imported brands. And if you do spring for the premium kind, save it for recipes that will really allow the vanilla flavor to shine, like a vanilla bean cake or the aforementioned sugar cookies. 

Whichever you choose, there are a few tips to bear in mind to get the most out of every drop.  Pure or imitation, I always shake my vanilla before measuring, making sure the lid is on tight!  Vanilla has natural particles that settle in the bottle and shaking guarantees an evenly flavored pour each time you measure.  And on that note, remember that vanilla can be added ‘to taste.’ If you're making a batch of buttercream feel free to taste and adjust with more vanilla. Lastly, remember that heat causes vanilla to evaporate, which in turn reduces its flavor, especially important when it is being added to recipes that are cooked stovetop, like custards, puddings, or ice cream base. Even if a recipe states otherwise, I always add vanilla at the very end, once the mixture is off the heat, for maximum flavor.

One thing you may not know about me is that I studied art – specifically sculpting – in college, and working with clay is a passion of mine. (Maybe that’s why I’ve always had a flair for using fondant to create lifelike fantasy cakes!) After a long hiatus I’ve been back in the pottery studio creating pitchers, dishes, and mugs to decorate my kitchen and use in recipe videos. 

If you’ve dabbled in pottery you know that unlike baking, creating a fired piece can be a long process. From the initial throwing stage on the potter's wheel to drying, trimming, glazing, and two rounds of kiln firing, it can take up to 4 weeks to finish a single piece. I tend to focus on one form, like mugs or berry bowls, and make them over and over until I feel like I’ve got a handle on it. Of course that means I often have a dozen or more similar pieces on my hands (watch this space for news of an Etsy shop lol!), but so far my friends and family are happy to take the overflow.

Right now, though, like you I’m sure, my thoughts are turning to warm weather entertaining and using the local produce that is finally making its way into the market. I had a fantastic memorial day with my family. My brother and his wife threw a gender reveal party and I happily volunteered to cook. The breakfast casseroles, maple and olive oil granola, and cinnamon buns were all a big hit. And the reveal…. they are having a boy! It’s been a blast being ‘uncle Dan’ to one niece and I’m soo happy for my family to keep growing.

For a recent cookout I made massive cheddar and chive biscuits to go along with the pork shoulder that my brother smoked (that's his domain!) and they were incredible. I tend to like bakes on the larger side – give me one giant cookie or biscuit over a pair of smaller ones any day. Sure, you could make this recipe to serve 12, but trust me, do as I do and go big, and you will have 6 very happy people on your hands. 

Secret Ingredient Cheddar Chive Biscuits

serves 6

The light and flaky layers of these massive biscuits are filled with rich cheddar and onion flavor. What really turns them up to 11 is a ‘bouillon butter,’ which is such an easy flavor trick that you may find yourself using it in other ways. This recipe makes 6 generously sized biscuits, but feel free to adjust the serving size as your heart desires.

INGREDIENTS

2 ¼ cups (295 grams) all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 ¼ teaspoons fine salt

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

10 tablespoons (140 grams) cold unsalted butter

3/4 cup (85 grams) grated cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1 cup (250 grams) cold buttermilk

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter

1 chicken bouillon cube

1. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and onion powder to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Use the large holes of a box grater to grate the butter and the cheddar cheese into the dry ingredients. Add the chives and use a spatula to toss the mixture, chopping up any chunks of butter or cheese.

2. Pour half of the buttermilk into the bowl, toss to combine, and then pour in the remaining buttermilk. Use the spatula to stir and fold the dry ingredients until a dough begins to form. 

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a mound. Knead 4-5 times to bring it together. Use a bench scraper or your hands to pat into a square about 1” thick. 

4. Cut the dough into 4 square-ish pieces, stack the pieces and then press them down into a rectangle about 1” thick. Trim the edges with a knife then cut into 6 square biscuits. 

5. Place the biscuits onto a parchment lined sheet tray and chill for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400*F. Place the 2 tablespoons of butter into a small microwave safe bowl and crumble the bouillon cube over the butter. Melt the butter in the microwave. Brush the tops of the unbaked biscuits with half of the melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until deep golden. Brush the baked biscuits with the remaining butter and serve warm.