Raspberry Mousse

September 2026

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, January 2026

Whenever I spot a new dessert recipe, my interest is instantly piqued—and this one hit all the right notes. We love raspberries, we love mousse, and best of all, this recipe relies entirely on pantry and freezer staples rather than fresh fruit. There’s nothing wrong with fresh berries, of course, but skipping them makes this treat significantly more budget-friendly and easy to whip up year-round. Naturally, it was worth a test run.

The Process

• The Raspberry Base: I started by blooming unflavored gelatin in water. Next, I ground online-bought freeze-dried raspberries in a food processor and sieved out the seeds. For the core flavor, I cooked frozen raspberries with sugar and a pinch of salt until broken down, then strained the mixture to remove the seeds. I simmered this purée with a bit of the raspberry powder, pulled it from the heat, and whisked in lemon juice alongside the gelatin until smooth before letting it cool.

• The Aeration: After whipping heavy cream to stiff peaks and stashing it in the fridge, it was time for the Swiss meringue. I gently whisked egg whites and sugar over a pan of simmering water. The recipe called for a temperature between 160°F and 165°F, but mine accidentally climbed to 175°F—though it didn't seem to cause any harm! I whipped the meringue to stiff peaks, gently whisked it into the cooled fruit purée, and then folded in the chilled whipped cream.

I divided the mousse into six ramekins, let them chill, and finished them with a light dusting of the remaining raspberry powder before serving. Total active time was about 1 hour and 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes of hands-off time (excluding cooling).

The Verdict 

We loved it. The mousse delivered a strikingly bright, fresh-fruit flavor that will be a welcome treat during the winter months. Even better, it held up remarkably well in the fridge over several days without slumping or separating; the last ramekin was just as pillowy and delicious as the first.

DIY Slider Buns

September 2026

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, July 2026

For years, I’ve made my own split-top hot dog buns and slider buns—neither of which are easy to find in local supermarkets. I’ve relied on America's Test Kitchen's potato burger bun dough as a common base, tweaking only the shaping and baking methods for each style. However, after trying a new Cook's Illustrated recipe for split-top buns with great success, I decided to test it out on a batch of slider buns.

The Process

I prepared the dough following the CI split-top recipe up to the shaping stage. To manage the sticky dough, I worked on a lightly dampened counter with wet hands:

• Shaping: Divided the dough into 40-gram portions and rolled them into tight balls using a cupped hand on the counter.

• First Rest: Placed the dough balls on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, covered them with oiled plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 minutes.

• Flattening & Final Proof: Gently pressed each ball into a 2½-inch disk. Re-covered and let them rise until the dough sprang back slowly when poked with a fingertip.

• Baking: Brushed the tops with egg wash, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and baked at 350°F until the internal temperature reached 200°F.

The entire process took under four hours, with much of that time being hands-off, and it made 23 slider buns.

The Results

The slider buns turned out fantastic. Unlike split-top buns, which rely on the support of a specialized pan (or CI's improvised setup) to force an upward rise, these held their shape surprisingly well on an open baking sheet.

They baked up with a great crumb, taste wonderful, and stand up reliably to heavy condiments and messy fillings like sloppy joes without getting soggy. They also freeze exceptionally well. Just like with my split-top buns, this new recipe might just become my new go-to standard for sliders.

Light and Airy Focaccia

September 2026

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, March 2026

I’m pretty sure I’ve never made focaccia before—or at least I couldn't find a past blog post to prove it. So, I was eager to try a new bread, especially one Cook's Illustrated promised would make great sandwiches with a "high effort-to-reward ratio." Time will tell if it becomes a true lunch staple, but the initial tests for keeping and freezing well look promising.

The Process

I started by whisking together bread flour, sugar, and yeast, then stirred in water and olive oil until the flour was fully moistened. After letting the nascent dough rest for 20 minutes, I sprinkled table salt over the top. Using a damp hand, I stretched and folded the dough over itself about 30 times, rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time, before covering it for another 20-minute rest.

I prepped a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray, lined it with parchment, and added a generous layer of olive oil. On the counter, I pressed the rested dough into a 15x10-inch rectangle, folded it into thirds like a letter, and transferred it to the pan. I flipped and swirled the dough to ensure both sides were thoroughly coated in oil. Covered, it rose for a little over two and a half hours until it expanded to fill the entire pan.

To finish, I drizzled the risen top with more olive oil, dimpled the surface with wet fingertips, sprinkled it with flaky sea salt, and baked it until deeply golden brown. Total time—exclusive of cooling—was about four hours, but the vast majority was completely hands-off.

The Verdict

We really enjoyed this bread. It was flavorful, had a fantastic crumb, and made an exceptional base for dinner BLTs. It also held up surprisingly well over several days on the counter and thawed beautifully after a stint in the freezer. In fact, it handled everything from savory bacon to my daily lunch staple, peanut butter and jelly.

This is definitely earned a spot in my regular sandwich bread rotation. The only tweak I’ll make next time is omitting the flaky finishing salt: it made the fresh crust a bit too salty for my wife's taste, and as the bread sat, the salt dissolved into the crust anyway, losing its signature crunch.

DIY Split-Top Buns

 August 2026

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, July 2026

I’ve long used the Potato Burger Buns recipe from Bread Illustrated to make both slider buns and top-loading hot dog buns (baked in groups of ten in a specialized pan). However, a recent issue of Cook's Illustrated featured a Shrimp Roll recipe accompanied by a "Kitchen Notes" section with a standalone recipe for top-loading buns. Inspired, I decided to give this newer method a spin.

The Process

• Tangzhong/Flour Paste: Made by whisking flour and milk together in a bowl, then microwaving until thickened.

• Mixing: The paste was whisked with chilled milk and an egg in a stand mixer bowl. After adding flour and yeast, the mixture was stirred with the dough hook until just moistened.

• Rest & Kneading: Following a 15-minute rest, sugar and salt were added, and the dough was kneaded for 5 minutes. After scraping the bowl, softened butter was added, followed by another 5 minutes of machine kneading.

• Rising & Baking: I gave the dough a brief final knead by hand before letting it rise for an hour at room temperature. The dough was then shaped, transferred to the bun pan, and baked to an internal temperature above 200°F. The total time, other than cooling, was about 2½ hours

The Results The resulting buns turned out wonderfully:

• Structure: They held up impressively well to hot dogs and condiments without getting soggy.

• Toasting & Storage: Buttered and toasted in a skillet, they browned beautifully. They also froze and thawed well.

• Crumb: While I didn't run a strict side-by-side test, this method yielded a softer crumb than the potato-based dough.

Verdict Both this new version and the classic potato bun recipe yield great hot dog rolls. However, thanks to the softer texture and great structural integrity, this new recipe is my new top choice.