Recipes

Sometimes you might be in the mood to dedicate an afternoon to a dessert, creating complex cakes, tarts, and other treats that require more than a few hours (or even more than a day). Other days, you need faster gratification — and that's where these recipes come in. All 14 of these desserts are ready in one hour or less, from chocolate chip cookies to cobblers and yes, even cakes. Make yourself a batch of elegant Tropical Mendiants, which we liken to "mini, open-faced chocolate candy bars," or these absolutely dreamy Air Fryer Brownies. Have fresh fruit to use up? Treat yourself to some Tanghulu (Candied Fruit Skewers), which are just as beautiful as they are delicious. There are all kinds of quick, tasty treats in this collection — all you need to do is pick one, and you'll be done before you know it.

This roast chicken from the menu at Dusek's in Chicago is a sleeper hit, combining comforting roast chicken and the briny flavors of Caesar salad for a cozy meal. Marinating the chicken for at least 24 hours in a koji marinade makes it nice and juicy while infusing it with tons of flavor. The chicken emerges from the oven savory, sweet, a little smoky, and slightly spicy with a deep brown crust. It's the perfect match for the just-wilted escarole, which still retains some crunch and is slightly bitter. Tender roasted potatoes add some extra heft to the preparation, and a homemade Caesar dressing brings it all together. A recipe for garlic confit can be found here.

This delicious roast duck dish popularized in Beijing is known for crispy, intensely golden brown skin and tender meat. It traditionally takes days to prepare, but our version is ready in just over a day, with most of the time spent refrigerating the duck. The recipe gets plenty of flavor from a combination of soy sauce, honey, Chinese five spice, and hoisin sauce, resulting in a duck that's umami-rich and satisfying. While the duck roasts, the skin puffs up and traps some of the rendered fat, causing it to almost self-baste as it cooks. After it has been carved, it's served with Chinese buns or pancakes, cucumber and carrot matchsticks, thinly sliced scallions, and more hoisin sauce.

These delightfully crispy, unforgettably delicious fried chicken sandwiches come from 2022 F&W Gamechanger Chintan Pandya — the chef behind popular New York City Indian restaurants Dhamaka, Adda, Semma, and Rowdy Rooster. Rowdy Rooster, where you'll find these spicy sandwiches, celebrates different styles of fried chicken across the Indian subcontinent, as well as other street food like pakora and vada pao. For the sandwiches, boneless, skinless chicken thigh pieces go through two stages of marination and are fried twice to deep brown perfection, locking in flavor and moisture with a crunchy exterior. After a quick dip in spiced melted butter, they're ready for the sandwiches. Pandya opted for a bright Mint Chutney, Amchur Onions, and Scallion Yogurt to round them out — and when you take a bite, you'll see how everything melds together perfectly. The chaat masala helps balance the heat from the Kashmiri chili powder in the butter. If you find yourself with leftovers, try reheating the chicken in an air fryer instead of a microwave so you can preserve that crispy coating.

The Philadelphia roast pork sandwich combines roasted pork with melty provolone cheese and broccoli rabe (or sometimes spinach) for a seriously satisfying bite. For this version, we sautéed broccoli rabe with plenty of garlic and some crushed red pepper flakes, and finished it with fresh lemon juice. Its bitterness and brightness balances the fattiness of the pork, which is incredibly tender and buttery with a flavorful crust. Letting the pork sit at room temperature for an hour while the oven preheats helps ensure it cooks evenly. Roasting it initially at 450°F and then lowering the oven temperature crisps and renders the fat on top, and then slowly cooks the meat. The provolone brings sharpness and helps keep the bottom of the roll from getting too soggy, and the mayo — which has a punch of acidity from pickled pepperoncini and its brine — is the finishing touch.

Scholar and cookbook author Jessica B. Harris has been a part-time resident of New Orleans for many years. She shared her shortcut recipe for a Cafe Brûlot, which she likes to serve after a meal at her summer home on Martha's Vineyard. Café Brûlot is a signature cocktail of New Orleans, where it's prepared tableside at restaurants in an elaborate process that culminates in pouring flaming, citrus- and cinnamon-infused brandy down a clove-studded orange peel into a special silver-lined punch bowl, then dousing the flames with chicory-flavored coffee. Instead, Harris eschews the fireworks and special equipment, opting for a greatly streamlined drink that's much easier to prepare at home. In her version, warmed orange liqueur and cognac, fresh lemon and lime juice, cinnamon, cloves, and hot coffee come together in a simple but satisfying warming, boozy after-dinner cocktail that can be quickly prepared, served, and savored. You can serve the drink directly from the heatproof bowl it's prepared in, or do as Harris does:  "I mix it all and pour it out of an antique Victorian tea pot." Note this is a very potent drink. "The booze doesn't burn off," Harris cautions. "Serve in demitasse cups. No seconds."