oversoftened butter (flat and dense)
Light and Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
Buttermilk Biscuits with Parmesan and Black Pepper
When you eliminate the hand stirring and piles of dirty dishes, baked goods of all kinds become more appealing everyday projects. The food processor famously tackles pie crust in minutes, but we were surprised at how well it did with cookies and brownies, and even breakfast breads and a frosted layer cake. Avoiding overmixing proved less of a hurdle than we anticipated with a little tinkering. A great bonus was the ease with which we could prepare and incorporate mix-ins like shredded cheese, sliced fruit, grated vegetables, and chopped nuts, all featured here. Mixing up the flavors of a basic recipe takes hardly any extra effort when you’re baking with your food processor.
food processor findings
Here are a few tricks we’ve discovered for making baking simpler with your food processor:
1 The key to adapting many baking recipes for the food processor is to reconsider the order in which ingredients are added. Because the processor makes mixing so quick, ingredients that need time to start working, like leaveners, should be added earlier than usual. Conversely, flour should be added toward the end of mixing to avoid overdeveloping the gluten, which can lead to tough baked goods.
2 Shredding and slicing fruits and vegetables in the food processor are a cinch, but these ingredients contain a lot of water, so we often drain them for recipes like our Zucchini Bread, or precook them as for our Classic Apple Pie.
3 The food processor is an ideal tool for cutting fat into flour to make tender, flaky pie and tart doughs, and because the processor works so quickly, the fat doesn’t have time to get soft or melt.
4 When you chop or grind nuts in the food processor, the heat from the grinding process helps release the nuts’ volatile oils for more fragrant, flavorful results.
flour + butter + processor = baked good perfection
Butter is integral to great biscuits and pie crusts because when it’s heated, the water in it turns to steam, which lifts the dough and creates a flaky texture. But for this to work, the butter must be evenly dispersed in layers throughout the dough. This way, when the butter melts, the steam separates the dough into superthin layers. The butter also has to melt in the oven, not during mixing. To help with this, we like to use chilled butter in our doughs, but to make it even more foolproof, we turn to the food processor. Because the processor can cut butter into flour more quickly than other methods, there’s less chance of the butter getting overly softened or even melting during mixing, and it gets worked in more evenly than it would if this step was done by hand.
oversoftened butter (flat and dense)
just-right butter (perfect flaky layers)
makes 12 biscuits
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Although biscuits may seem like one of the simplest baked goods you can make, there are plenty of ways they can go wrong. Bad biscuits can be greasy, tough, and pretty much inedible. To ensure that ours were light and fluffy as well as tender and flavorful, we began by chilling a combination of butter and shortening. Chilling the fats ensured that they melted in the oven, not during mixing, thus creating the pockets of steam required for flaky results. Using the food processor to quickly cut the fat into the dry ingredients also helped keep the butter and shortening from getting too soft. We then stirred in the buttermilk by hand to ensure that the ingredients were uniformly combined without overmixing the dough, which can lead to toughness. The dough required only a tiny bit of hand kneading to develop the gluten essential for fluffy biscuits. After rolling and stamping the dough, we placed the biscuits upside down on the baking sheet; with the flat underside on top, the biscuits rose tall and even. A hot oven jump-started the rising process, and we then turned the heat down to finish baking without burning the biscuits. For a variation that mixed things up, we combined the subtle nuttiness of Parmesan and the mellow spice of black pepper to create a pleasingly sophisticated flavor profile.
3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
1¼ cups buttermilk
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Sprinkle chilled butter and shortening over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 pulses.
2 Transfer flour mixture to large bowl and stir in buttermilk until just incorporated; do not overmix. Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly, 8 to 10 times, to form smooth, cohesive ball.
3 Roll dough into 9-inch circle, about ¾ inch thick. Cut biscuits into rounds using 2½-inch biscuit cutter, dipping cutter in flour as needed. Gather dough scraps together, pat gently into ¾-inch-thick circle, and cut out additional rounds. Place biscuits upside down on prepared sheet. (Raw biscuits can be refrigerated for up to 1 day; bake as directed.)
4 Bake until biscuits begin to rise, about 5 minutes. Rotate sheet, reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees, and continue to bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer biscuits to wire rack, let cool for 5 minutes, and serve.
buttermilk biscuits with parmesan and black pepper
Add ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper to processor with flour.
makes 1 loaf
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Sometimes you want a crusty, savory loaf of bread without all the work of rising and kneading that goes into a yeasted dough. This is where quick breads come in. Cheese bread is one of our favorite simple batter breads, and using the food processor makes it even easier. Our version gets its flavor from a combination of Parmesan and cheddar cheeses and its rise from a generous amount of baking powder instead of yeast. We started by using the food processor to shred Parmesan, which went on the bottom of the pan and the top of the loaf to create a crisp, savory crust. Then we simply combined the wet ingredients (including sour cream for flavor and moisture and melted butter for richness) and the dry ingredients in the processor. We added the flour last to avoid overworking the gluten in the dough. Big chunks of cheddar cheese pulsed into the mixture ensured pockets of rich, salty flavor throughout the loaf. You can substitute a mild Asiago, crumbled into ¼- to ½-inch pieces, for the cheddar. (Aged Asiago that is as firm as Parmesan is too sharp and piquant.) The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than advised in the recipe. If, when testing the bread for doneness, the skewer comes out with what looks like uncooked batter clinging to it, try again in a different but still central spot. (A skewer hitting a pocket of cheese may give a false indication.) The texture of this bread improves as it cools, so resist the urge to slice the loaf when it’s still warm.
3 ounces Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Using food processor fitted with shredding disk, process Parmesan until shredded (you should have about 1 cup). Grease 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan, then sprinkle ½ cup Parmesan evenly in bottom of pan; set aside remaining Parmesan.
2 Fit now-empty processor with chopping blade and process milk, sour cream, egg, melted butter, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne until combined, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour and cheddar and pulse until just incorporated, about 5 pulses. (Batter will be heavy and thick; do not overmix).
3 Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top, and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Parmesan. Bake loaf until golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
4 Let loaf cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours. Serve.
makes 1 loaf
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Zucchini bread is a classic way to use up extra summer produce, but most recipes call for only a minimal amount of zucchini and result in a loaf with a dense, underbaked texture. Seeking to pack in double the amount of zucchini typically used, we developed a zucchini bread with rich flavor and a moist—not soggy—texture that we couldn’t wait to eat. The key proved to be removing as much moisture as possible from the zucchini, which enabled us to use a full 1½ pounds of it without compromising the texture of the bread. Our food processor method really streamlined the process: it shredded the zucchini, chopped the nuts, and then mixed the batter. To banish the gumminess sometimes associated with zucchini bread, we added a little whole-wheat flour, which is more absorbent than white flour. It easily soaked up any remaining liquid, giving the bread a much better structure. As a bonus, the wheat flour contributed a great hearty flavor that perfectly complemented the rustic loaf. The addition of warm spices elevated the bread, and a little vanilla extract helped to round out the flavor profile. Toasted walnuts added along with the shredded zucchini provided a pleasant contrast in texture. For a finishing touch, we sprinkled a generous amount of sugar on top of the batter in the pan, which then baked into a sweet, crisp crust. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than advised in the recipe.
1½ pounds zucchini, trimmed
1¼ cups packed (8¾ ounces) brown sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup walnuts, toasted
1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (2¾ ounces) whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Working in batches, use food processor fitted with shredding disk to process zucchini until shredded. Place half of shredded zucchini in center of dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly to drain as much liquid as possible, discarding liquid. Repeat with remaining zucchini. (You should have ½ to ⅔ cup liquid total.)
2 Fit now-empty processor with chopping blade and process brown sugar, eggs, oil, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg until combined, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add zucchini and walnuts and pulse until combined, about 5 pulses. Add all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour and pulse until just incorporated, about 5 pulses; do not overmix.
3 Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake loaf until top bounces back when gently pressed and skewer inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 65 to 75 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
4 Let loaf cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours. Serve.
makes 12 muffins
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works The key to building big apple flavor in a tender muffin lies in the technique. We started by shredding tart Granny Smith apples in the food processor and then wringing them out to remove as much excess liquid as possible. We reserved that juice (and all its fresh apple flavor) to add back to the batter in a measured amount later, which gave us control over the moisture in the muffins. Using shredded fruit ensured that there was plenty of apple in each and every bite. Yogurt added a nice tang without contributing too much extra moisture, which could lead to soggy muffins, plus cinnamon for a pleasant spice note. We used the food processor to both shred the apples and mix the batter, making sure to add the apples and flour last to avoid overprocessing. For a finishing touch we sprinkled the muffins with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, which made for a sweet, crackly top and reinforced the warm spice flavors. Make sure to spray the muffin tin thoroughly, inside the cups and on top.
topping
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
muffins
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and halved
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 for the topping Using your fingers, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in bowl; cover and set aside.
2 for the muffins Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly grease 12-cup muffin tin. Using food processor fitted with shredding disk, process apples until shredded. Place shredded apples in center of dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly to drain as much juice as possible, reserving juice. You should have about ½ cup juice; add water, if needed, to make ½ cup.
3 Fit now-empty processor with chopping blade and process reserved juice, granulated sugar, yogurt, eggs, melted butter, oil, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add apples and pulse until combined, about 2 pulses. Add flour and pulse until just incorporated, about 5 pulses; do not overmix.
4 Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (cups will be filled to rim) and sprinkle with topping. Bake muffins until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking.
5 Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool on rack for 5 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
serves 8 to 10
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works The major appeal of coffee cake comes from the nutty crunch of the topping in contrast with the moist cake. The trouble is, many recipes for this simple baked good are relatively complicated, requiring multiple bowls and appliances. We wanted a simpler method that still produced the same tender cake and crunchy, flavorful topping. Of course, the food processor was the natural solution. It was the perfect tool both for prepping ingredients like the chopped nuts and for creating the cake. For the cake, we used a reverse creaming method: First, we worked the butter into the dry ingredients, then we mixed in the wet ingredients. Combining the flour and butter first helped limit the amount of gluten that could be formed, so the cake stayed soft and tender. The processor also made the streusel topping in just seconds for a one-tool take on classic coffee cake that offered an appealing combination of crunchy cinnamon-pecan streusel and moist, rich cake in every bite. Avoid testing this cake for doneness with a skewer until the center appears firm when the pan is shaken as this can cause the center of the cake to sink.
streusel
1 cup pecans, toasted
⅓ cup packed (2⅓ ounces) brown sugar
½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon water
cake
1⅔ cups (8⅓ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 7 pieces and softened
¾ cup whole milk
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 for the streusel Process pecans and sugar in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Add flour, cinnamon, and salt and pulse until combined, about 5 pulses. Add butter and water and pulse until butter is fully incorporated and mixture begins to form clumps, 8 to 10 pulses; set aside.
2 for the cake Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9-inch springform pan. Place pan in rimmed baking sheet. Pulse flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in now-empty processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Add butter and pulse until very small but visible pieces of butter remain, about 20 pulses. Add milk, egg and yolk, and vanilla and pulse until dry ingredients are moistened, about 5 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Continue to pulse until mixture is well combined, about 5 pulses (some small pieces of butter will remain).
3 Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Starting at edges of pan, sprinkle streusel in even layer over batter. Bake cake in sheet until center is firm and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.
4 Transfer cake from sheet to wire rack and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan and let cake cool completely on rack, about 2 hours. Use offset spatula to transfer cake to serving platter. Serve.
serves 8
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Pound cake should be the ultimate easy cake—after all, it calls for just a handful of ingredients. The problem is that most recipes use a finicky mixing method in which all the ingredients need to be the same temperature; otherwise the batter turns into a curdled mess—and there’s no way to save it. Looking for an easier way, we found the answers to our fussy batter problems: hot melted (rather than softened) butter and the food processor. The fast-moving blade of the processor, in conjunction with the hot butter, emulsified the liquid ingredients quickly before they had a chance to curdle. Plus, it sped up the process so the cake could be in the oven (and on a plate) that much sooner. It also made it super simple to add fresh lemon flavor for an easy variation. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than advised in the recipe.
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces) sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot
1½ cups (6 ounces) cake flour
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Process sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With processor running, slowly add hot melted butter until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Add flour and pulse until just incorporated, about 5 pulses; do not overmix.
2 Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake cake until skewer inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
3 Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours. Serve.
Add 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons) and 2 teaspoons juice to processor with sugar.
serves 10 to 12
food processor size 9 to 14 cups
why this recipe works When done right, carrot cake can be a rich, delicious treat: a perfect combination of sweet carrots, spiced cake, and tangy cream cheese frosting. However, turning this classic into a showstopping layer cake comes with some challenges. First, there’s the mere task of grating all the carrots required for a really distinctive carrot cake. Then there’s the issue of successfully stacking layers of heavy, moist cake and fluffy frosting; and of course all these separate steps usually create a giant mess of dirty bowls, spoons, and other tools. The food processor helped us make light work of the whole process. We started with the carrots. We wanted a cake loaded with sweet carrot flavor, so we shredded a full pound of carrots using the shredding disk of the processor. We then mixed up a basic cake batter right in the processor bowl, amping up the flavor with healthy doses of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. We pulsed the carrots back in just before adding the flour, which guaranteed that they would be evenly dispersed and the batter would not get overworked. While the layers baked, we whipped up a simple cream cheese frosting in the processor with vanilla and plenty of confectioners’ sugar, the perfect just-sweet-enough accent to our spiced cake. The frosting will be too soft to use right out of the food processor in step 5; be sure to chill it slightly before assembling the cake.
cakes
1 pound carrots, peeled
2 cups (8 ounces) pecans, toasted (optional)
1½ cups vegetable oil
1½ cups (10½ ounces) granulated sugar
½ cup packed (3½ ounces) light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
frosting
1½ pounds cream cheese, softened
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
1 for the cakes Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Working in batches, use food processor fitted with shredding disk to process carrots until shredded; set aside.
2 Fit now-empty processor with chopping blade. Pulse pecans, if using, until coarsely chopped, about 5 pulses; set aside. Process oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and cloves in again-empty processor until sugars are mostly dissolved and mixture is emulsified, 10 to 12 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add carrots and pulse until combined, about 3 pulses. Add flour and pulse until just incorporated, about 10 pulses; do not overmix.
3 Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops. Gently tap pans on counter to release air bubbles. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted in centers comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking.
4 Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.
5 for the frosting In clean, dry processor, process cream cheese, butter, sour cream, vanilla, and salt until smooth, 25 to 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sugar and process until incorporated and frosting is creamy and glossy, about 20 seconds. Chill frosting until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
6 Line edges of cake platter with 4 strips of parchment paper to keep platter clean. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top, right to edge of cake. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. To smooth frosting, run edge of offset spatula around cake sides and over top. If using chopped pecans, use your hand to gently press pecans onto sides of cake. Carefully remove parchment strips before serving.
serves 8 to 10
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Fruit crisps are a delicious and versatile dessert, but many versions yield gloppy, too-sweet fillings and toppings that resemble packaged granola. Depending on what fruit you choose, they can also involve quite a lot of knife work to prepare the filling. The food processor helped us prepare both the topping and the filling much more quickly so we could have this juicy, nutty dessert on the table in under an hour. First we made a perfectly crumbly, buttery crisp topping by pulsing together almonds, flour, a bit of sugar, melted butter, and oats. The oats gave the topping a nice chew, and the toasted almonds contributed deep, rich flavor that complemented the filling. For our fruit we used plums, which offered a delicate sweetness and sliced easily in the processor. We accented the plums with tart, juicy cherries, and we opted for frozen fruit to avoid the work of stemming and pitting fresh ones. A quick toss with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and both vanilla and almond extracts balanced out the flavor of the filling and helped thicken the fruit juices during baking. Just 25 minutes in the oven resulted in a beautifully bubbly, golden-brown, crisp-topped dessert. There is no need to thaw the cherries for this recipe.
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed (1¾ ounces) light brown sugar
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ pounds plums, halved and pitted
1½ pounds frozen sweet cherries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Process almonds, flour, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Drizzle melted butter over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles crumbly wet sand, about 5 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add oats and pulse until combined, about 3 pulses; set aside.
2 Working in batches, process plums in now-empty processor fitted with slicing disk until thinly sliced; transfer to greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Stir in remaining ⅓ cup sugar, cherries, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, almond extract, and ½ teaspoon salt until well combined. Sprinkle evenly with almond topping, breaking up any large chunks. Bake until crisp is bubbling around edges and topping is deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let crisp cool on wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.
serves 6
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works For a simple summer fruit tart that was just as appealing as harder-to-prepare pie, we started with a foolproof free-form tart dough that had a simple list of ingredients—just butter, flour, salt, and water. At first, we also included sugar, but testing revealed that not only was sweetener unnecessary, but sugar also made the crust more brittle, so we left it out. The dough was easily mixed using the food processor. To maximize the flakiness of the crust, we then employed a French pastry technique known as fraisage, in which the dough is smeared against the counter with the heel of your hand. This created paper-thin streaks of butter and flour that baked up into delicate, flaky layers. Satisfied with the crust, we moved on to the filling. A mix of stone fruits and berries with a little sugar to offset the fruit’s tartness produced an especially nice contrast in flavors and textures. The slicing disk of the food processor efficiently cut the stone fruit thin enough that the skins could be left on without any offputting texture. As a finishing touch, we brushed the crust with water and sprinkled it with sugar to encourage browning and give it a sheen that would please both the eyes and the tastebuds.
dough
1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
4–6 tablespoons ice water
filling
1 pound ripe but firm peaches, nectarines, or plums, halved and pitted
5 ounces (1 cup) blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries
¼ cup (1¾ ounces) plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 for the dough Pulse flour and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Scatter chilled butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand and butter pieces are size of small peas, about 10 pulses. Continue to pulse, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough begins to form small curds that hold together when pinched with your fingers, about 10 pulses.
2 Turn mixture out onto lightly floured counter and gather into rectangular pile. Starting at farthest end, use heel of your hand to smear small amount of dough against counter. Continue to smear dough until all crumbs have been worked in. Gather smeared crumbs together in another rectangular pile and repeat process.
3 Form dough into 6-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before rolling dough out, let it sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)
4 for the filling Roll dough into 12-inch circle between 2 large sheets of parchment paper (if dough sticks to parchment, dust lightly with flour). Slide dough, still between parchment sheets, into rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, 15 to 30 minutes.
5 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Working in batches, use now-empty processor fitted with slicing disk to process peaches until thinly sliced; transfer to large bowl. Add blackberries and ¼ cup sugar and gently toss to combine.
6 Remove top sheet of parchment from dough. Mound fruit mixture in center of dough, leaving 2½-inch border around edge of fruit. Fold outermost 2 inches of dough over fruit, pleating dough every 2 to 3 inches as needed; be sure to leave ½-inch border of dough between fruit and edge of tart. Gently pinch pleated dough to secure, but do not press dough into fruit.
7 Brush top and sides of dough with water and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until crust is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, about 1 hour, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
8 Let tart cool in sheet for 10 minutes. Use parchment to transfer tart to wire rack, then discard parchment. Let tart cool until juices have thickened, about 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
serves 8
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Just because apple pie is classic, that doesn’t mean it’s easy, but our food processor version is as simple as it gets. For pie dough that mixed and rolled out easily, we added sour cream, which helped keep it tender. Our filling combined two varieties of apples for a mix of sweet-tart flavors and soft-firm textures. With help from the food processor, we sliced over 3 pounds of apples in no time. Microwaving the sliced apples before assembling the pie let them shrink just enough to prevent a gap from forming under the top crust during baking. Starting the pie in a 425-degree oven helped the crust develop good color. We then allowed the pie to gently finish baking at a lower temperature. You will need a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate for this recipe.
dough
⅓ cup ice water, plus extra as needed
3 tablespoons sour cream
2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces and frozen for 10 to 15 minutes
filling
2 pounds Golden Delicious, Fuji, or Jonagold apples, peeled, cored, and halved
1½ pounds Granny Smith, Cortland, or Empire apples, peeled, cored, and halved
6 tablespoons (2⅔ ounces) plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 for the dough Whisk ice water and sour cream together in bowl. Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Scatter frozen butter over top and pulse mixture until butter is size of large peas, about 10 pulses.
2 Pour half of sour cream mixture over flour mixture and pulse until incorporated, about 3 pulses. Repeat with remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch dough with your fingers; if dough feels dry and does not hold together, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water over mixture and pulse until dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, 3 to 5 pulses.
3 Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Turn each piece of dough out onto sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into 4-inch disk. Wrap each piece tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before rolling dough out, let it sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling it out.)
4 Roll 1 piece of dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper to 12-inch circle. (If dough is soft and/or sticky, refrigerate until firm.) Remove parchment on top of dough round and flip dough into 9-inch deep-dish pie plate; peel off second layer of parchment. Lift dough and gently press it into pie plate, letting excess hang over plate’s edge. Cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Roll second piece of dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper to 12-inch circle. Slide dough, still between parchment sheets, into rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5 for the filling Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Working in batches, use now-empty processor fitted with slicing disk to process apples until thinly sliced; transfer to large bowl. Add 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, lemon zest, salt, and cinnamon and gently toss to combine. Microwave apple mixture, stirring occasionally, until apples are slightly pliable, about 3 minutes. Let apple mixture cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then stir in lemon juice. Spread apple mixture in chilled dough-lined pie plate, mounding apples slightly in middle.
6 Loosely roll top dough round around rolling pin, then gently unroll it over filling. Trim overhanging dough ½ inch beyond lip of pie plate. Pinch edges of top and bottom crusts firmly together. Tuck overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of pie using your fingers. Cut four 2-inch slits in top of dough. Brush surface with beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 teaspoon granulated sugar.
7 Place pie in prepared sheet and bake until crust is light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotate sheet, and continue to bake until juice is bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let pie cool on wire rack until filling has set, about 2 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
makes 16 large cookies
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Our refined version of the classic chocolate chip cookie is a harmonious blend of rich toffee notes and a just-right amount of chocolate chips, with a crisp edge and a chewy interior. To avoid all the strenuous hand stirring typically required for a well-mixed cookie dough, we turned to the food processor. All it took was a few tweaks to the ingredient order to get perfect cookie dough without ever having to pick up a mixing spoon. Most cookie doughs are made by first creaming together softened butter and sugar. We found that browning the butter on the stovetop lent the perfect chewy texture and complex, nutty flavor. We then incorporated the sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and eggs (one whole egg plus an extra yolk for richness). This is when one of our food processor adaptations came into play; instead of waiting to add the leavener with the rest of the dry ingredients, we added the baking soda early to allow it enough time to become fully incorporated and activated in the dough. We also found that the cookie dough worked best in the food processor if we added our mix-ins (chocolate chips and nuts) prior to the flour rather than all the way at the end. When we added the flour first, the dough tended to get overworked and produced a tougher, cakier cookie. Once we made these small adjustments, we had a bowl-free chocolate chip cookie recipe that left back-of-the-bag recipes in the dust. The recipe will work with light brown sugar, but the cookies will not be as richly flavored.
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup packed (5¼ ounces) dark brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ cups (7½ ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
¾ cup pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)
1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Off heat, swirl in remaining 4 tablespoons butter until melted. Transfer browned butter to food processor and let cool for 15 minutes.
2 Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and yolk, vanilla, salt, and baking soda to processor and process until combined and mixture is smooth, about 6 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Let mixture sit for 3 minutes, then process for additional 5 seconds. Repeat process of sitting and processing 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny.
3 Add chocolate chips and pecans, if using, and pulse until incorporated, about 2 pulses. Add flour and pulse until just incorporated, about 8 pulses; do not overmix.
4 Working with 3 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls and space 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. (Raw cookies can be frozen for up to 1 month; bake frozen cookies in 300-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.)
5 Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before serving.
makes 24 cookies
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Traditional recipes for sugar cookies require a great deal of attention to detail. The butter must be at precisely the right temperature, and slight variations in measures can result in cookies that spread too much or become brittle and hard upon cooling. The keys to the foolproof sugar cookies of our dreams turned out to be the right mix of fats, a simple but precise food-processor mixing method, and a surprise secret ingredient—cream cheese. A ratio of approximately 1 part saturated fat (melted butter) to 3 parts unsaturated fat (vegetable oil) gave us optimal chew. The food processor brought the dough together quickly and completely, which helped prevent overmixing. We first processed our wet ingredients, including a small amount of cream cheese for richness, and our leaveners—both the traditional baking powder and also baking soda, which reacted with the acidic cream cheese to give us a beautiful crackly top. Finally we mixed in the flour, pulsing just enough to eliminate any visible streaks. The last step was rolling the cookies in sugar before baking for a sweet, crisp crust. For simple variations we added chai spices to one batch and lime zest and coconut flakes to another. The final dough will be slightly softer than most cookie doughs. For the best results, handle the dough as briefly and gently as possible when shaping the cookies. Overworking the dough will result in flatter cookies.
1½ cups (10½ ounces) sugar, plus ⅓ cup for rolling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2¼ cups (11¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Pulse 1½ cups sugar, butter, oil, cream cheese, egg, milk, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in food processor until just combined, 5 to 7 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed (some small lumps of butter and cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later). Add flour and pulse until just incorporated, 10 to 12 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl halfway through pulsing; do not overmix.
2 Turn dough out onto counter and divide into 24 equal pieces, about 2 tablespoons each. Using hands, roll dough into balls. Working in batches, roll balls in reserved ⅓ cup sugar to coat and space evenly in prepared sheets, 12 dough balls per sheet. Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten dough balls until 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops evenly with 4 teaspoons sugar remaining in shallow dish (2 teaspoons per sheet), discarding remaining sugar.
3 Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are set and beginning to brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool in sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before serving.
Add ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and pinch pepper to processor with sugar. Reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon.
Add ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut and 1 teaspoon grated lime zest to processor with sugar. Substitute 1 tablespoon lime juice for vanilla extract.
makes 30 cookies
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Our ideal biscotti is somewhere between the dry, hard Italian original and the buttery, tender American version. We wanted nut-filled cookies that were crisp enough for dunking, yet not tooth-shattering. Knowing that the texture depended, in part, on the amount of butter, we reduced the amount we used so it was just enough to give us cookies with a good crunch. However, we then didn’t have enough butter to effectively cream with the sugar, so we needed to find another way to aerate the dough. Whipping the eggs in the food processor until they were light in color and then adding the sugar did the trick. To moderate the crunchiness, we ground some of the lightly toasted nuts in the processor and substituted them for a portion of the flour. With less flour, less gluten formed, so the biscotti were more tender—and they had nutty flavor in every bite. We baked the dough in two neat rectangles, then sliced them and baked the slices on a wire rack set in a baking sheet, flipping them halfway through baking. The rack allowed air circulation around the cookies, making them evenly crisp. Be sure to toast the almonds just until fragrant; they will continue to toast while the biscotti bake.
1¼ cups whole almonds, lightly toasted
1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, plus 1 large white beaten with pinch salt
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1½ teaspoons almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Using ruler and pencil, draw two 8 by 3-inch rectangles, spaced 4 inches apart, on piece of parchment paper. Grease baking sheet and place parchment on it, pencil side down.
2 Pulse 1 cup almonds in food processor until coarsely chopped, 8 to 10 pulses; set aside. Process remaining ¼ cup almonds in now-empty processor until finely ground, about 45 seconds. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse until combined, about 5 pulses; set aside.
3 Process 2 eggs in again-empty processor until lightened in color and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. With processor running, slowly add sugar and process until thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Add melted butter, almond extract, and vanilla and process until combined, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add half of flour mixture and pulse until just combined, about 5 pulses. Add remaining flour mixture and chopped almonds and pulse until just combined, about 5 pulses; do not overmix.
4 Divide batter in half. With floured hands, form each half into 8 by 3-inch rectangle, using lines on parchment as guide. Spray each loaf lightly with vegetable oil spray. Using greased rubber spatula, smooth tops and sides of rectangles. Gently brush tops of loaves with egg white wash. Bake loaves until golden and just beginning to crack on top, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
5 Let loaves cool on sheet for 30 minutes. Transfer loaves to cutting board. Using serrated knife, slice each loaf on slight bias into ½-inch-thick slices. Space slices, with 1 cut side down, about ¼ inch apart on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 35 minutes, flipping slices halfway through baking. Let cool completely before serving.
makes 24 brownies
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works For the ultimate chewy brownies, we had to find the right balance of butter, oil, and eggs along with the perfect blend of chocolate and cocoa powder to achieve a rich, complex flavor without greasiness. For well-balanced chocolate flavor, we started with a base of Dutch-processed cocoa to provide a strong backbone, plus unsweetened chocolate for pure, intense flavor and a tiny bit of espresso powder to boost the intensity of the chocolate. The addition of 2 egg yolks along with 2 whole eggs helped to bind some of the fat in the brownies, combating greasiness; and adding bittersweet chocolate chunks last ensured that we would get nice pockets of gooey, melted chocolate evenly dispersed throughout the brownies. Using the food processor, we could make the batter in under a minute without any hand stirring, and the batter went straight from the bowl of the processor to the pan to the oven. For the chewiest texture, it is important to let the brownies cool thoroughly before cutting. If your baking dish is glass, cool the brownies for 10 minutes, then remove them promptly from the dish (the superior heat retention of glass can lead to overbaking). For best results, boil a small pot of water and then measure out the amount called for in the recipe, rather than boiling the measured amount of water, since some will be lost to evaporation.
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
⅓ cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into ½-inch pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon salt
2½ cups (17½ ounces) sugar
2 large eggs, plus 2 large yolks
1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into ½-inch pieces
1 Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
2 Process oil, boiling water, cocoa, butter, espresso powder, if using, unsweetened chocolate, vanilla, and salt in food processor until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, 10 to 12 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sugar and eggs and yolks and process until combined, about 5 seconds. Add flour and bittersweet chocolate and pulse until just incorporated, about 5 pulses; do not overmix.
3 Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
4 Let brownies cool in pan on wire rack for 1½ hours. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan and return to wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
makes 24 truffles
food processor size 7 to 14 cups
why this recipe works Most truffles are nothing more than a ganache that’s been chilled and rolled into balls. These are different. We used hazelnut spread (Nutella), ground hazelnuts, and whole hazelnuts to pack our truffles with maximum hazelnut flavor (without turning to flavored extract or booze). We started by processing the Nutella with melted butter, sugar, and some milk. Cocoa powder added to the mixture heightened the Nutella’s mellow milk chocolate flavor. Pulsing in cornflakes helped bind the mixture together and gave the truffles a subtle crunch. We then spread this mixture in a pan, chilled it, and sliced it into squares, and each square got wrapped around a whole hazelnut. A coating of ground hazelnuts gave the truffles the distinctive, slightly sweet and rich flavor we were looking for. The texture of the truffles is best when they are served chilled. Whole almonds can be substituted for the hazelnuts, if desired.
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned, plus 24 hazelnuts, toasted and skinned, for truffle centers
¾ cup Nutella
½ cup (3½ ounces) sugar
¼ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups cornflakes
1 Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
2 Process ½ cup hazelnuts in food processor until finely ground, about 15 seconds; transfer to shallow dish and set aside. Process Nutella, sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa in now-empty processor until combined and mixture is smooth, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add cornflakes and pulse until coarsely ground and mixture is combined, about 10 pulses. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and press firmly into even layer with greased spatula. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.
3 Using foil overhang, lift Nutella mixture from pan and transfer to cutting board; discard foil. Cut Nutella mixture into 24 squares, then mold each around whole hazelnut to encase completely. Roll truffles in ground nuts to coat and transfer to platter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 week. Let truffles sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
