What’s in a cookie? At its most basic, a cookie is the perfect balance of fat, sugar, eggs, and flour. Drop cookies are easy to mix and bake and the formulas are incredibly versatile. In this class, you’ll go from cookie rookie to cookie rockstar. We’ll teach you the rules of baking and how to break them to dial in your perfect crispy, crunchy, soft, chewy, or gooey cookie. Each cookie recipe also includes fun and creative ways to “upgrade” your next batch with unique additions and flavorful enhancements. On your mark. Get set. Let’s bake some cookies!

American Drop Cookies Class

Macarons—those delectably light mini-meringues of French descent—involve a series of sophisticated techniques that can take time and practice to perfect. You often see them only at the finest bakeries—the colorful confections all lined up in a row—because they’re notoriously finicky, even for pastry chefs. But learning to make macarons is remarkably simple when you can see how it’s done, with step-by-step instructions. This class is designed to help you succeed in mastering the macaron. You’ll learn each part of the process with entertaining and informative high-definition videos, succinct step-by-step instructions, and background information on the science of macarons. We also provide recipes for various flavors and colors, so you can apply the skills you’ve acquired to making macarons again and again. ChefSteps founder Grant Crilly, who instructs this class, learned how to make macarons the hard way: he spent hundreds of hours reading cookbooks, trying and failing, his garbage can littered with colorful cookie shells night after night. He finally succeeded after attending a class in Paris with macaron expert Pierre Hermé, mastering the different techniques by taking visual cues from learning in a hands-on, guided workshop. Grant developed this class with his own experience in mind.

French Macarons

Take a look around you. Where are you reading this? What time of day is it? Are you alone in your kitchen, or stuffed on a crowded commuter train, dreaming of what you’ll make for dinner? Point is—you’re going to want to remember this moment. Because this is the moment you began a journey that will fundamentally change the way you cook. This is the moment you discovered sous vide. You’ve no doubt heard of sous vide, a cooking method in which food is cooked at a consistent temperature in a water bath, often first wrapped in plastic and, afterward, quickly seared on the stove or grill. And maybe you associate it with high-end restaurants, high-concept food, and high-priced equipment originally designed for a chemistry lab. But as home cooks around the world have begun to discover, this remarkable technique—which yields perfectly cooked food, predictably, with very little oversight—is no longer the exclusive domain of bold-named chefs and mega-rich mega-geeks. And while cooks who regularly use sous vide often opt to invest in equipment such as immersion circulators and SousVide Supreme baths, in the last few years, a number of affordable models have emerged for home use. But forget the gadgets for a minute. For this class, you’ll need a pot, a stove, a digital thermometer, some plastic bags, and an open mind. Yup, with nothing more than those basic tools, you’ll cook the best steak you’ve ever eaten, fork-tender salmon with a bright pea purée, and a juicy pork chop accompanied by an addictive romesco sauce. Once you’ve worked through the recipes, we believe you’ll be the latest convert to a cooking style that will revolutionize the way we cook food. We’ll also outline the basics on best practices for food safety and offer a list of books to consult as you continue down the road to sous vide mastery. Remember this moment. It’s the moment you took the first step toward becoming the kickass cook you always knew you could be.

Sous Vide: Getting Started

There comes a moment in every meat lover’s life when it’s time to push the barbecue skills to the next level. Maybe you’ve mastered your smoker but you’re looking for a way to save time without sacrificing flavor or texture. Maybe you’ve only just invested in a smoker and need inspiration for how to work with it. Or maybe you’re a total barbecue beginner—a wide-eyed neophyte who has only dreamed of unwrapping a rack of ribs and pondering the possibilities. Wherever you are, you’re about to go further. Because here at ChefSteps, we are unabashedly obsessed with all things barbecue—and stoked to share what we know. Our founders scoured the country to study regional styles, bringing the best tips, techniques, recipes, and religious experiences back to ChefSteps. And don’t think you need a smoker to get going. Our Apartment Ribs—an excellent starter technique—offer an opportunity to cook up a smoky rack in even the tiniest of urban kitchenettes. How do we do it? The same way we do everything—by understanding the science behind the smoke. Get started by exploring the 20+ recipes we’ve assembled here. From meats, to sauces, to sides, to sodas, they’ll take your backyard parties to a whole other level. And for the meat nerds among us, get ready to go deeper: We provide detailed directions for controlling your smoker. We’ll show you how to select the best wood for the job. We’ll debunk common myths and offer clever tricks for barbecue success. (Hint: Ice is involved in one of them.) We’ll advocate combining sous vide cooking with smoking and describe how it can save you hours of time while yielding consistently killer results. (Heretical? Definitely. Try it, however, and we’re convinced you’ll become a convert.) We’ll tell you what to read, where to eat, and how to learn even more—all to add to an ever-growing legion of bonafide barbecue freaks with a serious passion for smoked meat. As always, feel free to ask questions in the discussion section. As you may have noticed, it doesn’t take much to get us talking barbecue.

Barbecue

Microgreens have recently emerged as some of the best-loved garnishes in fine dining—and it’s easy to see why. Tiny as they are, these young plants pack remarkably intense flavors, vibrant colors, and interesting textures. Bursting with nutrients, they also get high marks from the health food community. Only problem is that microgreens are hella pricey; you’re lucky if you can find them for $30 a pound. Our solution: grow your own! Cultivating these wee plants requires some care and maintenance, sure, but it’s also super fun. Once your bed is buzzing along, you’ll have a ready source of good-for-you greens that you can use to make elegant salads and hors d’oeuvres toppers; brightly beautiful purées, soups, and smoothies; and so much more. Plus, there’s something distinctly satisfying about growing gorgeous food that will turn an ordinary plate into something pro-worthy. In this project, we walk you through the steps of successful microgreen growing and offer recipes (savory ice cream, anyone?) that make the most of these lovely little plants. No garden? Not an issue—it’s easy to cultivate them indoors, and you can do so year round. Because really, what could perk up the cold winter months better than a pretty crop of cute little plantlets? Nothing, that’s what. So let’s stop talking and start planting. It’s time to grow microgreens.

Microgreens

Make the classic Canadian snack at home. We’ll show you how to prepare perfectly crispy fries, squeaky cheese curds, and delicious gravy, all from scratch. Serve classic Old-School Poutine, or try our modernist “new-school” version—printable recipes included.

Poutine

It’s that time of year again: The shop windows are filled with sweaters and corduroys. The checkout line is stocked with Scotch tape. “Back to School” posters herald the beginning of a new season. So what’s an adult to do when the kids spend all day Sunday gluing pipe cleaners to a Little House on the Prairie diorama due Monday? Don’t worry—we’ve got a big-kid project for you. This is Salmon 104 °F, the dish that launched ChefSteps in 2012, developed by cofounders Chris, Grant, and Ryan to teach culinary students and faculty a series of techniques that would take their cooking skills to the next level. (ChefSteps trivia: Chris and Grant once instructed the faculty at Rhode Island–based culinary school Johnson & Wales; they launched ChefSteps.com as part of a plan to develop free-to-learn curricula for non-culinary students who wanted to tackle new skills.) Salmon 104 °F remains one of our favorite projects for teaching new skills and honing culinary expertise. By making the four simple recipes herein, you’ll cover a culinary curriculum that spans everything from pickling to vacuum compression, brining to sous vide, and blanching to thickening with hydrocolloids. We’ve assembled four component recipes into a ChefSteps Project—a weekend enterprise that will help you learn new things while preparing a beautiful, restaurant-quality dish for family and friends. Each component can be made days in advance and refrigerated so that you have a simple, yet impressive, plate that’s easy to put together at a moment’s notice. And for those of you who skipped art class, never fear: we’ve got tons of artsy plating ideas to get those creative juices flowing. So sharpen your knives, don a cute new apron, and get a killer playlist in order—it’s time to go back to school. No pipe cleaners required.

Salmon 104 F

Remember your first truly sharp knife? That bad boy cut clean and clear through tomatoes and onions and salmon and steak, shaming its dull drawermates. With a good knife, once-mundane tasks become suddenly pleasurable and satisfying. You can chop and slice for hours, comfortable and cramp-free like the kitchen ninja you were born to be. But if you want that knife to continue working at peak performance, you have to show it some love. That means cleaning it properly, storing it properly, honing it regularly, and sharpening it to maintain the blade. In this class, you’ll find all the information you need to learn to hone and sharpen like a pro. Which pro? How about blade sage Daniel O’Malley, owner of the epic knife emporium the Epicurean Edge in Kirkland, Washington, and a foremost expert on selecting and maintaining the world’s best chopping-and-slicing tools. Through video demos and clever tips and tricks, O’Malley walks us through the theory and technique of sharpening knives using Japanese waterstones—the badass little blocks that master bladesmiths have used for hundreds of years. Yes, you can always outsource your sharpening, but where’s the fun in that? We wager that once you’ve tried blade shaping on your own, you’ll fall in love with this ancient, relaxing ritual, as well the sense of satisfaction that comes with caring for your own steel. Knives are, without a doubt, our most important tools in the kitchen. If you want them to last a lifetime, you need to treat them right. We’re here to show you how.

Knife Sharpening

Everyone has a favorite burger, and this juicy, cheesy masterpiece is ours. To our minds, a burger should be something you can wrap your mouth around, with distinct components and clean, unmuddled flavors. This made-from-scratch, French-inspired American sandwich fits the bill. Inspired by the French dip, the Au Jus Burger is about as elaborate as a ChefSteps burger gets. But it’s also awesome, and it’s totally replicable at home—provided you’ve got time. We start five days ahead, preparing, then resting, our Brioche Burger Buns for optimal texture. Then we subject some swiss cheese to our Melty Cheese Slices technique—giving it all the creaminess of a Kraft Single while maintaining the flavor of the European fromage. On game day, we sear the patties, then drop them in a sous vide bath, leaving us free to prep the other ingredients while the burgers cook. Then, when the time is just right and our guests are gathered round the picnic table with napkins tied dutifully around their necks (this burger is messy, after all), we finish the job with caramelized onions and a horseradish-spiked version of our mayo, drizzle Beef Demi-Glace all over the burger, and serve it piping hot. “All that work for a burger?” you might ask. We enjoy every minute of it. You can always simplify matters by using store-bought brioche buns and cheese (or making our buns just two days in advance—they’ll still be spectacular). But at the end of the day, what excites us about this project is that it’s a beautiful, restaurant-style dish you can re-create at home, with magically delicious results. Plus—what can we say?—we’re willing to bend over backward for a kickass burger. Are you?

Au Jus Burger

You know that legendary George Mallory quote about why he climbed Mount Everest? “Because it’s there,” he said. Well, here at ChefSteps, that’s how we feel about candy-making. When we’re standing in the grocery store checkout line, staring at a brightly packaged bundle of Starburst or gummy bears, it’s in our nature to want to reproduce these textural wonders at home. Manipulating textures, after all, is what chefs do. You may think these classic sweets are impossible to create at home, but trust us: they’re not. Yes, you’ve got to be patient. You’ve got to be precise. And if it’s Starburst-style chews you’re after, you’ve got to be pretty ripped as well. (Ever seen someone “pull” saltwater taffy? Yeah, we’re going to be doing a lot of that.) The more delicately limbed among you may opt to start with our juicy Pâte de Fruit or the classic Haribo gummy bear recipe, reproduced here. Black licorice lovers—don’t be shy, we dig it too—wait until you try our toothsome version, laced with anise essential oil. Not into the anise-flavored stuff? We’ve got the formula for other flavors too. Backing it all up: a primer on the basic science of confections, so you can bone up on the ingredients that determine each candy’s unique texture. Sure it takes a little focus, but hey—it’s not rocket science. It’s not extreme mountaineering either. It’s candy-making. And it’s one of the more satisfying things you’re likely to achieve without risking frostbite. NOTE: The recipes in this class require a digital thermometer.

Chewy Candy

Spherification is kitchen alchemy, a technique that enables you to imbue a flavorful liquid with the appearance of being solid, an illusion that’s broken when the spheres burst with flavor as they’re eaten. ChefSteps’s course on spherification will help you prepare dishes that surprise and delight your family and friends by making the impossible possible in your kitchen. Enroll with ChefSteps for helpful step-by-step demonstrations of the relevant techniques, use our reliable recipes as a starting point, and get the support of a friendly community of experienced cooks and world-class chefs who will answer your questions.

Spherification

Welcome to the ChefSteps air frying class! In-depth guides about the mechanics and science behind air frying; delicious and innovative recipes that demonstrate the versatility of the technique; a primer on designing meals made entirely in an air fryer, with accompanying proof-of-concept recipes; a tip sheet on the different kinds of air fryers on the market; we’ve got it all, and a whole lot more. Air frying has a devoted and fast-growing following, for good reason: The air fryer is a powerful, efficient cooking tool that utilizes time-tested technology to deliver delicious results. In this class we’ll explain the science behind that power and provide you with everything you need to know how to get the most out of your air fryer. Let’s get cooking.

Air Frying

Oh, hey there, cooking enthusiasts. Now that you’ve learned the basics of sous vide cooking—and served your friends and family fork-tender salmon and the most delicious steak, like, ever—you’re ready to move on to the next level. In this class, we show you everything you need to harness the predictive power of sous vide, preparing seafood dishes that rival the stuff at fancy restaurants, transforming cheap cuts of meat into savory showstoppers, and whipping up fancy, foolproof desserts for a crowd. Those of you who love food science, fear not: we’re sharing plenty of illuminating theory along the way—plus simple tips and tricks you’ll use every time you enter the kitchen. So tie on an apron and get ready to crush it at your next dinner party, or just next Wednesday. It’s time to go beyond the basics. So, what do you get? You get 28 original recipes. Subscribe to this class, and you’ll also get free updates featuring recipes and techniques developed exclusively for this class by the ChefSteps kitchen development team. From highly addictive Kung Pao Ribs to life-changing Crème Brûlée, you’ll never run out of ways to impress your friends and family. Everything you need to turn cheap, tough meat cuts into tender steaks with flavor that far exceeds pricey stuff like prime rib. Six original fishes dishes—from a low-key weeknight curry to the best fish sticks you’ve ever tasted—plus the science behind brining and curing seafood for leveled-up texture and appearance. A primer on cooking in canning jars: Make no-fuss, silky crème brûlée, flan, yogurt, and chicken liver pâté. Whether you’re serving two or twenty, this essential technique is totally foolproof. Quick tips on how to prep and plate sous vide–cooked foods like a pro. A complete guide to sous vide equipment and packaging. A map of sous vide cooking featuring time-and-temperature settings for any food you feel like cooking. Plus, learn to manipulate time and temp to customize your cook and get the perfect doneness and texture! Techniques for preparing vegetables to keep them bright and snappy—you know, just the way you like ’em.

Sous Vide: Beyond the Basics

How do you take your coffee? We bet you have a tried-and-true answer—maybe you prefer it with a spoonful of sugar, a spot of half-and-half, hazelnut syrup and whipped cream, black, or just-give-me-the-damn-coffee-before-I-cut-you. The thing is: It doesn’t matter how you take it. If you take it every day, it should be perfect. Shouldn’t it? This class is about just that: Dialing in your daily brew—choosing your favorite roasted beans, picking the perfect brew techniques, and refining your recipe—until that morning ritual isn’t just about caffeine intake, it’s a full-on culinary experience. To create this one-of-a-kind class on all things home brew, we teamed up with two coffee experts—James Hoffmann, founder of the renowned London roastery Square Mile Coffee and author of The World Atlas of Coffee; and lauded coffee consultant Ben Kaminsky, cofounder of Boston’s Barismo and a three-time World Tasting Champion. Whether you’re new to home brewing or come bearing serious coffee skills, this class will offer you one-of-a-kind insights, exclusive game-changing techniques (sludge-free French press! amazing dairy-free latte!), and practical advice from coffee’s cutting-edge experts. And to round out this crash course in everyone’s favorite caffeinated beverage, we offer four killer ChefSteps recipes, including a novel technique for coffee “chocolate,” a bitters recipe to instantly up your cocktail game, a coffee-infused butter to spread all over your steak, and a flavor-packed rub that perks up any protein in a flash. And when it’s all over, we’ll ask you again: How do you take your coffee? Your answer: My way.

Coffee

Welcome to the ChefSteps seitan class! Seitan is one of the most miraculous foods in the world. You can imbue it with almost any flavor, mold it into almost any shape, and manipulate it to produce almost any texture! It’s a blank canvas, and the only limit on its potential is your imagination. Seitan is so versatile because it’s made of pure gluten, the protein in wheat flour that makes the vast world of bread possible. This class is designed to give you the competence and confidence to master making seitan dishes of all kinds. With in-depth guides explaining the science behind why gluten and starch molecules behave the way they do, a suite of interrelated recipes that demonstrate how to produce all kinds of wheat meat wonders and unlock the culinary potential of starch, step-by-step videos to guide you through our seitanic rituals, and so much more, this class is meant to show that seitan is for everyone. Whether you’re looking for an alternative source for plant-based protein, you want to explore the intricacies of a centuries-old technique, or you just have a thing for culinary alchemy, this class will give you the ability to transform a bag of flour into all kinds of uniquely delicious things. Nuggets, hot dogs, and hams are just the beginning. Welcome to the wide world of wheat meat.

Seitan

Whether you’re a beach bum or a homebody, we’ve got a clambake for you. Here you’ll find recipes and instructions for throwing a full-blown beach clambake, complete with raging fire and cooler of beer, and for a home clambake hack, served inside a dutch oven with fresh seaweed and beach rocks. We’ve got techniques for breaking down whole crabs, cleaning geoduck, and making spicy, salty garnishes—so whether you’re staying home this weekend or hitting the beach, you’ve got dinner plans on lock.

Clambake

It’s a solid. No, wait, it’s a liquid. Great god of super-cool science, it’s both. In this class, you’ll learn the basics of fluid gels—substances that act like a solid when left alone but become liquid when stirred or blended. You’ll use fluid gels to form liquid layers in a verdant vegetarian parfait. You’ll create a deconstructed Orange Creamsicle dessert that presents Fresh Orange Fluid Gel in two ways—in gel and foam form. You’ll learn how fluid gels make great salad dressings that coat vegetables completely, and you’ll create a Beet Fluid Gel that lends a pop of color and flavor to delicate blini hors d’oeuvres. Enroll with ChefSteps for helpful step-by-step demonstrations of the relevant techniques (including detailed plating tips), showstopping recipes that have been thoroughly tested in our kitchen, and access to our community of chefs and home cooks. Break out the blender and start drafting that guest list—by the time you’ve completed this class, you’ll have all the makings of a magical modernist dinner party.

Fluid Gels

Ice cream may seem like the simplest of lazy-day treats, but delving into the science can mean the difference between a coarse-and-crispy frozen fail and the smooth, creamy stuff they serve at your local parlor. Plus, it’s a whole lot of fun. We’ve assembled a class that will make a master out of anyone willing to cool things down in the kitchen. Go hi-tech with Aerated Green Apple Sorbet or a Root Beer Float Cryosicle, or keep things folksy with our classic mint chocolate chip. Planning a dairy-free party? We’ve got a pistachio gelato that’s going to blow your butterfat-free mind. With a bunch of frozen dessert recipes that will surprise and delight your guests throughout the year, we’ve got plenty of ideas for toppings, plus tips and techniques to make the most of your ice cream-making equipment—whether you’re churning in a stand mixture with dry ice or a state-of-the-art Carpigiani contraption. So stock up on cones and fire up the backyard speakers—you’re about to show the neighborhood a whole new take on the ice cream social.

Ice Cream

We’re just going to say this: We think you should have a whipping siphon (also known as a cream whipper or whipping canister or whip cream thingy), and a high-end one at that. Yup, that glimmering canister that your barista uses to top that hazelnut latte belongs in your home kitchen, too. Why? Because the best whip cream thingies do a heck of a lot more than whip cream. And we can teach you to do all sorts of amazing stuff with one—from fizzy, fresh-juice sodas to no-fail hollandaise, from creamy, homemade burrata—whut?—to spongy feather-light cake. Yeah, you can make a cake in a whipping siphon. Crazy, right?

Whipping Siphons

Welcome to the new and improved ChefSteps espresso class! With everything you need to know to master this uniquely delicious method for brewing coffee, all in one place, this class is designed to put the skills of a professional barista within reach, no matter your skill level. In-depth explainers for the fundamental techniques and principles behind espresso? Check! How-to videos from leading espresso experts for dialing in your machine, learning the nuances of latte art, and mastering an array of café-quality drinks? Of course! Recipes, tips and tricks, and killer creative coffee ideas from our team of chefs? You know it! Guides, graphics, and glossaries to get you fluent in the lingo for a lungo? Certo! With a whole lot of help from coffee-industry veteran Sarah Dooley, Breville’s U.S. manager for Beanz.com, and a few key assists from L.A.-based barista and coffee shop owner Charles Babinski, we’ve created an espresso resource unlike anything available elsewhere. Let’s get brewing.

Espresso

For any cook who’s ever burned a steak, destroyed a perfectly good piece of fish, or rubberized a chicken breast, this is the class for you. With just one simple and versatile technique, you can achieve mouthwatering, flavorful results every time, in your own kitchen. All you need is an oven, a pan, and a thermometer—we’ll show you the rest. We’ll empower you to choose, purchase, and cook tender cuts at home with confidence. The class includes lessons on how chefs shop for meat and seafood, information about which cuts work for which preparations, and clear, simple steps for cooking tender cuts of meat. If you have questions, please ask. Our culinary support team is standing by.

Tender Cuts

Ambitious cooks are a restless bunch—the better we get, the more challenges we seek. When you’ve reached the point at which you can masterfully replicate great recipes at home—anticipating timing issues, controlling temperatures, making confident corrections when problems arise—it’s time to start designing your own dishes. Here, we share the steps that we use to create dazzling and delicious composed plates. We offer up the recipe for one of our own successes—a flavor-packed, texture-driven soup/salad hybrid we served at a recent dinner. Re-creating the recipe at home will provide essential practice; as you prepare it, you’ll think about how each component came to be part of the unified whole and how the steps we outline might apply to your own original creation. Once you’ve worked through the project, you’ll be all set to break out on your own, developing a dish to amaze and delight your nearest and dearest. Be sure to share photos in the discussion—we can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Design a Dish

We’re guessing you’ve made a burger before. In fact, we’ll bet you’ve made a damn good burger and have a solid argument about why yours is hard to beat. We’ll bet you have a favorite burger joint, a favorite ground beef, and a better-than-average topping combo. But let’s get one thing straight: this class isn’t about how to make burgers. It’s about leveling up and designing your very own chef-quality sandwich, with professional-style condiments, fresh burger buns, and homemade fries to match. Whether you’re making a snappy mushroom patty augmented by caramelized onions or a beefy burger topped with ChefSteps’s Homemade Ketchup and Kewpie-Style Mayo, this class will walk you through each step of mastering a restaurant-level burger. You’ll bone up on the science of making Melty Cheese Slices and learn how we ran trials to come up with our perfect patty. You’ll re-create classic commercial condiments in your own kitchen. And in the end, you’ll wind up with a whole new appreciation for this most American sandwich. Best of all, we designed the techniques here with predictability in mind—meaning you can plan your next party knowing your guests will get a memorably great sandwich. No, the ChefSteps Burger Class is not about making ordinary burgers. It’s about developing the culinary know-how to create a true gastronomical experience of your very own. Who knows? You may discover something so groundbreaking that you’ll quit your accounting job to open a burger joint. And if you do, please invite us. We kinda love burgers.

Burgers

Welcome to the ChefSteps countertop oven class: 13 articles of scientific insights and practical tips; a section on baking that everyone can access; 6 new recipes, plus bonus content for Studio Pass members only. The large ovens installed in home kitchens were invented and moved into homes after World War One. At the time, a large oven was an unbelievable innovation for home cooks. But what felt brand-new in 1918 is pretty outdated now. What is today’s upgrade on the large oven that can level up your cooking immediately? The countertop oven. In this class, we show you the science of how a countertop oven works—whether you are roasting, broiling, or dehydrating—and why you should choose a particular cooking cycle for that meal you want to make. We also have some incredible new recipes, with extensive video tutorials and scientific explanations of what is happening while you cook. Of course, we also have tips and tricks for you, including hacks and other tools you can use to make your countertop oven as useful as any other oven. We have made the baking section of the class— including recipes for amazing chocolate chip cookies, plus savory and sweet soufflés—available to everyone. As well, we share some classic ChefSteps recipes we have re-tested in countertop ovens and found success. For Studio Pass members, we have an incredibly detailed guide—with videos for every step—to making croissants. We have vegetable jerky, red cabbage with creamy koji sauce, gluten-free chocolate soufflé, and what Grant believes might be your new favorite lasagna. Now, let’s get cooking.

The Countertop Oven Class

ChefSteps is here to make cooking more fun. Get recipes, tips, and videos that show the whys behind the hows for sous vide, grilling, baking, and more.

holiday

Stocking stuffers are the best gifts to pick out and choose.

They don’t have to be pricey (but they can be!), and they don’t even have to be useful (but they can be!). The only real requirement is that they have to be on the small size. Otherwise, they’re all about delight, whether that means picking something out that you know your giftee will use a lot or grabbing something totally impractical but nevertheless, you know, fun(ny).

All recommended products are independently chosen by ChefSteps staff. However, if you buy products using links on our website, we may earn a commission.

Chef Recs: Stocking Stuffers

If someone did something exceptionally nice for you this year, or you want to treat yourself to something special, these are gifts worth considering.

Whether you want to send someone off on a culinary tour of Oaxaca or want to give your favorite snacker the best potato chips in the game, read on for our splurge gift recommendations.

All recommended products are independently chosen by ChefSteps staff. However, if you buy products using links on our website, we may earn a commission.

Chef Recs: Splurge Gifts

People go nuts over coffee and tea, and we get it: We go nuts over coffee and tea, too.

Here are our recommendations for all you warm and cozy drink lovers.

All recommended products are independently chosen by ChefSteps staff. However, if you buy products using links on our website, we may earn a commission. Our lawyers say we have to say this: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”
 Disclosure: ChefSteps is owned by Breville, which also owns Baratza and Beanz.com.

Gift guide for coffee and tea-related products.

Chef Recs: Gear for Coffee and Tea Lovers

If you’re a culinary mad scientist who’s always trying strange, delicious things, you’ll appreciate this curated list of modernist cooking tools and ingredients.

From the ultimate modernist cooking kit to nifty powders, there’s something unusual and interesting here for literally any kind of cook.

All recommended products are independently chosen by ChefSteps staff. However, if you buy products using links on our website, we may earn a commission. Our lawyers say we have to say this: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Chef Recs: Equipment for Modernist Cooking

There are so many great books out there, on every conceivable subject. Rather than go through the endless possibilities, we selected some of our favorite books about cooking and food. 

All recommended products are independently chosen by ChefSteps staff. However, if you buy products using links on our website, we may earn a commission. Our lawyers say we have to say this: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Chef Recs: Our Favorite Cookbooks

Bakers are a finicky bunch. What we like: precision, accuracy, clean lines, repeatable results. What we don’t like: imprecision, inaccuracy, messy lines, haphazard results.

Designed with the most exacting baker in mind, this list has something for every baker, whether you like baking sweet stuff or you’re into turning out beautiful boules.

All recommended products are independently chosen by ChefSteps staff. However, if you buy products using links on our website, we may earn a commission. Our lawyers say we have to say this: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Chef Recs: Equipment for Bakers

Everybody enjoys a fancy drink on occasion; some people like fancy drinks at all occasions.

Here are our recommendations for all the people you know who like to make fancy drinks, whether they’re spiked with alcohol or not.

All recommended products are independently chosen by ChefSteps staff. However, if you buy products using links on our website, we may earn a commission. Our lawyers say we have to say this: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Chef Recs: Equipment for Cocktail Connoisseurs

Gadgets ... the delight of geek dads and moms everywhere (also geek kids and uncles and aunts, geek grandparents ... geeks just like us, basically).

What do gadgets do, even? Well, for one thing, they make life easier. For another, they make certain impossible things possible, like a warm and wet bath that cooks food perfectly without creating conditions in which bacteria will multiply and kill you. Yeah! That’s the power of gadgets in the kitchen: convenience coupled with safety. And they (should) look really cool, too.

All recommended products are independently chosen by ChefSteps staff. However, if you buy products using links on our website, we may earn a commission. Our lawyers say we have to say this: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.” Disclosure: ChefSteps is owned by Breville.

Kitchen gadgets recommended by Chefsteps.

Chef Recs: Our Favorite Kitchen Gadgets

Christmas pudding is a classic holiday dessert with medieval roots that serves as a great introduction to the wild world of British cuisine. It’s a pudding but not a [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/custard-parametric-analysis custard]. It’s a dessert, packed with beef fat. It’s (sort of) a cake that’s steamed, not baked. If you’re going full medieval, you make it a year in advance, wrap it in a pillowcase, and hang it over the fireplace until next Christmas. And then you douse it in booze and set the whole thing on fire.

Christmas pudding defies logic and definition, but one thing is for sure: When done right, it’s downright delicious.

In terms of texture and flavor, Christmas pudding gives off [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/pure-24-carrot-cake-with-fresh-carotene-cream-cheese-frosting carrot cake] vibes with a baba au rhum boozy kick. It’s at once dense and moist, rich and delicate, sweet and spiced. Finished with a flourish of flaming brandy and a generous pour of lightly sweetened cream, this is a holiday dessert worth celebrating, without being a [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/classic-panettone-in-one-day panettone-level] project. Take it from the pudding pro himself, Kevin Smith: “This is the easiest dish in the world to make.”

Hold on a sec, you may be saying, puddings and cakes are never easy. What’s the catch? Well, the thing about Christmas pudding is that the process of making it is nothing like making a delicate batter or temperature-sensitive custard. You don’t need a stand mixer or a double boiler. In fact, in terms of composition and procedure, this pudding more closely resembles meatballs, just with a mix of brandy-soaked dried fruit standing in for ground meat. 

Like a meatball farce, the pudding is bound together with eggs and a breadcrumb panade. Just like a good meatball, the pudding base is enriched with extra animal fat, in this case beef suet, the hard fat that surrounds the cow’s kidneys. Grated fresh quince is folded into the mix, which keeps the pudding moist and light, just as grated daikon does in [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/xiu-mai-vietnamese-meatballs Vietnamese xíu mại]; they’re even both steamed! But unlike with meatballs or cake batter, the mixing method for Christmas pudding is completely foolproof because there’s no worry of overmixing. There’s no myosin to develop, and there’s so little flour in the base that gluten development isn’t a concern.

Just stir everything together, pack it in a mold, steam it, then set it on fire. No wonder this is our favorite butcher’s favorite dessert! And now it’ll be your favorite, too.

Christmas Pudding

Light and luxurious, panettone is like a fruitcake and a brioche had a baby. A sweet, rich, citrus-scented dough is studded with booze-soaked cherries and candied orange zest, this Italian holiday classic can’t be beat. 

Traditional panettone takes days to bake—made with a wild yeast starter, the dough is built over time and left to ferment and rise as nature works her magic. We’ve sped up the process to get an elegant bread with a delicate, feathery texture in one day.  

Many “quick” recipes result in loaves that are dense with a tight crumb. The gold standard of panettone is large and irregular air pockets and a soft interior that’s as light as a cloud. The name of the game here is maximum air and we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve to achieve that hallmark interior. 

The final secret of panettone is the cooling process—this rich loaf must hang upside down to prevent collapsing and to maximize the air pockets in the crumb. 

Forget those disappointing boxed loaves dotting the shelves at the grocery store. This year, make your own magnificent holiday panettone—in less than a day!

Traditional Italian panettone can take days to make. We streamlined the process so you can enjoy this delicious cloud bread in just one day.

Holiday Panettone

For a dessert that’s seemingly so simple and rustic, tarte Tatin presents some real technical challenges even for experienced bakers. Take it from Julia Child herself, who [link https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1061&amp;v=lOEzZR-s6SU&amp;feature=youtu.be infamously unmolded a soupy catastrophe] of apples and pastry on national television. Where do cooks go wrong? Usually trouble arises when they try to rush the process. 

The key to success is controlling moisture and caramelization. Apples are full of water, which can loosen the caramel sauce that’s supposed to hold everything together, and, even worse, it can sog out the pastry as it bakes. We break up the cooking process, so that every element turns out perfect: tender (but not mushy) apples that soak up a perfectly balanced caramel sauce, sitting on top of a crisp, flaky [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/perfect-pie-dough-crust pie crust].

Perfect Tarte Tatin

Great pies start with great pie dough, and this is it: the only pie dough you'll ever need.

It's easy to put together—you don't need a stand mixer or a food processor or any special tools, other than a bench scraper and a rolling pin. It's super versatile—you can use it to make both sweet and savory pies, you can use it to make tarts, you can use it to make hand pies. And it bakes up beautifully—crispy and golden brown, with flaky layers for days. (There's a reason it came out on top of our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/parametric-pie-dough parametric analysis of pie doughs]!)

And that's all thanks to technique. Cutting the butter into tiny, distinct bits before mixing; keeping all the ingredients cold to limit gluten development; using letter folds to give the dough structure and strength without making it tough; and allowing the dough to rest long enough for the gluten to relax, so the dough handles like a dream and bakes up into a picture-perfect crispy, flaky crust.

EDITORS' NOTE: We've updated this recipe by rewording the step instructions to make the process clearer and including new step videos with narration so that the process is easier to follow. We've also written into the recipe our recommendation for chilling the flour-and-butter mixture before mixing the dough. Otherwise, the recipe is identical.

Perfect Pie Dough

A good pumpkin pie has a crisp, flaky crust and a silky-smooth custard filling. Unfortunately, most pumpkin pies miss the mark. 

This recipe gets you a perfect pumpkin pie. There’s no tricks, no gimmicks; in fact, it’s nearly identical to the recipe you’ll find on the can of pumpkin purée. 

Getting this pie right just comes down to technique and a few tweaks. We blind-bake the pie crust properly, so it’s nicely browned, super flaky, and crisp. (Just like with our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/ultimate-quiche Ultimate Cheese Quiche]!) For the filling, we boost the amount of egg yolks and spices, and then cook it nice and slow, so the custard is smooth, rich, and extra custardy. This is the pumpkin pie that you’ve been waiting for.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Is there such a thing as too much chocolate? “Sometimes it gets a little too intense for me,” a nonbeliever will decry—to whom the chocolate faithful respond, “What is even wrong with you?” So be warned, our intensely chocolate tart is not for the faint of heart. But if you fall into the give-me-all-the-chocolate-you-have-I-dare-you camp, this dessert is squarely up your alley.

No part of this tart skimps on the chocolate. A chocolate crust, blind-baked for extra crispiness, is filled with a thoroughly thick and rich filling that rounds out chocolate’s natural bitterness with just enough sugar to remind you it’s dessert. Sliced into thin wedges (a little goes a long way) and topped with a dollop of ice cream and a sprinkle of crispy crumble, this tart is pure decadence in its most aggressively chocolaty form.

Double Chocolate Tart

Well-loved for its rich flavor and smooth, tender texture, chiffon cake has been a staple of American baking since at least 1948, and our olive oil cake is a riff on the American classic. As legend has it, the recipe for chiffon actually first appeared in Los Angeles in 1927, when an insurance salesman and caterer named Harry Baker decided to start messing around with angel food cake in search of a more flavorful version of the popular dessert. Angel food gets its bouncy, light texture from whipped egg whites, but it lacks flavor because unlike most sweet cakes, it doesn’t have a fat source such as butter or shortening. Baker allegedly tested over 400 recipes, trying different fats in different amounts in a largely unsuccessful attempt to richen the cake. Four years later, he finally stumbled upon the solution when he added vegetable oil (known as “salad oil” at the time) instead of a solid fat. The result was a much more flavorful version of angel food, with an even more heavenly texture.

Baker knew he had something special. He would keep his recipe a secret for over 20 years, even as the cake grew in popularity among Hollywood’s elite. In 1928, he offered to make his recipe for guests of the famed Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles (where Cobb salad originated), mixing and baking each cake to order as part of a one-man operation so as not to reveal the secret recipe. Rumor has it that he baked up to 42 cakes per day, and his cake became a supremely desirable dessert in Hollywood high society.

In 1948, Baker finally relented and sold the recipe to General Mills, who quickly churned out a Betty Crocker pamphlet with 14 different variations on the original recipe. They called it chiffon cake and marketed it as “the baking sensation of the century,” so simple “even your husband could bake one!”

Over the years, husbands, wives, and cooks alike have refined and modified chiffon recipes, but the basics remain the same: it’s a high-ratio cake (meaning the fat and sugar content each outweigh the flour), and it requires expertly whipped egg whites for lift, “salad oil” and sugar for flavor, and a bit of cake flour for crumb. But with the recent natural food craze, one important element often gets lost: high-ratio cakes require good, old-fashioned bleached cake flour in order to turn out just like Harry Baker’s 1927 sensation. That’s because the bleaching process changes the pH balance of the flour, in turn affecting the gelling properties of the starch and resulting in a flour that lends itself perfectly to high-ratio cakes. Without the bleaching process, high-ratio cakes collapse. So don’t spring for anything unbleached if you want a perfectly soft, oh-so-tender chiffon with all the richness and structure a cake like this deserves.

Olive Oil Cake

Soufflés seem complicated to those who have rarely made them. The medium glossy peaks of meringue sometimes intimidate people and cause them to turn away from the task of making a soufflé. We can show you—with science and clear guidelines—how to give yourself the gift of this elevated dessert.   

Making a soufflé will never be as simple as opening a carton of ice cream for dessert. However, once you understand the science of meringues, how to cook a soufflé base, and how to avoid bits of the soufflé batter sticking to the ramekin—thus thwarting a dramatic rise—you will want to tackle soufflés.  

Follow the guidelines in this recipe and we feel confident you will be making soufflés for your next dinner party.

Making soufflés might not be simple but it will feel easy once you have followed our guidelines for making meringues and paying attention to the base.

Strawberry Shortcake Soufflé

An elegant dessert needn’t be difficult. This deceptively simple, classic sweet is destined for your dinner-party shortlist. Fragrant, warm spices marry your favorite red wine to create a bright, aromatic sauce for poaching floral pears. Serve sliced pears—or keep them whole for a more dramatic look—atop vanilla ice cream, or offer a bowl of fluffy whipped cream alongside. No matter how you serve them, make sure to give a nice pour of the reduced pear-wine syrup in every bowl.

Red Wine–Poached Pears are simple and elegant—the perfect dessert for a dinner party.

Red Wine-Poached Pears

Crème fraîche is delicious and [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/creme-fraiche simple to make at home], and there are countless ways to use it: dollop it on soups, stir it into pan sauces, scoop some onto pancakes and waffles, etc. You know what else you can use it for? Ice cream!

Think of it like a richer, creamier version of milk ice cream, with intense dairy flavor and a slight tang that makes it way more interesting. Add in a little vanilla and you’ve got a vanilla ice cream that’s all grown up: more character, more complexity, more flavor.

This recipe started out as a crème fraîche riff on our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/fromage-blanc-sorbet fromage blanc sorbet], but I had to cut some of the dairy with water to account for the higher amount of fat in crème fraîche.

And just as crème fraîche can be used in both savory and sweet applications, this recipe can be adjusted to produce an ice cream that’s perfect for savory applications. Just cut the sugar amount in half and follow the recipe as written. You can then use it in a playful riff on a traditional caviar spread or serve it alongside some smoked salmon with all the fixings.

NOTE: You can churn this base with whatever ice cream-making equipment you have. If you want to use a Ninja Creami (one of our favorite [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/gadget-lover-gifts kitchen gadgets]) to spin the ice cream, you’ll have to spin it two or more times to get the right texture. Doing it just once will yield a crumbly mixture; spin it a couple more times and it’ll be smooth as silk.

Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

Serious chocolate lover? Well, get ready, sweet stuff. You’re gonna love this one. Our signature take on **the classic chocolate cake is light and spongy yet devilishly decadent**, and—thanks to [link http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/08/difference-dutch-process-natural-cocoa-powder-substitute.html dutch-process cocoa]—dark as a moonless midnight.

After months of trials, we found that our favorite cake used mostly old-school approaches—brushing the cake layers with simple syrup to retain moisture, for instance, **just like professional bakers have been doing for decades**. But this is a ChefSteps recipe, you know. There’s bound to be a twist. And that twist comes in the form of a magical little ingredient called glycerol monostearate, or GMS. Found in some of those fail-proof boxed cakes you loved as a kid, this easy-to-find powder keeps the fats suspended in the batter, leading to an impossibly moist crumb that’s never greasy. The result: a confection worthy of a [link http://www.creativityfuse.com/2010/12/wayne-thiebaud-cake-paintings/wayne-thiebaud-cakes-1963-oil-on-canvas/ Wayne Thiebaud painting] and delicious enough to please the toughest of confectionery critics. 

If you want to stick to the basics, however, skip the GMS. You’ll still wind up with **a seriously tasty dessert with which to wow your dinner guests**, **spoil your children**, **and shame the other parents at the bake sale**. We like ours with frosting—recipe’s below—but you can swap in your favorite icing or ganache if you like. Just don’t forget to reserve a thick slice for yourself—we designed this one for serious chocolate lovers, after all. And if you’re ready to embark on this particular baking journey, we’re guessing *your* love of chocolate is serious indeed.

Want to make the best chocolate cake you ever tasted? This recipe is the one for you.

Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Crushing it on Valentine’s Day, slaying at the potluck table or cupcake shop, red velvet is the homecoming queen of American confections. And like those of most Americans, its origins are [link http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/dining/red-velvet-cake-from-gimmick-to-american-classic.html?_r=0  tricky to trace]. Its appeal, on the other hand, is undeniable. **Everyone wants to make the world’s best red velvet cake.** So to bring you a moist and springy version of the scarlet-hued southern institution, we employed our tested formula for a perfect layer cake, dyed it red, and spackled it in fresh, tangy cream cheese frosting. That’s it, and there you have it: the only red velvet recipe you’ll ever need. 

But wait a second here. If red velvet cake is just chocolate cake with red food coloring, what’s the big deal? Why has it become a matter of national obsession, inspiring strange [link http://www.buzzfeed.com/samimain/starbucks-six-crazy-new-frappuccino-flavors-include-red-velv Starbucks spawn] and also stuff you can’t even eat—like soap, fragrance oil, and lipstick? The answer seems to lie in a phenomenon best summed up with the annoying expression “You eat with your eyes.” British pop culture personality [link http://www.thegastronaut.com/index/Home/Home.html Stefan Gates] has attempted to test this phenomenon, feeding college students peas—some dyed with food coloring to brighten them, some not. The [link http://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2014-07-08/470/bws/how-colour-affects-taste young scholars] reported that the dyed peas were fresher and more flavorful. Gates conducted [link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11044090 another experiment] in which he offered oenophiles white wine that had been dyed red. Despite their perfect palates, the experts believed they were indeed drinking red wine, and when the truth was revealed, they pointed out that they were *trained* to taste with their eyes first. 

Which is presumably what’s going on when we dig into a slice of red velvet cake—despite knowing that it’s just chocolate cake—and experience a distinct “red” flavor, a flavor that we love. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that. If a little red food coloring helps your bake sale offering sell like (ugh) hotcakes, if it makes someone’s birthday a little brighter or says “I love you” in a way a plain old chocolate cake just couldn’t, we’re all for it. So go forth and do the red velvet thing. With this can’t-fail recipe in your pocket, it’s going to be as delicious as it is eye-catching.

Halt your search. This is the best red velvet cake recipe on the internet.

The Only Red Velvet Cake Recipe You’ll Ever Need

This eggnog pudding is a perfect way to celebrate the holiday season: thick and “custardy,” with all the cozy, vibrant notes of warming spices.

After making [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/vegan-no-bake-chocolate-custard my egg-free chocolate “custard,”] I knew I could use the same technique of blending cashews with low-acyl gellan to produce a perfectly textured pudding that tastes just like eggnog, without adding eggs or dairy.

The combination of nuts, gellan, and water—once set and sheared—produces [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/the-science-of-fluid-gels a fluid gel] that’s just as creamy and rich as a jug of nog. However, the texture of the fluid gel is entirely dependent on the quantity of gellan you introduce into the mixture, and a little goes a very long way; add too much and the texture will be too firm.

To ensure you add the exact right amount of gellan to the mixture, you have to use a scale—accurate to 1/10th of a gram—so you don’t add too much, which will produce an unappealingly firm texture.

Vegan Eggnog Pudding

Sticky toffee pudding, with its rich, mocha-brown color, its **dense, decadent interior**, and its sweet-and-salty, tacky topping, is not for the faint of heart. It is dark and brooding. It is lavish. It is distinctive. And it is a serious showstopper.

Why is it different from any other cake? Because the fruit is the star of the show, literally outweighing every other ingredient in the recipe. By macerating the fruit, you turn it into an integral part of the batter, **making the cake incredibly moist while packing it with flavor**. Add some freshly scraped vanilla beans and a bit of butter, and you have a deeply decadent, complexly flavored sweet.

You could stop with just the cake itself, but it’s the holidays, so go ahead and punch a bunch of holes in that confection, then **drench the entire thing in whiskey-spiked toffee and sprinkle a fat pinch of flake salt over the top**. If you’d like, follow that with a giant dollop of hand-whipped cream and add some ripe figs and cherries for a splash of color. Then set out the spoons, take your seat at the table, and succumb to the sticky toffee pudding. Move over, bûche de Noël. Holiday dessert just got a whole lot sexier.

Sticky toffee pudding—also known as date cake—with its rich, mocha-brown color, its dense, decadent interior, and its sweet-and-salty, tacky topping, is your holiday ace in the hole.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Creamy and custard-like but firm enough to slice and serve in style, this is a dessert that will satisfying picky eaters, little kiddos, sophisticated gourmands, and chocolate lovers alike. 

Making traditional custards can be finicky and time-consuming. This is a bulletproof version that comes together with just a handful of ingredients, steps, and hands-on minutes. **Chef Kyl Haselbauer shows you how in the video below.**

As an added bonus, this delectable dessert is also vegan! Decadent chocolate flavor, the perfect custardy texture, and nary a grain, gluten, or animal product in sight. Truly, what’s not to love?

Whether Valentine’s Day falls on a weekday and you need something that’ll seal the deal in a snap, or you’re just looking for a simple and stunning dessert, this custard will convince your dinner guests that you’re a master of all things sweet and savory.

This stunning chocolate custard is made with just a few ingredients and only a few minutes of easy work.

Simple, Silky Smooth, Egg-Free Chocolate Custard

All you need to know is this—posset is a decadent custard dessert. It can be any flavor you want. And it only takes a few minutes to make. 

If you like cheesecake, but you hate that it takes a long time to bake and be ready, you want to make posset. If you like yogurt, but you can't quite convince yourself that yogurt and berries are really a dessert, you want to make posset. Posset pleases and teases the tongue with tang and sweetness. Plus, it’s so darned easy to make. 

500 years ago, citizens of what is now the United Kingdom used to mix ale into hot cream to make a remedy for colds. Our guess is that it turned out like hot beer with cheese curds floating in it. It sounds sort of awful, to be honest. But in the 16th century, someone decided to use the science of the idea to concoct custard with sugar instead of ale. The Brits have been been making this chilled lush pudding for hundreds of years now, so it’s probably a bit of all right. 

The cooking strategy here is simple: Ready and Set. It’s important to measure everything out first, so you can deal with the rapid chemistry that will take place. Flavor your posset with any food-grade essential oil you like. After an overnight rest, you can EAT. 

Posset is your new favorite dessert, the one you haven’t discovered until now.

Posset is a decadent dessert, easy to make, gluten-free, and delicious. It takes only minutes to make, overnight to set, and it will make everyone happy. British custard.

What the Heck Could Posset Possibly Be?

If you love pie—and you do, you love pie—you love pie crust. After all, what’s a pie without the flaky, tender, crumbly, rich pastry that serves as an edible vessel for sweet and savory fillings of all kinds?

But there are just so many pie dough recipes out there, even though all of them have basically the same list of ingredients. Some tell you to get out a food processor or stand mixer, others insist all you need is your hands; some call for just butter, others tell you to seek out rendered leaf lard, and still others ask you to use a combination of different fats. Which one do you choose?

Of course, all of this means that pie dough is a perfect candidate for a parametric analysis! We’ve done [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/the-ultimate-guide-to-chocolate-chip-cookies-when-average-equals-amazing chocolate chip cookies] and [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/the-best-brownies-parametric-recipe brownies]; it’s time for pie!

As with our previous parametric analyses, we chose a bunch of recipes from reputable sources and created a chart that compares their ingredient quantities and preparation methods. We converted the ingredients to baker’s percentages, noting any discrepancies in methods and any outlier ingredients, like vodka and buttermilk.

To make the pie recipes, we enlisted our master pastry chef Matthew Woolen to make each recipe exactly as written and offer his reflections on the processes. Matthew made each recipe into a blind-baked crust, then made little apple hand pies, too, and we all tasted each of them.

Editors’ Note: This analysis has been updated to include the [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/perfect-pie-dough-crust ChefSteps Perfect Pie Dough recipe].

A parametric analysis of the best pie dough recipes

The Best Pie Doughs: A Parametric Analysis

Eggnog heralds the arrival of the holiday season, and our version takes advantage of some modern techniques to boost flavor and texture.

A new holiday tradition is born. This sous vide eggnog recipe is easy to perfect and epically delicious.

Modernist Eggnog

Cran-pari (Cranberry Aperitif)

Our drink of choice. The Cran-pari Negroni Sbagliato, with Prosecco.

Negroni sbagliato recipe with cranberry bitters.

Cran-pari Negroni Sbagliato

And egg-less eggnog that’s all about the flavors and aromas of vanilla and warm spices, suspended in a liquid that has the consistency of heavy cream.

Vegan Eggnog

Christmas is right around the corner, after all.

Our sous vide eggnog recipe is the silkiest, most delicious version going. Add a shot of rum and your holiday party becomes the stuff of legend.

Eggnog Cocktail

We all love Champagne, but we don’t love the hefty price tag. This technique makes “champagne” that tastes great, almost instantly, for cheap. And unlike traditional bottled Champagne, this method will also give you fresh, carbonated, fizzy grapes that you can enjoy in or alongside your glass of bubbly. 

We’re calling this “champagne with a lowercase c” because it’s not made in the Champagne region or the Champagne style, but it’s a fun way to give any wine you like a bubbly boost. Perfect for dinner party toasts during the holiday season and ringing in the new year, you can carbonate white, rosé, and even red wines—just make sure to pick out a bottle, carton, box, or can of wine that you enjoy drinking. (No point in going through this process using a wine that tastes horrible to begin with.) You can even make sparkling non-alcoholic wine (or “cider”) by carbonating grape and apple juices. 

Using a one-quart [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/how-siphons-work whipped cream canister] (aka whipping siphon or iSi siphon), we carbonate wine with CO2 to get plenty of bubbles and highlight grape flavors. Adding sliced fresh grapes provides a little sweetness and tannins that, along with the carbon dioxide, make cheap wine taste a little bit brighter. To keep your bubbly color consistent, choose grape varieties with skins that match your starting wine. (Green grapes for white wine, purple grapes for red wine.) You can also get creative and mix and match to add different color and flavor notes. 

A whipping siphon allows us to manipulate pressure with soluble gasses in order to alter the texture, color, flavor, and temperature of liquids and solid ingredients. Originally created to aerate high-fat liquids like cream into foam, chefs soon realized that the same technology could be used to produce [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/getting-bubbles-in-your-beverage carbonation], cavitation, [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/awesome-technique-alert-infuse-fruits-and-veggies-with-flavor-in-a-flash infusion], and more with a vast array of ingredients.

From [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/fresh-juice-soda fresh juice sodas] and bubbly [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/carbonated-celery-gimlet cocktails] to [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/bright-fluffy-whipped-hollandaise fluffy hollandaise] and [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/skinny-whip-2-0 vegan whip], we use [link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NY6PVO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B002NY6PVO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=chefsteps02-20&amp;linkId=76b7ec890d858bbe9ed09ea36be46b55 iSi siphons] to create a variety of beverages, garnishes, and more. Unlock the world of delicious possibilities and learn how to master your iSi siphon in our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/whipping-siphons Whipping Siphons Class].

It’s easy to transform cheap wine into sparkling bubbly with a whipping siphon.

How to Turn Cheap Wine into Bubbly “Champagne” (and Make Fizzy Grapes)

Mulled Wine

Mushroom whiskey! Sounds weird, but it tastes delicious.

It’s what happens when you combine the earthy, savory notes of mushrooms and the smooth, oaky flavors of good hooch, and it’s an endlessly versatile ingredient. Drink it on the rocks, use it in the most complex old-fashioned you’ve ever had, make an epic au poivre pan sauce ... you get the idea.

Infusions are one of the oldest practices in cooking, and while the concept is simple, we use a few tricks for maximum flavor extraction without sacrificing any of the precious volatile components of the mushrooms or the alcohol. It’s shelf stable and ready to go whenever you want a boozy, umami punch.

A recipe for whiskey infused with mushrooms

Mushroom Whiskey

This ruby-red bubbler is a refreshing pop for your taste buds.

You don’t need a soda maker to make tart-and-tangy Cranberry Soda. Instead, whip out that whipping siphon and start carbonating!

Cranberry Soda

Bracingly boozy, with earthy coffee notes and hints of spice and oak.

Espresso martini recipe by James Hoffmann

Modernist Espresso Martini

Our homage to Winston Churchill, who loved washing down his breakfast with whiskey—after smoking a cigar.

Churchill’s Breakfast Cocktail

Douglas Fir Daiquiri

Strong, sophisticated, and smooth. The Clooney of cocktails.

Yard Bird Cocktail

Our Byrrhgroni is a carbonated twist that replaces London Dry with Old Tom gin and the sweet vermouth with the richer but less sweet flavor profile of Punt e Mes.

Byrrhgroni Cocktail

Our twist on the gimlet trades Rose’s Lime Juice cordial for our own tonic of green apple juice and topped with a velvety lemon juice foam.

Our twist on the gimlet trades Rose’s Lime Juice cordial for our own tonic of green apple juice, which replaces tart citric acid with equally refreshing malic acid.

Apple Gin Gimlet

The Groundhog

The Bitter End Cocktail

Creamy, buttery chicken liver pâté—it’s the stuff you order at a French bistro, not something you make at home.

Maybe it’s never crossed your mind—it’s just one of those preparations that seem to exist outside the domain of the home kitchen, its liver-y beginnings perhaps better left a mystery. So, imagine your friends’ surprise at your next dinner party when you serve up grilled bread topped with a gorgeous rose-colored smear of the stuff, drizzled with honey, and topped with mounds of flaky salt. One bite and they’ll think they died and went to Paris, minus all the berets and attitude.

With nothing but a simple sous vide setup, a blender, and some super-cute mini mason jars, chicken liver pâté is yours to master.

EDITORS’ NOTE: We recently retested this recipe and found that it’s just as delicious when made with melted butter as it is when made with clarified butter (as called for in the original version). We’ve updated the ingredient list to call for melted butter—with clarified butter as an option—to simplify the process slightly without compromising on the result.

Chicken Liver Pâté

Like pizza, you can never go wrong with the classic pairing of chilled poached shrimp and sweet-and-spicy cocktail sauce. Even when it’s bad, it’s good.

Spend just a little bit of effort on both elements, however, and you’ve got a passed hors d’oeuvre that can outshine even the most extravagant main! Cook the [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/succulent-sous-vide-prawns shrimp sous vide] for maximum flavor and succulence. Spend a few minutes making [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/cocktail-sauce cocktail sauce] from scratch, packed with a fresh chile ketchup and a mountain of grated horseradish, and you’ll have a deeply savory, sinus-clearing condiment that puts the jarred stuff to shame.

Put them together? Yeah, that’s a killer shrimp cocktail.

Shrimp Cocktail

Velvety-smooth, ultra-rich, and knock-you-out decadent, Foie Gras Torchon was born to amuse your bouche—whether you’re embarking on a multicourse meal or a romantic picnic in the park. It’s a classic of French cuisine, and like a lot of French classics, it shares its name with the thing you cook it in. A cassoulet, for example, develops meaty, rich flavor in a *cassole*, while a terrine takes shape inside a loafy dish called, well, a *terrine*. Similarly, to make a traditional *foie gras au torchon*, you wrap fattened goose liver in a dishcloth—or *torchon*—and then poach it in a flavorful liquid and let it steep for a few days.

In this updated approach, we wrap our foie gras in high-quality plastic wrap and cook it using our sous vide at the low temperature of [c 40]. (For context, most tap water runs as hot as [c 50] to [c 55].) Your torchon will cook in just 30 minutes, but you’re gonna want to let it hang out for a few days so that the salt penetrates the foie and the flavors develop. After that, just store it chilled and slice some up whenever you need an incredibly impressive treat on the go.

Foie Gras Torchon is a classic French snack that you can make sous vide and store in your fridge for months.

Foie Gras Torchon

To understand&nbsp;**the exquisite texture of a sous vide hard-boiled egg**, you’ve really got to taste the dang thing. If a hard-boiled egg is sparkling grape juice, a sous vide hard-boiled egg is a just-popped Pol Roger. If a hard-boiled egg is a tin of StarKist, a sous vide hard-boiled egg is a garnet lobe of tuna belly from the bar at Shuko. If a hard-boiled egg is the guy who played Nathan from&nbsp;*Guys and Dolls*&nbsp;in the recent Broadway revue at your neighborhood cultural center, a sous vide hard-boiled egg is Denzel as Troy in&nbsp;*Fences*,&nbsp;stretching the limits of his craft to unveil new truths about the human condition. Okay, none of those examples showcases the sort of subtle difference that separates a traditional hard-boiled egg from the Joule-cooked equivalent. But the point is that we could sit here all day trying to describe the difference to you, but if you really want to get it, you have to show up for it. Just fire up your Joule, pop in an egg, and wait 15 minutes. Then you’ll see what we mean.

(Fifteen minutes later…)

Wait, so you really did it? You made a sous vide hard-boiled egg? Man, you are so cool. So, like, now do you see what we mean? Isn’t it good? **Don’t you want to make creamy, smoky, chef-level deviled eggs with it, and 11 of its best buds?** Well, then, let’s do this.

Level up your app game. Sous vide deviled eggs are creamy and nuanced, with exquisite texture.

Sous Vide Deviled Eggs

A good oysters Rockefeller is hard to beat: perfectly cooked oysters, lots of tender greens, a touch of cream, and a crunchy crumb topping.

It’s not a complicated dish, but to get it right, you have to focus on the details, starting with selecting the right size oysters. For cooked oysters, I like getting ones that are just a little too big to comfortably shoot raw; a longer cooking time gives the topping time to crisp up and brown, and since oysters shrink a little during the cooking process, they end up being the perfect size once they come out of the oven. 

The goal with roasted oysters is to heat them through to the point that they firm up to a custardy texture that you can easily bite through, like a cheesecake or [f 149] [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/the-egg-calculator sous vide egg]. I aim for a final internal temperature of [f 115], and pull them from the oven when they’re just shy of that mark to account for carryover cooking.

For the greens, any tender but sturdy greens will work—spinach is the classic, but chard or foraged greens like miners lettuce are fantastic as well—but the key is to use a light hand with the cream and a heavy hand with the greens (I like a lot of greens). You want the sweet, sweated-down allium flavor to come through with the greens. A little Pernod adds a background anise note that helps brighten them up a bit, too.

To top it all off, I make a crunchy crumb topping of crushed up oyster crackers mixed with Parmesan. Since they’re going in an air-fryer, the topping will be crispier than if they were baked and they’ll cook more evenly than if they were broiled, but to help out on both fronts I like to enrich the topping with the butter used to sweat the shallots and garlic.

This recipe is a part of The Road to Cooking with Grant Crilly, a ChefSteps series that offers intimate portraits of some of the most exciting culinary experts in the country, and explores how their journeys have shaped their approach to cooking.

Oysters Rockefeller

We love making homemade charcuterie and building incredible grazing boards and appetizer spreads for dinner parties and holiday gatherings. From [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/chicken-liver-pate chicken liver pâté] and [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/turkey-rillettes-potted-turkey turkey rillettes] to [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/wheat-meat-pro-shoo-t vegan prosciutto], you don’t need a ton of time to create a savory, satisfying spread to round out your next meat, cheese, and cracker platter. 

Classic tête de cochon (“head cheese”) is one of our chefs’ favorites. But sourcing and prepping a whole pig’s head isn’t ideal—or enjoyable—for most home cooks. So, we set out to create a terrine that yields a similar result using a more familiar cut of pork and a much simpler process.

Enter ham hocks. A common cut in the states, they’re most often found smoked and used in dishes like collard greens, pork and beans, and split pea soup. A bone-in cut from a hardworking muscle, ham hocks have a ton of flavor. The collagen breaks down into gelatin, which sets up and gives us a final product that’s similar to one made with a whole pig’s head. But, unlike using the whole head, this recipe is much easier and yields a single terrine that’s far more approachable.

This terrine is a flavorful charcuterie that’s easy to prepare using sous vide and is perfect for your holiday table.

Easy Sous Vide Pork Terrine

This season, we made a lot of shortbread cookies and freeze-dried fruit so your cookie dreams will be made of bright colors and flavors that you will never forget. 

Sure, we’re all fond of those soft sugar cookies with overly vibrant frosting. You can pick them up in any grocery store or make them at home with the same recipe you have been using for decades. However, we wanted to find a way to make cookies that hold up well for the holidays, which are less overly sweet and more fully flavored than plain sugar cookies. And thus, we investigated the shortbread cookie. 

In the beginning, we set out on a journey to have a cookie bursting with fruity flavor. Why not use vibrant, freeze-dried fruit to create brightly colored, fruit-flavored cookies? We tried trials of cookies with freeze-dried fruit baked in. However, we found that the heat destroyed both the bright flavor and the color of the freeze-dried fruit. We didn’t want a cookie with a dull fruit flavor. 

So, we went back to making the best shortbread cookie—slightly sweet, crisp and crumbly both—we could create. We used the [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/simply-perfect-shortbread-cookies the ChefSteps perfect shortbread recipe] as our base, then decided to take out the toasted milk solids to ensure an even fruitier flavor. After we baked off trays and tasted, we had our cookie. 

We went back to the freeze-dried fruit drawing board. We found that when we made powders of the fruit we had freeze-dried, then mixed them into royal icing? Something magic happened. We kept all the fruity flavor we were seeking. Along the way, we made brightly colored, delicious icing without any artificial food coloring. Bonus! 

If you do have your own freeze dryer, you can create additional flavor combinations. We made freeze-dried pumpkins and cranberries. We added bourbon to pineapple and absinthe to quince. We also put mint and ginger in the freeze dryer with results we loved. The mint was still green and the ginger was crisp and spicy.

Try adding spices—cardamom or cinnamon, whole caraway seeds or anise seeds—to your cookie. Or, try some citrus zest or citrus oil. We loved peach and mango icing as well as mixed berry combinations. Pear and ginger spice or maple and cranberry? You get to choose your adventure.

So, make your own freeze-dried fruit or pick some up at the grocery store. Blend flavors and colors to mix into royal icing for a fruity flavor and natural food dyes. Make powders and crumbles from freeze-dried fruit to decorate those shortbread cookies. 

Whether you roll out these cookies or cut them into shapes, or slice them from a log of chilled dough, you can transform shortbread cookies into bright-colored and fruit-flavored wonders.

These shortbread cookies with freeze-dried fruit royal icing are delicious, crisp, and use natural food dyes. You can make big batches and have a decorating party this holiday season.

Festive, Freeze-Dried Fruity Shortbread Cookies

*This recipe is part of our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/cookies American Drop Cookie Class].* The value of a well-made sugar cookie should never be underestimated. As the foundation from which so many other cookies originate, this one deserves a spot near the top of the cookie hierarchy.

Drop sugar cookies are simple and straightforward, so high-quality ingredients are essential for the buttery, vanilla-forward flavor to shine. Egg yolks add richness and color, and a finish of sugar creates an irresistible crackle top. 

While some sugar cookie doughs are designed to be rolled, decoratively cut, and decorated, this formula was specifically created as part of our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/cookies Drop Cookie Class]. You can roll each portion in sugar, but the dough itself doesn’t roll well. (If you’re looking for a dough you can cut out for holiday baking, check out these [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/festive-freeze-dried-fruity-shortbread-cookies festive shortbread cookies] decorated with freeze-dried fruit.) 

A blank canvas for your creativity, you can easily adapt and upgrade this recipe to make different kinds of sugar cookies. Bring on the sprinkles! Roll the cookie dough in different kinds of sugar. Stirring in fresh citrus zest or essential oils and flavor extracts. You can even add butterscotch or white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or roasted coconut. Find inspiration and suggestions for more at the end of this recipe.

Buttery, sweet, and delicious on its own, the classic sugar cookie is also an excellent foundation for any number of upgrades and swaps to make the perfect cookie of your dreams.

Sugar Cookies

*This recipe is part of our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/cookies American Drop Cookie Class].* The combination of macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips in a cookie has an almost cult following, and we can see why! It’s a buttery drop cookie with notes of honey that is studded with macadamia nuts and loaded with chunks of white chocolate. 

At its core, this is a chocolate chip cookie. So, to develop this recipe for our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/cookies Drop Cookie Class], we started with our fave chocolate chip cookie base. We added a touch of honey for flavor, instead of relying on vanilla for aroma, and adjusted the ratios to accommodate the oily nuts and sweeter chocolate. 

Not satisfied with our perfect version of this cult classic, we included few creative twists at the end of the recipe. Caramelizing the white chocolate and then breaking it into chunks adds new dimensions of flavor. This cookie base also plays well with plenty of fruity flavors—try adding freeze-dried strawberries, candied orange peel, or dried cranberries.

This cookie has a cult following, and we can see why!

Macadamia White Chocolate Cookies

*This recipe is part of our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/cookies American Drop Cookie Class].* A really good snickerdoodle might make you question our nation’s fealty to chocolate chips. One bite of this one and you’ll be Team ’Doodle, for sure. It’s perfectly balanced: sweet, spiced, rich with eggs, and brightened with a hint of acidity from an absolutely essential snickerdoodle ingredient: cream of tartar. 

Cream of tartar is powdered tartaric acid, and is a major component in modern baking powder. When used in combination with baking soda, which is alkaline, cream of tartar reacts and adds extra lift in baked goods. For snickerdoodles, we prefer the control of adding the cream of tartar and baking soda in specific quantities (rather than simply swapping to baking powder) in order to properly balance both the leavening and flavor. 

Like the other cookie formulas that are in our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/cookies Drop Cookie Class], snickerdoodle dough freezes well, which means you can always have some handy for whenever those cookie cravings strike. Essentially a sugar cookie dough, it stands up well to inclusions and is infinitely adaptable. At the end of this recipe, you’ll find inspiration for a few easy ways to upgrade your next ’doodle batch—swapping spices, adding coconut, and even folding in nuts or butterscotch chips.

Soft, sweet, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, the snickerdoodle is an essential cookie just one of many recipes included in our drop cookie class.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

*This recipe is part of our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/cookies American Drop Cookie Class].* This isn’t that dusty ol’ store-bought shortbread cookie with a few nut pieces here or there. It’s a buttery drop cookie with crisp, lacy edges and a soft interior.

When developing this recipe for our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/cookies Drop Cookie Class], we [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/maple-pecan-cookie-development tested batch and batch] to dial in the perfect balance of butter, maple flavor, and pecans. 

Adding a liquid sweetener meant that we had to carefully adjust the flour and leavening agent ratios. Maple syrup can’t be the sole sweetener because the moisture dilutes the gluten proteins and allows the starches to gel which alters the spread, chew, loft, and crispness. But, if there isn’t enough syrup , he cookies lose that natural, walk-in-the-woods maple flavor. In the end, we layered things up—both granulated sugar and brown sugar provide the classic drop cookie chew, while just enough natural syrup make these cookies as lip-smacking as a plate of waffles. We amped up the flavor with a hit of maple extract. 

It’s the quality of the maple syrup and extract that really makes this cookie soar. Grade B maple syrup has a robust maple flavor. But this variety can be hard to find. It is sometimes sold seasonally, in limited supply. If you can’t find Grade B, look for a dark grade or barrel-aged maple syrup. 

While these cookies are incredible on their own, you’ll find a few exciting ways to take your next batch to new levels of flavor and texture. Banana extract provide a banana bread vibe, or you can make cookies inspired by your morning bowl of oatmeal by adding dried apples.

Forget everything you know about dusty ol’ shortbread. This buttery cookie is loaded with maple flavor and crunchy pecans, and is one of many recipes included in our drop cookie class.

Maple Pecan Cookies

*For more on mastering cookies, see our [link https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/cookies American Drop Cookie Class].* There is no reason why this should have worked. But this cookie checks all the cookie qualifier boxes in a big way. It’s the perfect blend of chewy, crispy, buttery, chocolatey goodness—it is far more than average.

After baking, testing, and analyzing the [link /activities/the-ultimate-guide-to-chocolate-chip-cookies-the-10-best-recipes 10 best chocolate chip cookie recipes] on the internet, Grant put all the recipes into a parametric. (A parametric recipe is one that lays out all the parameters of multiple formulas, side by side, for easy and concise comparison.) He translated each of the 10 recipes into baker’s percentage—with flour representing 100% and every other ingredient expressed as a percentage of that flour weight—then compared them all. That allowed the chefs to understand the recipes in a different way. Which one had the most chocolate? The most sugar? The least flour? We learned again by answering those questions.
 
One night, Grant took that parametric home and looked at it in a new way. Since every recipe was expressed in a percentage, why not find the average number among all those percentages? If every recipe used baking soda, why not take the average of the amount of baking soda in each recipe? The same with sugar and vanilla and salt? 

What would happen if we made an average cookie? 

[fetchActivity the-ultimate-guide-to-chocolate-chip-cookies-behold-the-cookie-calculator]

Grant wrote a new recipe, using amounts translated from the average of each ingredient. He asked Matthew, our pastry chef, to make the new recipe. Why not play? The worst that could happen is that we would make another batch of pretty-good cookies. 

The first time people on the ChefSteps staff tried these cookies, there were plenty of happy noises around the office. Grant let out an extra-long grunt of pleasure. The chefs started laughing. They had, through playing with the parametric and being willing to give it a try, invented what we believe is the best chocolate chip cookie we have ever tasted. 

Look no further. This is the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. Or, should we say—the Ultimate Average Chocolate Chip Cookie.

This Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie is a product of analyzing the 10-best chocolate chip cookie recipes on the internet, then averaging out all the ingredients. It's a great chocolate chip cookie.

The Ultimate Average Chocolate Chip Cookie

The key to perfect crème brûlée—and all [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/custard-parametric-analysis custards], really—is to keep the internal temperature of the mixture below [f 185]. Above that point, they have a tendency to curdle (and they start tasting super eggy). 

By cooking crème brûlée in a sous vide bath, we can precisely control the cooking temperature, eliminating the risk of a curdled dessert. Prepped in small, wide-mouth mason jars, these custards emerge from the bath already individually portioned in adorable serving vessels. 

Before serving, we add a golden-brown layer of caramelized sugar using a blowtorch. (Don’t worry if you’ve never tried it; we’ll walk you through the technique.) The result: an eminently satisfying sunshine-hued dessert with a deliciously crackly top and a whisper of elegant sweetness that's as easy to prepare for a crowd as it is for smaller gatherings.

With the power of sous vide, perfect Crème Brûlée is simple to achieve every time. Cooking for a crowd? It’s as easy to make 20 desserts as it is two!

Sous Vide Crème Brûlée

This dark chocolate soufflé has a delicious molten center and a light, springy exterior—pure chocolaty decadence from the inside out. When we developed the recipe, we added as much chocolate as we possibly could to each iteration until we landed on the perfect formula. We hydrate the starches by cooking them in hot milk, yielding a stable soufflé with a small bubble structure and an incredibly soft interior. 

The best part is that this recipe requires no special tools or skills. Soufflés have a reputation for being particularly finicky, but we think ours are pretty much foolproof. Serve yours with a dusting of powdered sugar and [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/creme-anglaise crème anglaise] for a sexy dinner party, or just whip up a batch on a weeknight. Once you master soufflés, you’ll want to make them for any occasion—or no occasion at all.

PSST: Love savory desserts? Try our spicy, sexy [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/black-pepper-souffle Black Pepper Soufflé].

Molten Chocolate Soufflé

Eggnog heralds the arrival of the holiday season, and our version takes advantage of some modern techniques to boost flavor and texture. Enjoy it plain or hooch it up with a nice shot of rum or bourbon.

If you like to sip on Campari cocktails during the long, leisurely meals of the holiday season, this recipe’s for you. That’s right, a Campari-like aperitif made with cranberries.

Transforming sweet and tart cranberries into a bitters is pretty straightforward, although it did require a fair amount of testing to get the flavor, color, and texture just right.

Using vodka as the base alcohol made sense because it has a neutral flavor and, once diluted with the cranberries, the mixture hits the right ABV. The ratio of ingredients I settled on also hit an acceptable brix (the amount of dissolved sugars in the solution); the Cran-pari clocks in between 22 and 26 brix. However, since cranberries have a fair amount of pectin, the solution would gel at room temperature. To prevent that, I added Pectinex, an enzyme that breaks down pectin, which keeps the cranberry-infused vodka fluid even when cool.

To preserve the color of the cranberries and keep the enzyme in Pectinex active, I used a relatively low-temperature sous vide bath to infuse the vodka. The low temperature also has the benefit of preserving as many aromatic flavor compounds as possible from the orange pith and botanicals—a mix of gentian root, dried rhubarb, Angelica root, wormwood, and ginseng—I infuse into the mixture to give it a Campari-like complexity.

About that pith: Orange is one of the defining flavors of Campari, but when I infused orange zest into the mixture, the aromatic oils it contains overpowered the other flavors. By using just the pith, I got just the right amount of bitterness and orange flavor. Don’t toss the zest, though; save it for garnishing your [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/cran-pari-negroni-sbagliato Cran-pari Negroni Sbagliato]!

A Negroni is a classic cocktail for a reason: the bitterness of Campari, the sweetness of sweet vermouth, and the floral, juniper notes in gin come together for an elegant, eminently sippable drink that also just happens to be beautiful.

While almost everyone is familiar with a Negroni, not as many people know about its lighter, brighter, and more bubbly cousin: the Negroni sbagliato. The “mistaken” Negroni still has the Campari and sweet vermouth, but instead of the gin, you top the mixture off with Prosecco.
 
For our twist on the Negroni sbagliato, we went a couple steps further, subbing in our homemade [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/cran-pari Cran-pari] for the Campari and dry vermouth for the sweet vermouth, the better to let the cranberry’s tannic flavor shine. A 1:2:3 ratio of dry vermouth, Cran-pari, and Prosecco also yielded a beautiful crimson drink with just the right amount of bubbles. It’s a cocktail you can drink (a couple of) on any occasion.

Making eggnog, the creamy classic holiday drink that may or may not be spiked with booze, presents a problem for people who don’t consume eggs or dairy. 

But they’re in luck: Despite its name, eggnog isn’t particularly eggy tasting. Instead, it’s all about the flavors and aromas of vanilla and warm spices, suspended in a liquid that has the consistency of heavy cream.

Getting the flavor right seemed simple enough, but getting the texture of the drink right was a little more challenging. After trying several thickeners, like flaxseeds and tiger nuts, I eventually settled on using cashews. Soaking and then grinding cashews can yield a very rich and creamy nut milk that, crucially, thickens when heated, thanks to the relatively high starch content of cashews. (This is why the nuts are used in all kinds of plant-based preparations.) By heating just half of the seasoned and spiced cashew milk, the mixture takes on the exact viscosity and texture of an eggnog. After that, it was just a matter of dialing in the spices and seasoning.

The result is a nut-nog that’s almost indistinguishable from eggnog. Spike it with dark rum, whiskey, or, for a real treat, Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liqueur, or just stash it in the fridge for whenever you’ve got guests over for the holidays.

Put a little time into making this milk-washed punch and you won’t need to shake any refills at your cocktail party. The final punch is deceptively lush and seductive. Plus, the milk-washing process helps to preserve the punch, which means a big batch can sit in your fridge for a long time. Having a cocktail party? Pull out a pitcher of this elixir and pour it into glasses filled with glacier ice. 

Where did milk washing come from? In the last decade or so, with the renewed interest in mixology and old-school cocktails, people are making milk-washed punch again. Why? The first printed recipes for milk-washed punch date back to the early 1700s in England. After spending years in London, Benjamin Franklin published his own recipe for milk punch in 1763, which started with 6 quarts of brandy. Alcohol then might have been a little harsher than we can buy today. Once refinements in the distillation process improved the taste of commercial alcohol, the practice fell out of popularity. 

**But how do you “wash” alcohol with milk? The casein protein in the milk binds with the bitter polyphenols and astringent tannins in the alcohol—all the stuff that makes the alcohol acrid and murky. If you pour it all through a sieve into a container, you leave that raft of bitterness behind.**

What remains is the taste of the cleanest alcohol possible, with a bit of sweet and creamy texture from the whey—a clear and full-bodied alcoholic punch.

Your friends will love this drink. And what, they might ask, is this?

And you can tell them, it’s milk-washed punch! 

Tell them you found it at ChefSteps.

Also, if you like epic—make Glacier Ice for your Punch
[fetchActivity a-little-bit-of-glacier-in-your-glass]

Milk-washed punch is easy to make, clear, and delicious. We’re bringing back a technique from the 1700s. Your cocktail party will be fantastic.

Clarified Milk-Washed Punch

Also known as _gløgg_ in Norway, _glühwein_ in Germany, _vin chaud_ in France, and _Глинтвейн_ in Russia, this ubiquitous winter warmer enjoys a versatile reputation as both a good way to get rid of cheap wine and a luxurious holiday treat. You might just as well encounter the stuff in a dive bar as at a fancy Christmas party, and the truth is that it’s equally at home in both places. Mulled wine has survived throughout the centuries in cultures worldwide for good reason: there’s still nothing better than a hot, spicy cocktail on a chilly night. 

Ancient Romans are thought to have originally developed recipes for mulled wine for two reasons: first, to flaunt expensive foreign spices such as cinnamon and clove; and second, to mask an overly strong or sour wine. For this elevated version, we start with a bottle of decent full-bodied wine (try zinfandel, syrah, or cabernet) and add Angostura bitters, sweet vermouth, and whole spices for a rich, sophisticated flavor profile that works well as a lavish holiday goodie or a casual winter warmer. Be careful not to simmer too long, and keep the lid on the pot, or you’ll evaporate all the alcohol. (After all, what’s a good mulled wine without a good buzz to match?) And whether you’re serving it to distinguished guests or your sloppiest drinking buddies, good hosts in every country serve it piping hot.

We’ve come to expect more from our sodas, like antioxidants and vitamin C, and this ruby-red bubbler delivers. Tart and tangy, it’s a refreshing pop for your taste buds. You might even say it’s crantastic! Okay, maybe that’s more like something your mom would say. 

For the freshest juice, purée your own cranberries. Or buy pure cranberry juice for soda on the fly. Just charge your siphon three times, chill, and serve. For an adult version, add a shot of vodka and a lime wedge, and you’ll have yourself one spruced-up cape cod cocktail. Mom’s going to love that.

A [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/classic-oven-roasted-standing-rib-roast standing prime rib roast] is the king of holiday centerpieces: a hulking piece of the best cut of beef, cooked until its exterior is bronzed and burnished and its interior is juicy and rosy pink.

And while you can cook a prime rib without doing much to it other than showering it with salt, with a little smart knife work and some judicious use of kitchen twine, you can transform it into a roast that’s as elegant as it is easy to carve and serve, all while making it easier to cook evenly.

How to butcher and tie a prime rib roast.

How to Butcher, French, and Tie a Prime Rib

There are several advantages to presearing some foods before cooking them sous vide. Presearing builds flavor; it produces better browning and a more robust crust; it can reduce the possibility of overcooking your perfectly cooked meat after it comes out of the sous vide bath; it can reduce the risk of foodborne contamination; and it makes for better looking food.

Presear steaks and roasts before sous vide.