Cindy Zaiffdeen, Recipe Tester

A list of all the recipes Cindy Zaiffdeen has tested.

Sticky pecan bits piled on a white platter.

Sticky Pecan Bites

These one-bite indulgences, mini-sticky rolls of sorts, are the fastest way we can think to get a caramel-y, buttery, nutty sticky bun fix. Are you in?

A partially covered Dutch oven filled with cooked Parmesan potato gratin.

Parmesan Potato Gratin

We used to get our gratins and scalloped potatoes confused. But then we tried this gratin. Guess which one is now our favorite?!

A sliced steak chimichurri with a gravy boat filled with chimichurri on the side.

Steak Chimichurri

Chimichurri-induced happiness can be yours with this foolproof, fuss-free, Argentine-approved answer to what’s for dinner.

Garlic mashed potatoes with melted butter and black pepper inside a copper pot, resting on a kitchen towel.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Silken, garlicky mashed potatoes manifest in mere minutes thanks to a super simple technique that’s perfect for when you’re entertaining or just plain hungry.

Sugar Christmas snow cookies, in various shapes, decorated with white icing.

Sugar Christmas Snow Cookies

What exactly is a snow cookie? It’s a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth moment of loveliness, and it’s as easy to roll,
bake, and decorate as it is to admire–and devour.

Pain d'Épices Cookies stacked in a pile of five glazed and garnished with candied orange peel.

Pain d’Épice Cookies

There’s a bit of France in these cookies, which evoke all the familiar flavors of the traditional pain d’epice bread in a far more festive form.

A metal oval baking dish filled with apple cranberry crisp.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

A recipe for apple cranberry crisp that can be made at a moment’s notice, whenever you have extra fruit or a craving for something cozy, sweet, and crisp.

A tarte tatin on a white plate on a wooden table.

Tarte Tatin

A tarte Tatin is nothing more than a tart turned upside down, nothing less than pastry perfection. It’s a lot of caramely apple goodness atop a buttery crust.

Four Mexican chocolate pops in colored bowls in a tray of ice.

Mexican Chocolate Pops

A little something dark and decadent to swoon over on a sultry summer afternoon. A little cinnamon- and cayenne-laced chocolate and cream never hurt anyone.

A cherry clafouti in a red dish with cherry dish towels

Cherry Clafouti

A simple, old-style French dessert that’s as easy to toss together as it is to tie a scarf.

Three burger buns topped with sesame seeds on a wooden surface.

Burger Buns

Beautiful burger buns. Were ever three words joined in such harmony? There are a lot more lovely things to be said about these pillowy specimens of bread awesomeness.

A cast-iron skillet filled with roasted grilled potatoes and two sprigs of rosemary on a wooden table.

Roasted Potatoes on the Grill

Now you can indulge your craving for roast potatoes when it’s sweltering outside without heating up the entire kitchen. You’re welcome.

Two vegan chocolate cakes stacked on top of each other.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

No one will ever know it’s vegan…unless you tell them. All you’ll experience is chocolate through and through.

An open face egg salad sandwich on toasted whole wheat.

Open-Face Egg Salad Sandwich

We know. You already have an egg salad sandwich recipe. But trust us, it’s nothing like this one, which is whoppingly old school in taste, blissfully healthful in every other way.

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.

A large measuring cup of slow cooker chicken stock on a wooden table with a ladle on the side.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

Making stock from scratch was never difficult. And it just became even easier thanks to this simple yet perfect slow cooker approach.

Five broiled buffalo wings on a piece of parchment on a wooden board with a bowl of carrot and celery sticks.

Broiled Buffalo Wings

These lip-tingling wings boast far less oil-spattering-all-over-the-kitchen fuss and fewer calories than the classic that you’d find at the neighborhood bar. Not that you’ll be able to tell from the taste.

Pulled pork tacos with habanero salas and pickled onions on flour tortillas.

Pulled Pork Tacos with Habanero Salsa

An ancho-imbued version of Yucan-style slow-roasted pork that’s intoxicatingly aromatic and, with apologies to tradition, slowly cooked in your oven rather than a freshly dug pit.