Freezer-Friendly

The Times published Marian Burros’s recipe for Plum Torte every September from 1983 until 1989, when the editors determined that enough was enough. The recipe was to be printed for the last time that year. “To counter anticipated protests,” Ms. Burros wrote a few years later, “the recipe was printed in larger type than usual with a broken-line border around it to encourage clipping.” It didn’t help. The paper was flooded with angry letters. “The appearance of the recipe, like the torte itself, is bittersweet,” wrote a reader in Tarrytown, N.Y. “Summer is leaving, fall is coming. That's what your annual recipe is all about. Don't be grumpy about it.” We are not! And we pledge that every year, as summer gives way to fall, we will make sure that the recipe is easily available to one and all. The original 1983 recipe called for 1 cup sugar; the 1989 version reduced that to ¾ cup. We give both options below. Here are five ways to adapt the torte.

These wildly popular cookies were developed by Alison Roman for her cookbook, “Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes.” “I’ve always found chocolate chip cookies to be deeply flawed (to know this about me explains a lot),” she writes. “Too sweet, too soft, or with too much chocolate, there’s a lot of room for improvement, if you ask me. But no one asked me, and rather than do a complete overhaul on the most iconic cookie known to man, I took all my favorite parts and invented something else entirely. Made with lots of salted butter (it has a slightly different flavor and a deeper saltiness than using just salt — I prefer unsalted butter everywhere else but here), the dough has just enough flour to hold it together and the right amount of light brown sugar to suggest a chocolate chip cookie.”

Brownies can be contentious. You may be an edge person or someone who loves middle pieces, a fudgy fanatic or a cakey purist. These cookies will please all brownie lovers, with chewy edges, tender centers and crunch from crushed peppermint candies. While any unsweetened cocoa powder will work in this recipe, Dutch-processed cocoa will make the cookies taste more chocolaty and round out their peppermint flavor. Whisking the eggs and sugars for a long time may seem fussy, but this process gives the cookie body, makes the batter easier to scoop and ensures a shiny top, the hallmark of any good brownie.

Delivering warmth from turmeric and brightness from lemon zest, these golden crinkled cookies feel (and look) like sunbeams breaking through clouds. Imagine powdered doughnuts run through with Fruit Loops cereal milk on a Saturday morning. In fact, these soft, crisp-edged cookies are lovely for breakfast, but don’t restrict their bright, sunny disposition to a specific time of day: Pair them with a glass of milk or cup of herbal tea, whether as an afternoon pick-me-up or a not-too-sweet finish to any meal.

These are the best brothy white beans! Turn a pound of dry white beans into a tender, savory, all-purpose vegan protein. This is a one-pot recipe that's versatile, simple to make, and freezer-friendly.

This Slow Cooker Thai Style Pork recipe is a delicious and simple way to enjoy tender, flavorful pork infused with Asian-inspired ingredients. The pork roast is slow-cooked with sweet bell peppers, teriyaki sauce, garlic, and a hint of heat from red pepper flakes, then mixed with creamy peanut butter for a rich finish. Perfect served over jasmine rice and customizable with a variety of toppings, this dish is excellent for meal prepping or a comforting family dinner.

Digging into a pile of fluffy pancakes sounds like the start of a dreamy weekend, but it can admittedly be a hassle to pull all the dry ingredients together when the mood strikes. A pancake mix can expedite that process so half the work is already done. Here, a simple blend is batched and stored for multiple pancake-making sessions. If pancakes are a weekend ritual and you have a vessel large enough, feel free to double or even triple the recipe and scoop as needed. The mix will keep for 3 months in a cool, dark spot in the pantry, and up to 6 months in the freezer. Serve the pancakes with a generous drizzle of blueberry syrup, which, like the mix, can also be made ahead.

These Butterscotch Pecan Blondies are so easy and so good! Perfect for any gathering or just when you want something sweet.

With this simple gluten-free banana bread recipe and your favorite gluten-free flour on hand, you can easily make a delicious treat that everyone can enjoy.

Blueberry Crumble Bars. A blueberry version of a tried and true recipe that first appeared as a lemon crumble bar. The buttery coconut crumble is surprisingly delicious with blueberry too.

🔥 Smashed Potato Protein Egg Bites High-protein breakfast meal prep that actually tastes good & yes they do freeze well🙌🏻 ✅ Save this for your next Sunday prep 📕 comment “cookbook” and I’ll send you the access link to my cookbook packed with 200+ delicious high protein recipes.🔥 ⸻ 🛒 WHAT YOU NEED (MAKES 12) Potato Base • 12 mini round potatoes • Salt & pepper • Garlic powder • Paprika • Oil spray Egg Base • 8 large eggs •1 cup cottage cheese • Salt & pepper to taste Toppings • 8 Cooked turkey bacon, chopped • Diced red bell pepper • Diced green onion •1 cup shredded parmesan divided into each egg bite 🔥 PER EGG BITE (1 of 12) Calories: 189 Protein: 15 g Carbs: 14 g Fat: 8 g #highprotein #lowcalorie #lowcalorie #recipe #easytomake

In 1985, The Times published a recipe for the blueberry muffins served at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Boston, which Marian Burros, who adapted the recipe, judged among her favorite muffins in the city. A few years later, a reader wrote Marian to say that the best blueberry muffins in Boston were in fact from the now-closed Jordan Marsh department store. Marian tracked down and adapted that recipe so you can judge for yourself. But the origins of the Jordan Marsh recipe were unclear until 2023, when Mara Richmond of Burlington, Vt., wrote The Times to say that the developer of the recipe was her father, Arnold Gitlin, then the executive food consultant for Allied Stores, which owned Jordan Marsh at the time. His recipe, Richmond said, was an adaptation from one in Esther Howland’s 1847 cookbook, “The New England Economical Housekeeper, and Family Receipt Book.” Everything old is new again. This version has a lot more sugar and butter and fewer eggs than the Ritz-Carlton muffins. It also calls for mashing a half cup of berries and adding them to the batter. This produces a very moist muffin, one that will stay fresh longer.

Perfect for baby led weaning and toddlers, these easy to make egg bites are ideal for breakfast or snacks. Freezer friendly!

Soft and perfectly chewy, here is our best recipe for sugar cookies.

In this classic Chinese dish, a boneless pork roast is cooked in a sweet and savory glaze until tender.

These sourdough pretzel bites use your discard starter to make chewy, golden snacks with bakery flavor and none of the fuss. Quick to make, freezer-friendly, and totally snack-worthy!

This Easy Minestrone Soup is a healthy one-pot meal that's loaded with veggies, beans, and pasta. It's vegetarian, dairy-free, and can easily be made vegan or gluten-free. Make-ahead and freezer friendly!

This Baked Ziti is comfort food at its very finest. Cheesy, gooey, with a tasty meat sauce, pasta, cheese and sour cream. Freezer friendly – this dish is a winner!

This homemade blueberry chia jam is easy to prepare, filled with healthy chia seeds and blueberries and tastes so much better than any store bought jam. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries depending on the season and it also freezes well.

The best of both worlds combine in one cozy pot.

Garlic Parmesan Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes is the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table with anticipation. Each bite offers a warm embrace of slow-cooked tenderness—juicy chicken infused with garlic and herbs, paired with buttery-soft baby potatoes that soak up the cheesy, savory sauce. It’s a comfort food classic with elevated flavor and effortless preparation. This recipe is a lifesaver for busy families or anyone craving a hearty, no-fuss dinner. Using just a handful of ingredients and a trusty slow cooker, you can create a wholesome, satisfying dish that fills your kitchen with the inviting aroma of garlic and parmesan. It’s family-approved, freezer-friendly, and sure to become a staple in your meal rotation.

These Muddy Buddy Truffles are a no bake, high protein twist on the nostalgic snack we all grew up with. Creamy peanut butter centers, a chocolate shell and that classic powdered finish. Quick, freezer-friendly and made with simple ingredients.

Meal prep these easy breakfast burritos ahead of time. Fill them with sausage, eggs, potatoes, cheese, and salsa verde!