Testers' Choice is our way of pointing up recipes that have been cooked, poked, and prodded to perfection by our crackerjack team of nearly 100 testers. These dishes deliver above and beyond expectation. Eat with confidence.
Valentine’s Sugar Cookies
Feb 10, 2012
11 Comments
by Tracey Zabar
Filed under baking | cookies | bars | desserts | testers choice
Filed under baking | cookies | bars | desserts | testers choice
Sure, you could say it with flowers. Although if novelty is what you’re after, a bouquet isn’t exactly the answer. These sweet little somethings, on the other hand…
Pasta Puttanesca
Feb 08, 2012
7 Comments
by Sophie Dahl
Filed under entrees | in season | leite's lite™ | pasta and grains | testers choice | weeknight winners™
Filed under entrees | in season | leite's lite™ | pasta and grains | testers choice | weeknight winners™
Just like the women for whom it’s named, this pasta puttanesca recipe is edgy, spicy, and more than a little sassy. It gets the job done in a hurry, too.
Vegan Chocolate Cake
Feb 07, 2012
8 Comments
by Bea Vo
Filed under cakes | chocolate | desserts | testers choice
Filed under cakes | chocolate | desserts | testers choice
Yup. This cake is vegan. It’s also chocolate through and through. Dare you to guess which of those facts is inspiring omnivores and vegans alike to rave.
Monster Chocolate M&M Cookies
Feb 03, 2012
10 Comments
by Pat Sinclair
Filed under baking | chocolate | cookies | bars | desserts | testers choice
Filed under baking | chocolate | cookies | bars | desserts | testers choice
These chocolatey sensations–with their crisp edges and chewy centers–are monstrous in size as well as their lineup of kooky ingredients.
Red Chili and Cheddar Crackers
Jan 30, 2012
10 Comments
by Chester Hastings
Filed under appetizers | entertaining | testers choice
Filed under appetizers | entertaining | testers choice
A made-from-scratch riff on Cheez-Its, these crackers boast actual Cheddar cheesiness, not stain-your-fingers fake cheeziness.
Super Bowl Sunday Seafood Gumbo
Jan 30, 2012
8 Comments
by Donald Link
Filed under entrees | fish | seafood | testers choice
Filed under entrees | fish | seafood | testers choice
This Cajun standby tastes pretty swell the other 364 days of the year, too–especially if you swill a cold beer or six as you stand at the stove.
Peppery Chicken Wings
Jan 30, 2012
5 Comments
by David Tanis
Filed under chicken | turkey | poultry | hors d'oeuvre | testers choice
Filed under chicken | turkey | poultry | hors d'oeuvre | testers choice
The intensity of the classic buffalo wing is tempered here, usurped by a defiantly–and deliciously–untraditional blend of beguiling spices.
Broiled Buffalo Wings
Jan 30, 2012
5 Comments
by Ellie Krieger
Filed under appetizers | chicken | turkey | poultry | testers choice
Filed under appetizers | chicken | turkey | poultry | testers choice
These lip-tingling wings and to-dip-for blue cheese goodness boast far, far fewer calories than what you’d get at the neighborhood bar. Not that anyone will notice…
Blue Cheese Dip
Jan 30, 2012
3 Comments
by Ellie Krieger
Filed under appetizers | leite's lite™ | testers choice
Filed under appetizers | leite's lite™ | testers choice
Tired of settling for an ordinary blue cheese dip where you practically need a search party to find the few chunks of cheese swimming around in mayo? This one won’t disappoint.
Popcorn with Bacon Fat, Bacon, and Maple Syrup
Jan 30, 2012
7 Comments
by Deborah Krasner
Filed under testers choice
Filed under testers choice
Wicked. Illegal. Sinful. Indulgence. Virtuous. Just a few of the words folks are bandying about when describing this ridiculously crack-like concoction.
Classic Manhattan Cocktail
Jan 27, 2012
17 Comments
by Jason Kosmas
Filed under drinks | entertaining | testers choice
Filed under drinks | entertaining | testers choice
What could be classier–or sassier–than a Manhattan? Rye whiskey, vermouth, Grand Marnier, and bitters all work their devil’s magic here.
Cornmeal-Bacon Waffles with Thyme-Infused Maple Syrup
Jan 24, 2012
31 Comments
by Tara Duggan
Filed under breakfast | testers choice
Filed under breakfast | testers choice
Ever done a face-plant in a stack of waffles? Neither had we–until this recipe. We have a hunch you’re going to want to know them up close and personal, too.
Classic Pad Thai
Jan 23, 2012
13 Comments
by Jeffrey Alford | Naomi Duguid
Filed under pork and ham | testers choice
Filed under pork and ham | testers choice
The dish many of us think of when we think of Thai food, these stir-fried noodles are an authentic and sigh-inducing balance of salty, sour, and sweet.
Maple Syrup Snow
Jan 21, 2012
23 Comments
by Diana Henry
Filed under candy | testers choice | vegetarian
Filed under candy | testers choice | vegetarian
Embrace your inner Laura Ingalls Wilder with this quaint, toffee-like sweet. Its provenance may be outdated, but its appeal transcends time.
Satsuma Orange Cake
Jan 20, 2012
14 Comments
by Andrea Reusing
Filed under baking | cakes | desserts | testers choice
Filed under baking | cakes | desserts | testers choice
Looks like an upside-down cake. Tastes like an upside-down cake. Yet this cake couldn’t be more right-side up, with no scary moment of wrecking, er, reckoning.
Flaky Croissants
Jan 19, 2012
18 Comments
by Sarabeth Levine
Filed under baking | breads | breakfast | testers choice
Filed under baking | breads | breakfast | testers choice
When your cheeks are smudged with flour and there’s an obscenely buttery, made-from-scratch croissant before you, you’ll be glad you didn’t just run out to the corner bakery.
Baked Chicken with Cinnamon Butter
Jan 18, 2012
13 Comments
by Elizabeth David
Filed under chicken | turkey | poultry | entrees | testers choice | weeknight winners™
Filed under chicken | turkey | poultry | entrees | testers choice | weeknight winners™
Sometimes subtle can have as potent an effect as a sledgehammer. Like this understated, rustic roast hen and its curious lure…
Therapeutic Drink to Ward Off Colds
Jan 11, 2012
8 Comments
by Paula Wolfert
Filed under drinks | gluten-free | testers choice
Filed under drinks | gluten-free | testers choice
Forget Robitussen. This fragrant infusion not only makes a run to the store unnecessary, but it goes down with far, far more ease than that syrupy stuff.
Congee | Jok Plaw
Jan 11, 2012
13 Comments
by David Thompson
Filed under gluten-free | soups | testers choice | vegan | vegetarian
Filed under gluten-free | soups | testers choice | vegan | vegetarian
A simple, silken rice porridge that’s certain to soothe and salve the soul–especially those souls afflicted with a sore throat or a queasy tummy.
Ultra-Thin Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Jan 10, 2012
22 Comments
by Alice Medrich
Filed under baking | chocolate | cookies | bars | desserts | testers choice | vegetarian
Filed under baking | chocolate | cookies | bars | desserts | testers choice | vegetarian
These diaphanous lovelies are a theatrical departure from the norm, shattering dramatically and delivering untold caramelized, bittersweet chocolate goodness.
