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 zag and go with blueberry cakes instead. But these are no ordinary sweets: The addition of lime zest and ground ginger adds a tang that's a welcome counterpoint to the sweetness of the berries. Another trick: the cakes 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. In the summer, take it a step further by baking the supreme cookie not in the oven, but on the grill. 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: Callebaut Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
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 little 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: Pie bread
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
4) Sour Cornbread
This easy quick bread has layers of flavor built into every step. It starts with browned butter and sourdough tossed into the batter, then the whole thing is broiled after baking to bring out those toasty notes and give the topping a little sourness.
Get the recipe: Sourdough Cornbread
Buy the recipe: Field no. 8 Tava
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
5) Strawberry ice cream sandwiches
Making your own ice cream sandwiches has never been easier, thanks to shake-free strawberry ice cream (yes, that means no ice cream maker required!) and a giant oatmeal cookie. After you have baked a half-sheet-sized cookie in the size of the pan, cut it in half, spread the frosting in the middle, then top with the second layer of cookies. After an overnight freeze, you'll be able to slice them into your own ice cream sandwiches, much better than store-bought.
Get the recipe: Strawberry ice cream sandwiches
Buy the recipe: Half sheet pan
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
6) Churn Free Frozen Yogurt Pie
Don't rush isn't just for ice cream, either. This creamy and dreamy no-bake dessert calls for full-fat Greek yogurt, heavy cream, berries, and a crushed graham cracker crust. Refrigerate overnight, then cut into it to reveal a beautiful two-tone cross section.
Get the recipe: Frozen Yogurt Pie Without the Shake
Buy the recipe: King Arthur Pure Vanilla Plus
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
7) Rock Slab Pie
More is more, especially when you're talking summer fruit pie. This slab pie, which can be made with any variety of peaches, nectarines and plums, it can certainly feed a crowd (up to 20!). In this large-format version, you end up with a pie that has a higher crust-to-filling ratio – perfect for pairing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Get the recipe: Stone-Fruit Slab Pie
Buy the recipe: 9″ x 13″ pan.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
8) S'mores Icebox Cake
Summer calls for the improvement of every dessert. (See: cupcakes, granola bars, mini cakes.) In this icebox layered cake, you'll enjoy a taste of whipped cream with toasted marshmallows, nutty graham crackers and hot fudge sauce in every bite. You won't even miss the campfire!
Get the recipe: Icebox S'mores Cake
Buy the recipe: 9″ x 4″ loaf pan.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
9) Dough Pie Crust
No time to commit to a sourdough bread this summer? Use your starter on the pie crust. Sourdough starter, instead of water, hydrates the dough and gives the crust a slight crunch. Use it for quiche or your favorite fruit pie – it's endlessly sweet AND delicious options.
Get the recipe: Dough Pie Crust
Buy the recipe: White whole wheat flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
10) New Haven style pizza
While your home may not have the coal oven this regional pizza calls for, this recipe meticulously developed by Martin Philip closely replicates what you'd find at iconic New Haven pizzerias like Sally's, Modern or Pepe's. The crust is super thin and minimally topped, resulting in crispness all over the top and bottom.
Get the recipe: New Haven style pizza
Buy the recipe: Bread of steel
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
11) Scotch Oatmeal Miso
White miso may be an unexpected addition to a cookie, but it adds a hint of umami that balances the flavor of the super sweet chips in these cookies. Rounded out with oats and cinnamon, these chewy cookies are packed with salty, sweet and spicy notes.
Get the recipe: Scotch Oatmeal Miso
Buy the recipe: King Arthur Rolled Oats AND Vietnamese cinnamon
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
12) Raspberry-Lime Rickey Bars
This refreshing ball of New England citrus meets raspberry in these creative cookie bars. It has a buttery breadcrumb coating, tangy lime curd and a final dusting of freeze-dried raspberry powder to give it a fruity color and flavor.
Get the recipe: Raspberry-Lime Rickey Bars
Buy the recipe: King Arthur Snow White Unmelting Sugar
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
13) Super Easy Banoffee Pie
Making a banana coffee pie may seem like a time-consuming endeavor, but this no-bake dessert is surprisingly simple. Each element takes less time than you think: there's a graham cracker-pressed pie crust, a dulce de leche filling, a layer of sliced bananas, and whipped cream to top it all off.
Get the recipe: Super Easy Banoffee Pie
Buy the recipe: Pie bread
Cover photo by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
