Allrecipes February/March 2021

Community Choice Awards In a previous issue of the magazine and on our website, we asked you to tell us what brands you use every day to fill your pantry, fridge, and freezer. The top-rated choices begin on page 29. HELLO 2021! Here we are in the early days of the new year. For me, these wintry months are a time of discovery and planning. I have garden catalogs to peruse, projects to dream up and put on my to-do list, and new recipes waiting to be simmered or baked, tasted, and shared. It feels like everything is new all over again. My outlook is hopeful, and I’m excited for what the year has in store: when it’s safe, maybe some travel to a place I’ve not been before and most definitely catching up…

NEW! BAKE IT UP A NOTCH! You don’t need a pastry degree to make wow-worthy cookies, cakes, pies, and more. In fact, all you need are the basic recipes you grew up with. Allrecipes.com Senior Editor Darcy Lenz’s new feature—Bake It Up a Notch!—shows how to elevate classic baked goods with just a few tweaks, transforming old standards into impressive innovations. Each week, Darcy highlights approachable tips for easy baking upgrades, products she’s loving, or a new recipe that embodies what baking it up a notch is all about. Check it out at armagazine.com/notch. GUIDES FOR your gear No need to guess which blender, air fryer, cheese grater, stainless-steel cookware set, or other kitchen equipment is best for you. Each month, we try out scores of appliances and gobs of gear to make recommendations for…

sweet on you / kitchen envy / next-level / food Rx Pretty PACKAGING Line macaron boxes with parchment and tissue paper. Nestle in truffles (or other treats). Add a lid and tie it up with a bow for a sweet gift. Macaron box options from $16 for 15 at amazon.com EASY HEART-SHAPED CAKE HANDS-ON 1 HR TOTAL 3 HR SERVES 16 SUBMITTED BY THEHUNGRYSCIENTIST NEW RECIPE GO ONLINE TO REVIEW This heart-shaped cake combines Ann McGavin Stout’s Homemade Vanilla Cake recipe and QueenCook’s Easy Valentine’s Day Cake frosting recipe. The result is a supremely tasty, no-fail heart cake. For Cake 2 cups white sugar1 cup butter, softened2 tsp. vanilla2 tsp. almond extract4 eggs3 cups flour⅓ cup cornstarch1 Tbsp. baking powder¾ tsp. salt1½ cups milk For Frosting 2 cups butter, softened4 tsp. vanilla8 cups powdered sugar2 to 4 Tbsp. whole milkRed…

Keep It GROUNDED The warm undertones of this deep gray echo the glimmer of copper accents and play perfect counterpoint to energetic tile. SHERWIN-WILLIAMS PAINT IN URBANE BRONZE (SW 7048) It’s subtle, but the bronze-brown undertones of this dark gray layer down-to-earth tranquility onto kitchen base cabinets. From $39 per gallon at Sherwin-Williams stores the new black is BROWN Add to the warm organic vibe with oil-rubbed bronze accents and cozy counter stools with a richly worn wood finish. PPG PAINT IN BIG CYPRESS (PPG1062-5) A serene ginger with a hint of persimmon, Big Cypress feels like a big, comforting hug for a white kitchen. Try it on an accent wall or an island. From $20 per gallon at PPG Paints or Home Depot stores BEHR PAINT IN MODERN MOCHA (N150-4) This earthy pastel brown works faster than a French press coffee to infuse happy warmth.…

WHAT’S YOUR TYPE? Sold in sticks or ground to a powder, cinnamon comes from the inner bark of several species of trees. Varieties from different regions and trees have flavor and texture nuances. Ceylon cinnamon—known as true cinnamon, Mexican cinnamon, or canela in Mexico—is delicate with floral and vanilla notes. Subtle and soft, it grinds to a fine powder and is excellent in savory dishes, such as curries and stews. Korintje or Indonesian cinnamon is mellow with far less bite than other types of cinnamon. Try it when you want just a hint of the flavor, such as in oatmeal or a piecrust dough. Saigon or Vietnamese cinnamon is potent, peppery, rich, and sweet. This strongly spiced cinnamon brings balance to cloying desserts or über-rich treats and is excellent in cinnamon rolls and coffee…

Winter squash, pumpkins, carrots, and persimmons don’t just add vibrant color and subtle sweetness to dishes on a cold February day. They also play a role in preventing macular degeneration and in lubricating eyes during colder months. The common thread and star nutrient in these and other orange foods? Beta-carotene, the carotenoid (or plant compound) that gives many orange foods their pigment. Converted by the body into vitamin A, beta-carotene has a proven connection to better eye health. A series of studies by the National Eye Institute found that taking a supplement with beta-carotene (along with vitamins C and E, zinc, and copper) lowered the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration—the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness—by 25 percent. The National Institutes of Health recommends consuming 3 to 6 milligrams of…