People don't talk about it, but July is actually one of the best months to bake. The market is overflowing with fruit that shines in everything from cobbler to shortbread, plus there are options to grill or enjoy childhood favorites outside. Here's what to bake (or in some cases, freeze!) this month.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
1) Blueberry Lime Ginger Cake
Summer instantly conjures up dreams of strawberry shortcake, but this year, zig where everyone else is crawling and go with blueberry shortcake. These are taken to a whole other level thanks to the addition of lime and ginger, which add sharpness that cuts through the sweetness of the berries. A clever trick for this recipe: the shortcakes are made with a portion of almond flour for extra softness.
Get the recipe: Blueberry Lime Ginger Cake
Buy the recipe: Almond flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
2) Chocolate Pan Cookies
We'd argue that few things are more crowd-pleasing than a big chocolate chip cookie. This super-sized version is pan-fried for extra-crispy edges and a delightfully gooey center. To serve, slice and top vanilla ice creamor just add a few scoops of ice cream to the center of the pan, pass out the scoops and let everyone dig in.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Pan Cookies
Buy the recipe: Our favorite chocolate bars
Photo by Mark Weinberg
3) Lemon-cranberry Streusel Pie
If you stock your fridge with pie dough, summer fruit pie is always within reach. This single-crust beauty has a tart lemon filling, a layer of fresh blueberry compote and, to gild the lily, a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Looking for a competitor for your local pie contest? Here it is.
Get the recipe: Lemon-cranberry Streusel Pie
Buy the recipe: The indispensable pie pan
Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
4) Chocolate Caramel Bars (Millionaire's Shortbread)
This bar is a beloved classic, and it's easy to see why: Buttery, delicious shortbread lies beneath rich caramel and chocolate. Each component is great on its own, but combined in one bite? It is somehow even more than the sum of its parts.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Caramel Bars (Millionaire's Shortbread)
Buy the recipe: Our chocolate wafers
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
5) No Bake French Silk Pie
Most chocolate pies are rich and heavy. But if you're looking for something a little lighter, opt for this French Silk Pie. She has Confectionery slush folded into the filling, resulting in a fluffy, creamy, chocolatey pie. And the best part? Because it's made with a pressed chocolate chip cookie crust, the pie doesn't bake all the way through.
Get the recipe: No-Bake French Silk Pie
Buy the recipe: More chocolate wafers!
Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
6) Margherita pizza
Nobody needs an excuse to throw a summer pizza party, but if you're still looking for one, this new Pizza Margherita recipe is it. Made with '00' pizza flour, the crust is chewy and flavorful; or pizza stone or steel helps it ripen to leopard-spotted perfection.
Get the recipe: Margherita pizza
Buy the recipe: '00' Pizza Flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
7) Chocolate Zucchini Cake
It's inevitable: Whether you grow it yourself or your neighbors stare at you, at some point this summer you're going to have a lot of zucchini. And when that day comes, you will grate it, mix it with chocolate and make a cake. This sweet treat gets a flavor boost from both cocoa AND espresso powderalong with a simple frosting made from chocolate chips and cream.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Buy the recipe: 9″ x 13″ pan.
Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
8) Monster Cookies
Big and full of savory and sweet mixes, these Monster Cookies will be in your baking rotation all summer long. The cookie base combines the best of oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate chip cookies, then adds salted pretzels and chocolate candy to create a thick cookie that's impossible to resist. Not only are these cookies easy to make, they're also generously sized, making them perfect for sharing (or, let's be honest, still enjoying on their own).
Get the recipe: Monster Cookies
Store: A mix of chips with any type of chocolate
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
9) Light Cake Style Fruit Cobbler
Pie gets a lot of love, but summer is also the season of cobblers. This recipe is simple and infinitely customizable. You can use any fruit or combination of fruits you like (even frozen!), then add sugar, cornstarch, salt and lemon juice. Pour over a simple one-bowl cupcake topper—made with melted butter for speed and ease—then bake until hot and puffy. Using self rising flour on top it simplifies things even further.
Get the recipe: Easy fruit tart style cobbler
Buy the recipe: Self rising flour
Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
10) Chocolate chip cookies
For some people, it's always chocolate season. Embrace it with this dessert-friendly cookie made with Triple Cocoa Blend AND mini chocolate chipsplus a little espresso powder to really enhance the flavor of the chocolate. And if you're looking for a quick and easy bake with minimal cleanup, these are cookies, meaning no rolling or cutting required. Eat them plain or turn them into desserts with fresh whipped cream and fruit of your choice.
Get the recipe: Chocolate chip cookies
Buy the recipe: Triple Cocoa Blend AND Mini Chocolate Chips
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
11) Lemon Quick Bread
This quick cake-like bread comes together with only about 20 minutes of prep time and will satisfy any lemon craving. Lemon oil and lemon juice give the batter a little kick, while the bright lemon glaze adds a softer kick.
Get the recipe: Lemon Quick Bread
Buy the recipe: Lemon oil
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne; Prop styling by Brooke Deonarine
12) Homemade marzipan
If you're looking for an all-purpose marzipan recipe, this is it. But that's not why you should make marzipan this month. The real fun here is contributor Camilla Wynne's whimsical marzipan fruit. Colored with natural food coloring, marzipan can be transformed into strawberries, lemons, apricots, pears and more. Better make a double batch to maximize your fun.
Get the recipe: Homemade marzipan
Buy the recipe: Almond flour AND Natural food coloring set
Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
13) Iced Coffee Iced Cake
Ice cream cake is a summer staple. This version combines coffee and chocolate for a creamy and dreamy combination. Bake your cookies with black cocoa for an extra dark look or take a shortcut and use store bought. of espresso– The spiked cream between them will make things fabulous in any case.
Get the recipe: Iced Coffee Iced Cake
Buy the recipe: Black cocoa AND Espresso powder
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
14) Grilled Asiago Rounds
Fire up the flatbread grill this summer. This simple dough uses semolina flour for extra chew and is seasoned with grated Asiago cheese. Serve with dip for a fiery appetizer or sliced tomatoes and kebabs for a heartier meal.
Get the recipe: Grilled Asiago Rounds
Buy the recipe: Oatmeal flour
Cover photo by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
