Dairy

No cocoa means this red velvet cake is a vibrant magenta. To finish: a classic cream cheese frosting and a scattering of chopped pecans.

This is cookbook author Jerrelle Guy’s tangy updo to the classic strawberry shortcake.

Take a classic coconut cake, add fresh strawberries to the mix, and what do you get? Pink layers that burst against a bright, white cream cheese frosting.

You can personalize these tea cakes if you like, substituting a pinch of cinnamon, allspice, or mace for the nutmeg or sour cream for the buttermilk.

These fried green tomatoes from Nicole A. Taylor are the star of her Juneteenth menu.

Adding yogurt to the batter for these cake doughnuts made them light, tangy, and rich, and gave us a dough that was easy to work with.

Mix the batter with a fork until it just barely comes together. A lumpy batter now means a light and tender waffle later.

Pillowy flatbread is an optimal canvas for buttery avocados and a spicy salsa, but it can also be a vehicle for all kinds of dips and spreads. Just don’t call it avocado toast!

The smoky charred peppers play well with the cool cucumbers and lemony ricotta. If you can’t find Italian frying peppers or just aren’t feeling them, grilled eggplant or zucchini would also pair well here.

You can fill this tart shell with your choice of sweet or savory fillings—from cheeses, to roast vegetables, to stone fruits.

The secret to the fudgiest, most chocolaty brownies is cocoa powder—not melted chocolate. We borrowed chocolate expert Alice Medrich’s technique, then added a cream cheese topping for tangy balance. 

Sour cream isn’t just a gimmick. Used in place of the more typical cream or buttermilk, it adds a rich, tangy flavor, and its acidity helps make the biscuits incredibly tender.

These fluffy buttermilk rolls are filled with a cinnamon-scented date purée to capture all that sticky bun glory without being overly sweet.

The key to this flaky galette crust is to move fast! Rolling and folding the dough before the butter has a chance to warm up creates distinct layers of butter and dough that will steam apart during baking, becoming light and flaky.

Who needs beef? When you combine chicken with shredded veggies and a tangy Greek yogurt sauce, you get a burger as thick and juicy as any other.

Broccoli rice is the base for bright toppings like fresh peas, avocados, and pickled ginger. Round out the bowl with a creamy, herby dressing and a soft-boiled egg.

We’re all for a good store-bought marinara, but there is no substitute for homemade béchamel—of this we can be sure.