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This is a round up of Valentine’s Day-inspired sweets that kids can help make, not just eat. Every recipe is simple, with a step or two easy enough for even our youngest sous chefs to help with. Check out our favorite picks below—we have brownies (many kinds!), truffles, cookies, and much more. But safety first! Kids should have adult supervision in the kitchen, and even the simplest brownie recipe provides a teachable moment for following rules, listening to instructions, and learning to read through the recipe first (I know I still need reminders)....

In my humble opinion, though, the most overlooked contender in this backyard feast is the summer salad. And no, I’m not talking about a mayo-drenched coleslaw or a bland pile of greens. I’m talking about a refreshing show-stopping salad that stands up to the rich, flavor-packed grilled meats and the hot summer weather (think: bold flavors, crunchy bites, and well-seasoned greens). With a few essential tips and some great recipes for inspiration, you’ll be on your way to creating a highly memorable summer salad....

The Best Butternut Squash Recipes Butternut squash adds a warm and cozy feel to pretty much any fall dish. It is great simply roasted in the oven with a little oil, salt and pepper or pureed into a creamy soup. For this roundup, we chose to highlight the versatility of butternut squash and the different ways you can use it in recipes. Whether it’s the star of the show as the primary ingredient or mixed in with a bunch of other goodies, you’ll always love the sweet, creamy flavor of butternut squash....

As with so many air fryer recipes, I think it’s pretty important to set expectations right out of the gate on this one. Air fryer chicken strips won’t have quite the same crust and crunch as traditionally fried tenders, but for some people the tradeoffs (no oil to clean up, healthier option) are well worth it. These finished chicken strips have a rich and juicy flavor thanks to a lemon buttermilk marinade with a subtle crunch thanks to the air fryer....

I tinkered with my tried-and-true recipe for banana bread to make it gluten-free, swapping in almond for wheat flour. It worked! No fancy flour combos, xanthan gum, or kitchen trickery needed. This banana bread is a supremely moist, dark chocolate-studded loaf that doesn’t last more than a few days on my counter as my family chips away at it, one scrumptious slice at a time. Why Choose Almond Flour There are myriad reasons to reach for a bag of almond flour beyond the fact that it’s gluten-free....

But I have to admit that while I enjoy sipping cocktails, I am an extremely lazy maker of cocktails. Gin and tonics are about as fancy as I typically get, people. This is why I am a huge fan of Maggie Hoffman’s latest cocktail book, Batch Cocktails. It is full of make-ahead, big-batch cocktails for lazy souls such as myself. What Is a Batch Cocktail? A batch cocktail is one that can be made, assembled, and pitcher-ed (technical term) entirely, or almost entirely, ahead of time....

There they are straight out of the oven. You can see the ranch seasoning crusted right onto the tenders. Don’t you just want to take a bite!? We paired them with our simple sweet potato fries. The ranchy chicken tenders with the slightly sweet, paprika dusted sweet potato fries just go perfectly together. We love that it’s a much healthier version of typical fast food favorites, all baked rather than fried and family friendly....

Don’t be intimidated that this cake has three different elements. It may be more of a baking project rather than a last-second craving fulfiller, but if you work on the cake one element at a time, they’ll stack into an impressive and satisfying dessert. The pastry cream may be made the day before, and the topping is just four ingredients to combine. Bee sting cake will make anyone feel extra appreciated on a special occasion....

Even better, the recipe is super flexible—you can start cooking the pot roast any time of day, leave it on the “Warm” function once cooking ends, and then complete the last few steps about 20 minutes before you want to eat. Whether you’ve planned ahead or not, whether you’re home during the day or not, you can have a hot, beautiful pot roast on the table for dinner. Pot Roast for Chilly Winter Days When the weather turns chilly, I start craving hearty, braised dishes like pot roast....

The number of beers you’ll receive in each delivery ranges from a couple cans to mix-and-match 12-packs depending on the service and subscription. The brews that show up are typically hand-picked by experts in tune with the latest trends in the IPA category, giving these services the added bonus of being educational as well as being fun and convenient. Here, we break down our selections for the best IPA beer clubs you can join....

But for some reason, a couple of weeks ago while on a trip to Asheville, North Carolina, I was possessed. It might have been the shock of the fresh mountain air. (In Florida, the largest mountain we have is a speed bump.) With the waitress hovering over me, my finger stopped at the “Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with Fresh Homemade Cocktail Sauce.” The finger paused a little too long at the words “Cocktail Sauce,” and she took it as a sign of my order and zoomed off to make it happen....

When you bite into this taco, you’ll get a little bit of a spice from the shrimp seasoning and a combination of sweetness and tanginess from the slaw! Blackened Seasoning: A Mix of Dried Herbs and Spices Blackened seasoning is a mix of dried herbs and spices for a rub that gives meats a nice, charred look when you brown them. Plus, the flavor is delicious with a bit of spicy kick and earthy flavors from the thyme and oregano....

Enter the New England classic—Blueberry Slump! (or Blueberry Grunt if you’re from some parts) What Is a Slump? A slump is made entirely on the stovetop, no need to heat the kitchen with your oven. Into a pot go blueberries, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar, which you heat until the berries are bubbling. On top of that hot blueberry lava you drop dumpling batter and cover the pot. The steam gently cooks the dumplings to fluffy, tender, biscuity clouds....

There are plenty of variations of bouillabaisse, and even in Marseille you’ll find strong debates over the proper way to make it. The most important thing is that you should use several varieties of fish, and the fish should be very fresh. In Provence you would use a variety of Mediterranean fish, but here in the states where we can’t get those fish fresh, we have to make substitutions. The distinctive flavors of a bouillabaisse broth include saffron, which also gives it its orange color, orange zest, and fennel....

We use nuts frozen from last year’s harvest. Nuts will get rancid, so definitely check for that before using. Freeze any nuts left over. The recipe is from a recipe in Bon Appétit magazine with a few minor changes. The Bon Appétit recipe calls for the drizzling of melted white chocolate on top of the tart for decorative effect. If you want to do this, just melt a ounce of white chocolate over a double boiler and use a fork to drizzle swirls on top of the tart....

I grew up in the South, the homeland of the cheese straw, but no one in my family made their own. I’d sometimes nibble on one at a friend’s house or, more commonly, a potluck, but I never tried to make them myself. Until now. What Are Cheese Straws? Cheese straws are squarely between a cheese cracker and a savory shortbread in a fun, straw-like shape. You’ll most commonly see cheese straws with a ribbed shape, but they’re sometimes made by twisting the dough....

What Is Cherry Clafoutis? It’s a custard of sorts, a firm custard, one with enough structure to support a lot of fruit. The basic ingredients are sugar, eggs, flour, and fruit. Easy! For this cherry clafoutis, we’ve also included some vanilla extract, almond extract, and blanched almonds. Right out of the oven this clafoutis looks a little like a battlefield of cherries. Which is why I think one sprinkles powdered sugar over it before serving....