Kara Vitek, Recipe Tester

A list of all the recipes Kara Vitek has tested.

Squares of chocolate chip crisps on a sheet of parchment paper.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Crisps

Crisp as a cracker. Less sweet than a cookie. And certain to be safe from the kids as they have a distinct adult dark chocolate allure.

Pumpkin spice cookies stacked on a wooden cutting board.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

“Soft, spicy, holiday memory-invoking.” “Spiced perfectly.” “So easy.” “Lovely.” That’s what folks are saying about these.

Five irregular shaped cheddar biscuits with golden edges, on a wooden cutting board.

Cheddar Biscuits

“Lovely.” “Perfectly light, fluffy, and irresistibly good.” “Easy peasy!” “Wow. Just wow.” That’s what folks are saying about these biscuits.

Tray of roast chicken pieces with pancetta, olives, and garlic cloves

Roast Chicken with Pancetta and Olives

“One of the best chicken recipes ever!” “Crisp-skinned.” “Juicy.” “Aromatic.” “Easy.” “Gorgeous.” “Heavenly.” That’s what we’re hearing from folks who’ve tried it.

A light-blue gravy boat filled with svelte green goddess dip

Svelte Green Goddess Dip

This evocatively named dip isn’t the same as the one of yore. It’s got the same sumptuous taste, the same creamy texture, the same luminous color, just not the same calorie count.

Crispy roasted Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

So tantalizingly crisp at the edges, incredibly tender yet not mushy at the center, and lovely through and through. They’ll haunt you forever. In a good way.

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 whole cooked wheat beer roasted chicken in a deep oval baking dish.

Beer Roasted Chicken

A crisp-skinned bird that’s inflected with orange and coriander for a very unique flair. And it comes together in a single pot, making it a cinch to prep as well as clean up afterward.

A single white chocolate cupcake, topped with white frosting on a paper napkin.

White Chocolate Cupcakes

Fine-crumbed and sparely sweet, these sophisticated little cakes do wonders for white chocolate’s tarnished reputation. Confection perfection.

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.

Two slices of oatmeal cake on plates

Oatmeal Cake

Oatmeal cake, to us, is synonymous with breakfast, seeing as there’s wholesome oatmeal beneath all that coconut and old-fashioned boiled frosting.

A white baking dish with a piece of patterned parchment and 15 squares of coconut blondies.

Coconut Blondies

Sweet! Gooey! Easy! Yum! Those are just a few of the lovely things we’re hearing about these coconutty blonde beauties. Taste for yourself.

Squares of care-package brownies on parchment paper.

Care Package Brownies

Designed to maintain their just-out-of-the-oven loveliness for days, these are ideal for sharing something sweet with the ones you care, whether via the USPS or porch delivery. Or save ’em all for yourself.

Two slices of no-knead pumpkin-sunflower seed bread on a white plate with the remaining loaf next to it on a separate plate.

No-Knead Pumpkin-Sunflower Seed Bread

A sturdy, healthy whole-wheat loaf brimming with nutty goodness, this bread takes its crunch from pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds. Fantastic as toast and for sandwiches.

A copper pot filled with creamed spinach.

Creamed Spinach

With its blend of mascarpone and Parmesan, this roux-less—and fuss-less—creamed spinach isn’t what you grew up with at your grandma’s table. And no one’s complaining about that.