6-inch apple pie

Cook's notes: A 6-inch pie is half the size of a 9-inch pie, but you get 6 generous slices out of this little pie. It's worth all the steps. We got great results with Arkansas Black heirloom apples, a firm, tart apple. Make the crustMake the pie spice (without cinnamon)Make the pie fillingAssemble the pieBake …

Balanced Green Smoothie

Formula: 1 cup milk | 1 protein | 1 cup greens | 1 cup unsweetened fruit | 1 fat Whiz together in a blender until smooth: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk) 1 protein choice: either 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, or 1 serving protein powder 1 to 2 cups …

Light carrot cake muffins

Carrot cake muffins Cook's notes: This recipe is adapted from a recipe for zucchini and chocolate chip muffins; it's very flexible. The muffins have a lot of texture. They don't dome like traditional muffins, but they are just delicious. I used my Vitamix blender to grate the carrots with a little water, and then drained …

Small batch baking: 9 blueberry muffins

9 beautiful muffins Cook’s notes: I've made these muffins twice now, and they are outstanding. I appreciate that Helen of scrummylane.com has such a fool-proof muffin recipe with reduced sugar. As she says, “they are light, fluffy, and quick to make.” The insides are tender, and the outside is golden and crunchy. You can use …

Best recipe: Apple pie filling

Cook’s notes: The folks at King Arthur really know how to produce superior baked goods. Even better, they are great at teaching home cooks to do the same. I looked at four different articles and recipes on their website to come up with this recipe.   I prepared a full-size batch of apple filling with …

Turmeric Hot Cocoa

Warm spices and not too sweet Cook's notes: I wanted a cup of hot cocoa that wasn't too sweet and that had cinnamon and turmeric. When I couldn't find a recipe, I devised this one. It's already a favorite in our house. Turmeric needs a little fat (provided by the milks) and black pepper to …