Snack
975 recipes found
Saffron Pistachio Blondies
Saffron and pistachio, a combination known to many on the Indian subcontinent as kesar pista, is a classic flavoring in South Asian, Iranian and other desserts — and for good reason. The buttery richness of pistachios brings out the floral flavor in saffron. Kesar pista shines in other sweets like this nutty twist on a blondie. Seth Byrum, my partner and an avid home baker, suggested enriching the base with white chocolate, which feels reminiscent of khoya, the richly flavored milk solids in several South Asian confections. The radiantly golden frosting lets the saffron do the talking. Garnish the top with pistachios to mimic the top of more traditional South Asian sweets, like shrikhand.
Pan Con Tomate
Some version of tomatoes on toast — a juicy American B.L.T. or Italian tomato-topped bruschetta — is always a good idea, but that's especially true during high summer, when tomatoes are at their peak. One superior combination comes from Barcelona, where a slice of toast is rubbed with garlic and juicy ripe tomatoes, then anointed with olive oil. Most Catalan cooks simply cut the tomato crosswise and vigorously massage the toasted bread with the cut side. Others grate the tomato flesh and spoon it over the bread. This version adds tomato slices and a scattering of cherry tomatoes for a substantial first course.
Sparkling Shortbread Cookies
Classic shortbread is buttery and crumbly, with a crispness that melts as you devour it. These cookies are simple and perfect for holiday indulgence. Each gets adorned with decorative sugar around the perimeter, which adds some sparkle and an additional layer of crunch in every bite. The shaped logs can be refrigerated up to a week, or frozen for up to a month. Slice while the dough is cold, and bake. These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. (This cookie is one of six cookies that you can make with this Butter Shortbread Dough recipe. If you make that dough, you can make a double batch of the Sparkling Shortbread or try any of the other five recipes.)
Spiced Chocolate Marble Shortbread
Chocolate, toasted sesame, candied ginger and citrus! These cookies are a wonderful combination of intense flavors that pair really well together. The alternating layers of a chocolate dough and one spiked with warming spices are reminiscent of marble swirls, zebra stripes, rock strata layers — take your pick. They are as pleasant to look at as they are to eat, and they will add some flair to your holiday cookie tin. (This cookie is one of six cookies that you can make with this Butter Shortbread Dough recipe. If you make that dough, you can make a double batch of the Marble Shortbread or try any of the other five recipes.)
Indian-ish Baked Potatoes
Of all the places my mom, who lives in Dallas, has traveled for work, her favorite will always be London — the cobblestone streets, the limitless sights, the walkability and, most important, the pubs. She spent a lot of time in pubs on early '90s London business trips, and the only vegetarian dish was very often a baked potato. This is where she discovered the ingenuity of filling a soft, steamy potato with all kinds of tasty toppings that absorb nicely into the starchy flesh. In this recipe, she subs out the big potato for smaller, thin-skinned ones (for a prettier presentation), and the bacon bits, chives and packaged cheese for spicier, brighter toppings: chiles, chaat masala, onions and ginger. This dish takes almost no time to put together once the potatoes are baked, but looks very impressive as an appetizer or a small side. Tip: Cut the ginger, onion and chiles while the potatoes bake, so everything is ready for assembly.
Savory Shortbread Cookies With Olives and Rosemary
An unusual combination for a cookie, the flavors in this shortbread will appeal to those who appreciate a little pop of savory in their sweets. The olives used here are fruity kalamata, which when surrounded by a buttery shortbread crust and baked, become like little jewels studding each cookie. Rosemary and lemon balance the robust flavors of the olives by adding refreshing pine and citrus notes. Your cookie dough can be made ahead of time, rolled into logs and kept refrigerated or frozen. Slice and bake while cold, or from frozen, to serve.
Cassava Oven Fries
Cassava (also known as yuca) is a terrific vessel for a variety of dips like ata din din and guasacaca, or doused with a cilantro-garlic sauce. The root vegetable is ideal for roasting, and these fries can be a quick snack or a wonderful side. Don’t skip the first step that calls for blanching them in hot water, otherwise, the oven’s dry heat will dehydrate the starchy root, and the goal here is a tender soft interior in a crisp, golden brown shell. These fries are best finished with salt and served hot. You can reheat any leftovers in a hot oven the next day, but they are way too delicious to save, and will likely disappear rather fast.
Peppermint Patty Shortbreads
With chocolate ganache, peppermint-flavored marshmallow and a shortbread base, these cookies may seem like a daunting task, but each step of this recipe is simple and will result in a show stopping treat. Reminiscent of a warm cup of peppermint hot chocolate, each cookie is topped with crushed candy canes, but peppermint extract is the key to getting that minty flavor to pop. You can make the shortbread base ahead to save some time; it will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days. And to get nice peaks on the marshmallow tops, make sure it is significantly cooled before you pipe. (This cookie is one of six cookies that you can make with this Butter Shortbread Dough recipe. If you make that dough, you can make a double batch of the Peppermint Patty Shortbreads or try any of the other five recipes.)
Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Shortbread
Simple mix-ins of crushed hard caramels and smooth peanut butter create a soft baked cookie that is simple and distinct. The crushed candies melt when baked creating craters filled with chewy caramel, and the peanut butter swirl adds a nutty depth. This cookie will appeal to anyone who enjoys their dessert with a salty pop. You can prepare these ahead of time; just scoop and refrigerate the dough on a sheet pan, then bake the chilled dough to order, sprinkling with a little flaky salt to finish. (This cookie is one of six cookies that you can make with this Butter Shortbread Dough recipe. If you make that dough, you can make a double batch of the Caramel Peanut Butter Shortbread or try any of the other five recipes.)
Election Cake
Made from rich, spiced yeasted dough, election cake traces its history back to pre-Revolutionary Hartford, Conn. Marion Burros wrote about the cake in 1988, explaining how it was traditionally made in preparation for Election Day and filled with dried fruit soaked in brandy to ensure that it would last for a couple of days and improve in flavor over time. This version uses raisins and cranberries, but currants, dates, dried apricots, prunes or even dried pears all work great. Nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and clove infuse the cake with warmth and their scent wafts through the kitchen as the cake bakes. Brushing a coat of glaze onto the cake while it’s still warm softens the crust and soaks it with a lemony brightness.
Classic Kouign-Amann
A yeast-risen pastry with soft layers, deep buttery flavor and a chewy, caramelized top, this recipe, adapted from Nicolas Henry of the Montreal patisserie Au Kouign-Amann, celebrates the classic Breton kouign-amann, traditionally made as a round skillet cake and served as slices. There’s no shortcut and no substitute for the repetition needed to perfect this pastry. But you are in good hands: The process is a series of simple steps, with plenty of opportunities to make ahead. And the results of your efforts are sure to please, whether it accompanies your morning coffee, serves as a delightful afternoon snack or stunningly ends a meal. You’ll need an oven-safe nonstick skillet for this cake. A cast-iron skillet will work, but will produce a deeper, more caramelized result.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
These two-bite treats are for anyone who loves the combination of chocolate and hazelnuts. Hidden beneath a crunchy topping of toasted nuts is a dollop of chocolate hazelnut spread, which oozes like the middle of a molten lava cake when a cookie is served warm. For the creamiest centers, drop or pipe teaspoonfuls of the chocolate hazelnut spread on a parchment paper-lined pan and freeze until firm. Press those frozen mounds into the centers of the raw cookie dough rounds and bake. Whether you do that or simply drop the spread straight from the jar (as instructed below), you’ll end up with crackly-edged, fudgy cookies.
Hotteok (Sweet Filled Pancakes)
It is easy to fall in love with hotteok, a Korean street food that’s crisp on the outside, and chewy underneath thanks to sweet rice flour. The center oozes with hot sugary nuts (or other fillings — feel free to experiment). The dish came to South Korea by way of Chinese immigrants in the 19th century, and this version is adapted from “Korean Soul Food” (Frances Lincoln, 2019) by the chef Judy Joo. She uses muscovado sugar, as it gives the interior a rich flavor and gooey texture, but the more traditional dark brown sugar works well, too. It’s tempting to eat hotteok straight out of the pan, but make sure to let it cool down slightly before enjoying, so the melted sugar doesn’t burn the roof of your mouth.
Tamarind Chutney
There is nothing quite like the tangy, sweet and sour sensation of tamarind, the main ingredient in this essential Indian chutney. In chaat, a category of spicy, savory, tangy and crunchy Indian snacks, tamarind chutney provides the pungent, pucker-inducing element that makes those dishes so craveable. In this recipe, from Maneet Chauhan’s cookbook, “Chaat” (Clarkson Potter, 2020), the tamarind flavor is sweetened with jaggery, dates and raisins, and brightened up with ginger, with deep umami coming from the chaat masala. It’s possible to find high-quality store-bought tamarind chutney, but nothing beats the vibrant flavors of a fresh batch made at home.
Pistachio Bundt Cake
If you’ve never been a fan of Bundt cake, this one just might change your mind. The key to this cake’s moist crumb and sweet, nostalgic flavor is instant pistachio pudding mix, a trick that the chef Joshua Pinsky learned from his mother. A simple lime glaze and whipped ricotta for dolloping make this recipe feel more special than your average snacking cake. This also works well as a make-ahead dessert, retaining its moisture and flavor over a few days. Try making the whipped ricotta a day ahead: It’ll thicken and become even creamier overnight.
Oven Fries With Tahini Yogurt and Smoky-Sweet Nuts
This is an alternative take on loaded fries, but the cheesy sauce is replaced with tahini yogurt and the bacon bits with smoky-sweet nuts. It’s no less decadent, however, and a great one to dig into and share. Double up on the smoky-sweet nuts, if you like. They’re an easy way to introduce both texture and flavor to dishes, and are particularly good spooned onto hummus.
Lemon Cakes
In the “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series (later known on television as “Game of Thrones”), George R.R. Martin devotes a lot of ink to lemon cakes, a favorite of the Lady of Winterfell Sansa Stark. The cakes have since become a pop culture totem for fans of the series. This recipe is inspired by a version found in “A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook” by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer. You don’t need to be a fan of “Game of Thrones” to love these cookielike treats, which are dense in texture, bright in flavor and boast a tart-sweet lemon glaze. The cakes are easy to throw together for a potluck or to satisfy a teatime craving.
Peanut Laddoo Buckeye Balls
Here’s a simple, no-bake sweet that riffs on peanut laddoos, a bite-size Indian confection made of ghee, sugar and nuts, with a chocolate coating inspired by buckeyes, the peanut butter and chocolate treat popular in Ohio. It was dreamed up by Hetal Vasavada, the blogger and author of the dessert cookbook “Milk & Cardamom,” which combines the traditional Indian flavors she grew up with and the Western sweets she encountered as an American kid in New Jersey. The cardamom, ghee and jaggery provide both an interesting twist to the traditional flavor combination and a slightly grittier texture, which Ms. Vasavada likens to that of a Butterfinger candy bar.
Brown Sugar Roulade With Burnt Honey Apples
If the flavors of winter could be rolled into one, then this meringue roulade would be the result: Warming cinnamon, burnt honey, sweet apples and tangy orange come together to make a dessert fit for the festive season. Make sure all your individual components have completely cooled before assembling, as you don’t want to create any excess moisture in the roulade. Get ahead by making the apples and cream the day before, then keeping them refrigerated until needed. Feel free to make this roulade your own by swapping out pears for apples, cardamom for cinnamon or more whipping cream for mascarpone. So long as you stick to the basic technique, the flavors are yours to play with.
Whipped Coffee
This Instagram-famous drink, known as whipped coffee or dalgona coffee, is made by whipping instant coffee with sugar and water, resulting in a butterscotch-hued foam that’s spooned over milk. While it seems like a trend, many have been making whipped coffee for years. In India and Pakistan, whipped coffee has long been a popular home brew, known as phenti hui. In Greece, the frappé is dalgona’s older, frothier sibling. And, more generally, there are versions that are shaken with egg whites and served with condensed milk.
Cheesy Bread Balls in Tomato Sauce
It’s hard not to love this combination of tomato sauce, melted cheese, bread balls and garlic oil, which is sort of like a pizza, deconstructed. If you prefer not to stuff the bread balls, you can skip that part and simply roll them until round, baking them in the same way. The extra cheese can then be added to the sauce around the bread balls just before broiling. This dough method isn’t complicated, but you could work with store-bought pizza dough to save on time.
Shrimp Toast
Shrimp toast, also known as prawn toast, is a widely popular Cantonese dim sum staple that embodies both Chinese and western influences. Originating in China’s Guangdong Province, the dish spread to other Asian countries and eventually across the globe. A shrimp toast resurgence has led to playful versions appearing on restaurant menus, taking it beyond a simple snack. Traditionally, shrimp toast starts with a shrimp paste that’s infused with aromatic garlic, scallions and cilantro, which is then slathered on white bread that is fried until crisp on the outside and light inside. A food processor makes quick work of chopping the shrimp mixture, but the task can also be done by hand. In this recipe, the shrimp toast is coated in sesame seeds before frying, giving it an extra layer of nutty flavor and crunchy texture. The shrimp paste can be made one day ahead and chilled until ready to use.
Persimmon Pudding
Wild persimmons start to blush along the country roads of Indiana in late September, stealing the colors of sunset and weighing down their trees like Christmas balls. They are native to the landscape, unlike the Chinese and Japanese varieties cultivated in California and found in grocery stores. Foraging carries on through November, when the fruit claims a place at the Hoosier Thanksgiving table in the form of a dark gold pudding, distant kin to the sweet persimmon bread offered to early colonials by the Cherokee. This recipe comes from Alverta S. Hart of Mitchell, Ind. This fall, the town hosted its annual Persimmon Festival and as always, the most suspenseful event was the persimmon pudding contest. Ms. Hart submitted her first pudding in 1962 as an 18-year-old bride, and re-entered every year for nearly four decades until she became a judge, then chairwoman of the event, winning on and off and collecting every color of ribbon along the way.
Plum and Raspberry Cornmeal Crisp
This summery fruit crisp has a bit of a savory edge thanks to crunchy cornmeal in the topping and pinches of salt. Plums and raspberries are a wonderfully sweet-tart pair, but you can use any fruit you like. Simply use a little less sugar if your fruit is particularly sweet. You can also prepare this dessert ahead to enjoy later: Make the topping (Step 3) and freeze it for up to one month. If traveling or bringing this dessert to make elsewhere, mix the dry topping ingredients in a bag and pack the remaining ingredients separately to assemble and bake at your destination.