Lush Vanilla Berry Pudding and More Recipes We Made This Week
It’s no secret that Bon Appétit editors cook a lot for work. So it should come as no surprise that we cook a lot during our off hours too. Here are the recipes we’re whipping up this month to get dinner on the table, entertain our friends, satisfy a sweet tooth, use up leftovers, and everything in between. For even more staff favorites, click here.
June 6
Horchata overnight oats for the week
I’m a chronic early riser. I’m talking five in the morning, guns blazing, ready to head out the door before the sun rises early. But sharing an apartment with someone who wakes up at a more reasonable hour means I need a quick grab-and-go breakfast that won’t cause a ruckus. Luckily, test kitchen manager Ines Anguiano’s Horchata Overnight Oats saves the day time and time again. I love to prep it on Sunday, then quietly dish it out each morning before I head to the gym. One batch lasts me Monday through Friday, providing just enough pep to power my mornings. It houses all the loveable warm flavors of horchata and tastes just as good on day one as it does day five. —Jesse Szewczyk, senior test Kitchen editor
A big batch of overnight oats made with chopped almonds and mild rice milk that tastes just like horchata. An ideal and filling breakfast.
Craveable egg drop dumpling soup
I was under the weather this past week, and to be quite honest, I didn’t have much of an appetite. But when the clouds parted and I rejoined the world, I had a serious craving for soup. Specifically deputy food editor Hana Asbrink’s Egg Drop Dumpling Soup. This recipe is not a project; it doesn’t demand hours of time nor leave you chopping aromatics til your wrist cramps. Boxed broth, a bag of spinach, and your favorite frozen dumplings join some cornstarch-infused whisked eggs (the secret to custardy swirls of egg instead of stringy overcooked ones) and voilà, you’re sipping soup. It’s flavor-packed, umami rich, and ready in 20 minutes. Thank you, Hana. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, Senior Service Editor
Short-cut favorites like boxed stock, frozen dumplings, and bagged spinach join forces in a twist on comforting egg drop soup that’s a breeze to make.
Tender rhubarb cake
Jesse Szewczyk’s Rhubarb Cake is the only rhubarb dessert I’ll ever need. Rhubarb stalks are sliced thinly and get embedded into the batter so seamlessly, there’s no chance of a sog-out occurring. While I usually find rhubarb paired with sweeter fruit like strawberry to complement its tartness, this rhubarb shines on its own with a thin lacquer of jam. But the cake batter is what really stole the show. The recipe uses the reverse-creaming methoda technique that yields the most tender crumb. After trying it, I never want to make a cake any other way. —Hana Asbrink, deputy food editor
Zucchini butter
I’m growing zucchini for the very first time. Though I think I’ll be swimming in abundance soon enough, I couldn’t wait to make my colleague Kendra Vaculin’s Zucchini Butter so I picked some up at the market ahead of my first harvest. The recipe is oh so simple: grated zucchini, butter, garlic, and lemon cooked down into a luscious, bright spread. I couldn’t resist eating the first few bites by the spoonful. The rest? I mixed into farfalle for lunch. When the time comes for me to pick my first homegrown squash, I know exactly what I’m doing with it. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
Transform summer squash into this spectacular spread to put toward sandwiches, pastas, and more all season long.
Birthday pudding
I made senior test kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic’s Lush Vanilla Berry Pudding for my dad’s birthday. He’s never really been a cake guy, so this fruit-forward sweet treat did the trick. Nilla Wafers layered with wobbly pudding become tender, not mushy, and the crushed cookies that sit on top offer a crunchy textural contrast. Since the berries play a supporting role, feel free to use the strawberries you bought at the store that looked ruby and promising on the outside but were sadly still white to the core (we’ve all been there). Gently folding them into some sweet jam will fix them right up. —Carly Westerfield, associate manager, audience strategy
Creamy pudding, fluffy whipped cream, crunchy wafers, and juicy summer berries. It’s the best of banana pudding, without the soggy brown bananas.