Carrie S., Recipe Tester

A list of all the recipes Carrie S. has tested.

A rectangular tart with wedges of pear baked into it in a rectangular tart pan.

Pear Almond Tart

French. Foolproof. Froufrou. Fuss-free. Fenomenal. (Work with us.) Rarely does elegance come together with such ease (and alliteration) as this tart recipe.

A single basic crepe, folded into quarters on a sheet of parchment with two lemon wedges beside it.

Basic Crepes

A simple, step-by-step recipe for the classic French crepe that can easily be mastered by anyone. Yes, anyone. Including you.

A pot of smooth mashed potatoes--made with plenty of butter, cream--with a wooden spoon and pat of butter on top

Velvet Mashed Potatoes

No mere mash, this creamy potato purée owes its uber velvetiness to truly indecent amounts of butter and cream. And we mean that in the best possible way.

A cake pan of golden brown cornbread with a slice removed

Cornbread

An easy, foolproof, ever so slightly sweet corn bread that comes together as quickly as it disappears. Just watch it.

A glass of homemade ginger ale with ice and a lime wedge, and a gar of ginger syrup in the background.

Homemade Ginger Ale

Full of natural ingredients that pack a wallop of intense, true-to-life ginger flavor, this brilliant hack for making real ginger ale will make you a convert.

A loaf of Irish soda bread on a brown plate with a chunk cut out and smeared with butter.

Irish Soda Bread

A sweet nuttiness, a dense crumb, a crunchy crust, and bags more flavor than normal bread. Whatcha waiting for?

A wedge of classic white cake and white frosting with a fork cutting in

White Cake

This white cake has an understated elegance thanks to its tender crumb and lovely nuanced taste that everyone is calling unforgettable in the best possible way. Proof that basic doesn’t mean boring.

Sweet potato wedges piled on a white serving platter.

Sweet Potato Wedges

These subtly spiced, lightly crisped sweet potato wedges will have everyone clamoring for more–and, we dare say, no one guessing they’re healthful.

Two pieces of almond biscotti on a stack of plates with a glass of coffee

Almond Biscotti

We find these unabashedly unconventional biscotti bewitching beyond belief. Different form. Same function. Far less fuss.

A white enamel pot filled with turkey meatball soup.

Turkey Meatball Soup

This outrageously healthy—yet still satiating—riff on Italian wedding soup swaps traditional beef and pork meatballs for ones made with turkey. Indulgence with decency.

Two flutes filled with homemade sparkling juice topped with lemon twists on a marble surface.

Homemade Sparkling Juice

It ain’t no Champagne. And it ain’t supposed to be. Subtly nuanced and sparkling and with a slightly fancy feel for teetotalers of all ages.

Chocolate fudge pops with popsicle sticks melting on a white surface.

Chocolate Fudge Pops

They look like fudgsicles. They taste like fudgesicles. Yet they’re made from cocoa, coconut milk, and honey, so don’t give a second thought to indulging in them.

A metal shaker filled with foamy egg cream.

Egg Cream

A soda fountain classic made with neither egg nor cream, this classic quencher is a summer staple for kids of all ages.

A mason jar filled with iced coffee, a straw, and a leftover coffee ice cube sticking out the top.

Leftover Coffee Ice Cubes

Got leftover coffee in that pot? Don’t toss it in the sink. Pour it into ice cube trays, freeze, and simple as that, no more watered down iced coffee EVER.

Bite-size bacon and cheese scones with smoked bacon and melted Asiago on top on a parchment-lined baking sheet

Bite-Size Bacon and Cheese Scones

Cute as a button, and not much bigger, these buttery, bacony scones are the most diminutive and darned good biscuits we’ve had in recent memory. Maybe ever.