eggs and dairy

With a stash of perfectly preserved seafood, whipping up these elegant tartines is as easy as popping open a tin. For a tinned fish tartine that was quick yet undeniably elevated, we started by microwaving sliced radishes with lemon juice, dill, sugar, and salt to make a quick pickle. As the radishes soaked, we griddled buttered slices of rustic bread until crispy on the underside side but still plush on the top. A schmear of cream cheese spiked with Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and shallots provided a rich and savory base for smoky flaked mackerel. A drizzle of the oil from the tin added further richness and gloss, freshly ground pepper provided piquancy, and the radishes that we pickled with dill supplied fresh crunch.

Smoked Mackerel Tartines with Dill Pickled Radishes

1⁄2 teaspoons, lemon juice, divided

sugar

table salt

½ teaspoon chopped, fresh dill, dill fronds

ounces, cream cheese, softened

tablespoons, shallot

Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon, hot sauce

slices, country bread, 6 inches wide and ½ inch thick

tablespoon, salted butter, softened

teaspoon, pepper

Look for tins labeled “mackerel fillets” or “mackerel,” which typically contain boneless, skinless fillets, versus tins labeled “small mackerel,” which often contain small fish with the skin and bones intact. You may substitute trout, unsmoked mackerel, or good-quality oil-packed tuna. Serve with a salad for a light meal.

Combine 1½ teaspoons lemon juice, sugar, and salt in small bowl and microwave until mixture is steaming and sugar and salt are dissolved, 10 to 20 seconds. Add radishes and chopped dill and stir to coat. Set aside. In small bowl, stir cream cheese, shallot, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice until well combined.

Heat 12-inch skillet over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. While skillet heats, transfer radishes to paper towel–lined plate to drain. Spread 1 side of each piece of bread with 1½ teaspoons butter. Cook bread butter side down in skillet until evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer bread browned side down to cutting board. Spread each piece evenly with cream cheese mixture. Break mackerel into flakes and arrange over cream cheese mixture. Drizzle each tartine with 1 teaspoon reserved oil. Sprinkle with pepper. Arrange radishes and dill fronds on top and serve.

Recipe Instructions

Test Kitchen Techniques

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A scaled-down, simpler version of our original recipe. A blueberry buckle is a blueberry coffee cake with a streusel topping. Our original recipe calls for creaming the butter and sugar in a stand mixer to produce enough lightness and structure to support the generous amount of fruit, but the amounts in this half batch were too small for a stand mixer. Happily, we found that creaming wasn’t as crucial when making a smaller buckle. Using melted butter makes this recipe quick to stir together.

Small-Batch Blueberry Buckle

(1¼ ounces 35 grams), all-purpose flour

tablespoon, sugar

⅛ teaspoon, ground cinnamon

(28 grams), unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

(3¾ ounces 106 grams), all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon, baking powder

unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

¾ teaspoon, vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon, table salt

¼ teaspoon, grated lemon zest

(2 cups 284 grams), blueberries

The batter will be extremely thick and heavy, and some effort will be required to spread it into the prepared cake pan. This buckle is best made with fresh blueberries, not frozen ones, which are too moist. Leftovers can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to two days.

FOR THE STREUSEL : Combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt and stir with fork until no lumps remain. Stir in melted butter until mixture resembles wet sand.

FOR THE CAKE : Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Line pan with 10½ by 8½-inch sheet of parchment, smoothing it up long sides of pan. Spray parchment.

Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. Combine melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir with spatula until smooth. Gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.

Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze handful of streusel in your hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with your fingers and sprinkle evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).

Run paring knife along short sides of cake to loosen. Grasping parchment, gently lift cake from pan. Peel parchment from sides of cake and let cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Peel parchment from bottom of cake. Slice and serve.

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Who knew you could make this classic Spanish dessert in a slow cooker? Flan is a classic Spanish dessert, slightly sweeter than a traditional baked custard, and with a crowning touch of thin, sweet caramel that pools over the dish once unmolded. To create our slow-cooker version, we opted for a base of sweetened condensed milk and whole milk. Mixing the dairy with a combination of whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar resulted in a tender, rich custard. We tried to make our caramel topping in the microwave but could not achieve the right texture or color, so we moved it to the stovetop. A water bath ensured that the custard cooked evenly.&nbsp;

Slow-Cooker Flan

water

(4 2/3 ounces 132 grams), sugar

eggs

cups, whole milk

condensed milk

teaspoon, grated lemon zest

You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. Check the temperature of the custard after 2 hours and continue to monitor until it registers 180 degrees. The test kitchen's preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches, but you can substitute a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Serve the flan on a dish with a raised rim to contain the liquid caramel.

1. Place ¼ cup water in large saucepan. Pour sugar into center of pan, taking care not to let sugar crystals touch pan sides. Gently stir with spatula to moisten sugar thoroughly. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat, without stirring, until it begins to turn golden, 4 to 7 minutes. Gently swirling pan, continue to cook until sugar is color of peanut butter, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and continue to swirl pan until sugar is reddish-amber and fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Immediately add remaining 2 tablespoons water (mixture will bubble) and swirl pan until water is incorporated. Pour caramel into 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan; do not scrape out saucepan.

Whisk eggs and yolks together in medium bowl. Whisk in milk, condensed milk, and lemon zest until incorporated, then pour into prepared pan. Fill slow cooker with ½ inch water (about 2 cups) and set pan in slow cooker. Cover and cook until center of flan jiggles slightly when shaken and registers 180 degrees, 2 to 3 hours on low.

Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours or up to 4 days.

To serve, slide paring knife around edges of pan. Invert serving dish on top of pan, and turn pan and dish over. When flan is released, remove loaf pan. Use rubber spatula to scrape residual caramel onto flan. Slice and serve.

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A little technique transforms simple ingredients into an extraordinary pasta dish. The famed Roman pasta dish cacio e pepe (“cheese and pepper” in Italian) is, at its heart, a showcase for Pecorino Romano, a sharp, nutty, pleasantly funky sheep's-milk cheese from the region. For a top-notch version for two, we started by cooking 8 ounces of spaghetti in 1½ quarts of boiling water until it was al dente. Using the right amount of cooking water was important because we reserved some of it to stir back into the pasta later. The correct measurement ensured that the water had just the right starch content to produce a creamy, silky sauce. Once the pasta was finished cooking, we reserved ½ cup of the cooking water, drained the pasta, and returned it to the pot. Grating 2½ ounces of Pecorino Romano cheese on a rasp-style grater ensured that it dissolved more readily. Reserved cooking water and 2 tablespoons of butter stirred in with the cheese helped create the sauce. After thoroughly tossing the pasta with tongs, we covered it and allowed it to sit for a minute so that the residual heat could fully melt the cheese and butter and the pasta could drink up all the excess liquid. We added a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and tossed the pasta again to break up any clumps of cheese that may have formed and to thoroughly coat every noodle with the creamy sauce. The pepper wasn't a gimmick here; its clean, spicy flavor cut through the richness of the butter and cheese, earning its place in the dish's name. An extra sprinkle of grated cheese gave the pasta another layer of salty richness, and a drizzle of bright extra-virgin olive oil added sheen and reinforced the peppery punch.

Cacio e Pepe for Two

spaghetti

salt

2½ ounces, Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1¼ cups), divided

unsalted butter

pepper,

olive oil

High-quality ingredients are essential in this dish; most important, use imported Pecorino Romano—not the bland domestic cheese labeled “Romano.” For the best results, grate the cheese on a rasp-style grater. Do not adjust the amount of water for cooking the pasta; the starchy cooking water is essential for the sauce.

Bring 1½ quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add pasta and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.

Add 1 cup Pecorino, butter, and reserved cooking water to pasta. Set pot over low heat and, using tongs, toss and stir vigorously to thoroughly combine, about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let pasta sit for 1 minute.

Add pepper and toss pasta vigorously once more so sauce thoroughly coats pasta and any cheese clumps are emulsified into sauce, about 30 seconds. (Mixture may look wet at this point, but pasta will absorb excess moisture as it cools slightly.)

Transfer pasta to individual bowls. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Pecorino and drizzle with oil. Serve immediately, passing extra pepper separately.

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This Spanish-style meatball soup boasts a sunset-colored broth and lean turkey meatballs kept moist and tender thanks to a panade (a paste made from bread and milk) and Manchego (a sharp Spanish sheep's-milk cheese). For our broth, we started with a&nbsp;sofrito, a traditional Spanish base of onion, bell pepper, and garlic, then added smoked paprika. After deglazing the pot with white wine, we poured in chicken broth, then carefully dropped in the meatballs and some chopped fresh kale. The soup required a mere 3 minutes under pressure, after which we brightened it with a sprinkling of minced parsley and a touch of extra Manchego.

Instant Pot Spanish-Style Turkey Meatball Soup

slice, hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters

¼ cup, whole milk

tablespoons, minced fresh parsley, divided

½ teaspoon, table salt

pound, turkey

tablespoon, extra-virgin olive oil

, onion, chopped

red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch pieces

garlic cloves, minced

teaspoons, smoked paprika

dry white wine

chicken broth

kale,

Be sure to use ground turkey, not ground turkey breast (also labeled 99 percent fat-free), in this recipe.

Using fork, mash bread and milk together into paste in large bowl. Stir in Manchego, 3 tablespoons parsley, and salt until combined. Add turkey and knead mixture with your hands until well combined. Pinch off and roll 2-teaspoon-size pieces of mixture into balls and arrange on large plate (you should have about 35 meatballs); set aside.

Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot until shimmering. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth and kale, then gently submerge meatballs.

Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing extra Manchego separately.

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Could we re-create this bodega classic at home? There's nothing like a real bodega chopped cheese sandwich—packed with ground beef and American cheese—straight off a flat-top griddle in East Harlem. But not wanting to travel to New York City every time the craving hit, we developed our own recipe, which was inspired by the version sold at Blue Sky Deli in East Harlem; read about our visit here. We started with 1 pound of 85 percent lean ground beef, enough to pack four soft sub rolls. Cooking the meat in a nonstick skillet and breaking it up with a wooden spoon mimicked the texture of the meat we ate in New York. Lawry's Seasoned Salt and Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning packed in tons of flavor. Wrapping the warm, assembled sandwiches tightly in parchment paper swaddled the cheese and beef to help the filling meld.

Chopped Cheese Sandwiches

pound, 85 percent lean ground beef

teaspoon, Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning

teaspoon, Lawry's Seasoned Salt

(8-inch), sub rolls, split

mayonnaise

tablespoons, ketchup

yellow, American cheese (8 ounces)

thin, tomato slices (2 tomatoes)

cups, shredded iceberg lettuce

The Goya seasoning can be found in the spice or international section of your grocery store; Lawry's Seasoned Salt is usually stocked with other salt blends in the spice section. You can wrap the sandwiches in butcher paper instead of parchment paper, if desired.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine beef, onion, all-purpose seasoning, and seasoned salt in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, constantly breaking up meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until cooked through and excess moisture is driven off, about 8 minutes.

Arrange sub rolls on baking sheet and spread mayonnaise and ketchup evenly on cut sides of rolls. Divide beef mixture evenly among rolls. Layer 2 slices American cheese over beef on each roll. Bake until bread is warmed through and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Layer tomatoes and lettuce over cheese. Close 1 sandwich, using spatula as needed to keep ingredients contained within roll (sandwich will be very full). Starting from corner of 16 by 12-inch sheet of parchment paper, immediately wrap sandwich tightly. Repeat closing and wrapping with remaining 3 sandwiches. To serve, cut sandwiches in half through parchment paper and unwrap as you eat.

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Dainty ladyfingers and lush cream are a natural match for vibrant lemon. Swapping out tiramisu’s typical coffee and chocolate flavor profile for bright lemon puts a sunny springtime spin on the classic dessert. Instead of soaking the ladyfingers in rum and espresso, we dipped them in a combination of limoncello and lemon juice for tartness with a hint of boozy burn. We made a simplified lemon curd and used it to ramp up the dessert’s lemon flavor in two ways: by stirring some into the mascarpone cream (the thickened curd didn’t make the cream too runny, as simply adding juice would) and swirling the rest over the top of the tiramisu in a marbled layer. Chilling the tiramisu for at least 6 hours gave the ladyfingers enough time to soak up liquid from the other elements in the dish, ensuring that they were properly hydrated.

Lemon Tiramisu

(4⅔ ounces)

mascarpone cheese

heavy cream

⅓ cup, limoncello

dried, ladyfingers (savoiardi; 26 to 34, depending on size)

The lemon curd was developed for this recipe; do not substitute another lemon curd. Do not allow the mascarpone to warm to room temperature before using; it has a tendency to break if allowed to do so. Be certain to use hard, not soft, ladyfingers.

Whisk ⅔ cup sugar, eggs and yolks, and pinch salt in medium bowl until smooth. Heat ½ cup lemon juice in small saucepan over medium heat until hot and just bubbling around edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon juice into sugar mixture and whisk until smooth. Transfer mixture to now-empty saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until mixture is thick enough to cling to spoon and registers 170 degrees, about 3 minutes.

Immediately remove pan from heat and pour curd through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl (you should have 1 cup). Press lightly greased parchment paper directly on surface of curd and refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip mascarpone on medium speed until no lumps remain, 1 to 11/2 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and ¾ cup lemon curd and continue to whip until just combined and no visible streaks of curd remain, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to large bowl and set aside.

In now-empty mixer bowl, whip cream on medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1½ minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar; increase speed to high; and continue to whip until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1½ minutes longer. Fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Set mascarpone mixture aside.

Combine limoncello, water, and remaining ⅓ cup lemon juice in wide bowl or baking dish. Place half of ladyfingers on counter. Drop 1 ladyfinger into limoncello mixture, roll (do not submerge; rolling should take 2 to 3 seconds for each cookie), remove, and shake off excess liquid. Place soaked cookie in 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish. Continue rolling and shaking ladyfingers and arranging them in single layer, breaking or trimming as needed to fit neatly into dish.

Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers; use offset spatula to spread mixture to sides and into corners of dish and smooth surface.

Repeat dipping and arranging remaining ladyfingers; spread remaining mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers. Wipe edges of dish with dry paper towel. Dollop remaining ¼ cup lemon curd evenly on top of mascarpone in 9 places. Using small spatula or back of spoon, smear curd to create marbled design. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours. Cut into pieces and serve chilled.

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Dainty ladyfingers and lush cream are a natural match for vibrant lemon.

Just as delicious as traditional cannoli—but a lot more fun. Inspired by an Italian cannoli—a fried tubular shell with a rich and creamy filling—we wanted a shareable version in the form of a luxurious dip. We stirred together a traditional cannoli filling of ricotta cheese and mascarpone sweetened with confectioners’ sugar and a hint of vanilla and served it with the “shell” on the side. For extra flavor (and as a nod to a flavor popular in Italian bakeries), we stirred in toasted pistachios and lemon zest for a pop of brightness.

Pistachio–Lemon Cannoli Dip

(170 grams/¾ cup), whole-milk ricotta cheese

(170 grams/¾ cup), mascarpone cheese

confectioners' sugar

½ teaspoon, grated lemon zest

⅛ teaspoon, table salt

We developed this recipe using our winning whole-milk ricotta cheese, Belgioioso Ricotta con Latte Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese. If you can't find it, look for another high-quality ricotta without stabilizers. Serve with broken cannoli shells, pizzelle, speculoos cookies, butter wafers, broken sugar cones, graham crackers, Florentine cookies, vanilla wafers, or fresh fruit.

Using wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir all ingredients in large bowl until evenly combined, breaking up any large pieces of mascarpone by pressing them against side of bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes. (Cannoli dip can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; stir to recombine before serving.) Sprinkle with extra pistachios before serving.

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There’s a whole lot more to bruschetta than chopped tomatoes and basil. We wanted smart flavor combinations that didn’t require a bib. Pairing year-round, pantry-ready ingredients like jarred artichoke hearts with a sharp cheese like Parmesan fit the bill for the punchy, concentrated flavors we wanted for our bruschetta recipe. We pulsed some of the bruschetta topping ingredients in the food processor until they formed a rough paste, which provided a stable base for the other toppings and allowed us to easily pick up our bruschetta and eat it neatly.

Bruschetta with Artichoke Hearts and Parmesan

loaf, country bread

½, garlic clove, peeled

¼ cup, extra-virgin olive oil

(14-ounce) can, artichoke hearts,

lemon juice

garlic clove, minced

tablespoons, extra virgin olive oil,

basil

¼ teaspoon, pepper

ounces, Parmesan cheese,

FOR THE TOASTED BREAD:  Adjust oven rack so it is about 4 inches from heating element and heat broiler. Place bread on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until bread is deep golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and repeat on second side. Lightly rub 1 side of slices with garlic and brush with olive oil. Season with salt to taste.

FOR THE TOPPING:  Pulse artichoke hearts, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper in food processor until coarse puree forms, about six 1-second pulses, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once during processing. Add grated Parmesan and pulse to combine, about two 1-second pulses. Divide artichoke mixture among toasts and spread to edges. Top with shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Food Processors

There’s a whole lot more to bruschetta than chopped tomatoes and basil. We wanted smart flavor combinations that didn’t require a bib.

Everything you love about an Italian sub in salad form. A cherry pepper vinaigrette imbued this salad with classic deli sandwich flavor.

Italian Hoagie Salad

hoagie or, sub rolls, preferably with sesame seeds, cut into ¾-inch pieces

tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil, divided

½ teaspoon, table salt, divided

jarred, cherry peppers, stemmed, plus 2 tablespoons brine

½ teaspoon, dried oregano

romaine lettuce hearts (18 ounces), sliced ¼ inch thick

cherry tomatoes,

sliced, provolone cheese,

red onion, rinsed

We like to top this salad with torn fresh basil leaves and serve it with cantaloupe wedges on the side.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Toss roll pieces, 3 tablespoons oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt together on rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

Pulse cherry peppers in food processor until finely chopped, 8 to 10 pulses. Add cherry pepper brine, mayonnaise, oregano, and remaining ¼ cup oil and ¼ teaspoon salt and process until mostly smooth, about 20 seconds.

Transfer dressing to large bowl. Add lettuce, tomatoes, deli meats, provolone, onion, and croutons and toss to combine. Serve.

Top 10 eggs and dairy recipes from across the web

The most viewed eggs and dairy recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Smoked Mackerel Tartines with Dill ...

Small-Batch Blueberry Buckle

Slow-Cooker Flan

Cacio e Pepe for Two

Instant Pot Spanish-Style Turkey Me...

Chopped Cheese Sandwiches

Lemon Tiramisu

Pistachio–Lemon Cannoli Dip

Bruschetta with Artichoke Hearts an...

Italian Hoagie Salad

Top 10 eggs and dairy recipes from across the web

The most viewed eggs and dairy recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Smoked Mackerel Tartines with Dill ...

Small-Batch Blueberry Buckle

Slow-Cooker Flan

Cacio e Pepe for Two

Instant Pot Spanish-Style Turkey Me...

Chopped Cheese Sandwiches

Lemon Tiramisu

Pistachio–Lemon Cannoli Dip

Bruschetta with Artichoke Hearts an...

Italian Hoagie Salad

The most viewed eggs and dairy recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine