Buttermilk is used all the time in Southern baking to create a soft, fluffy texture and add a little tang, but it’s not often placed front and center. That’s a shame, because this creamy beverage, which tastes sort of like a cross between cow’s milk and plain unsweetened yogurt, has a lovely tart quality that [...]

Chesecake is a staple at the Market, but it’s different nearly every day because we vary the toppings, crusts, and flavorings. Cookie crusts are particularly good with cheesecakes. If you prefer you cheesecake plain, just serve it without the topping.

This pie is a peanut butter cup aficionado’s dream. It was the creation of my friend Jen, who was one of the bakers at Foster’s and it has since become a Market staple — one of our most popular pies. With layers of crispy chocolate crust, smooth dark chocolate ganache, creamy peanut butter filling, and [...]

This supereasy crumb-and-butter crust is what I make when I want a crispy, crumbly crust, especially for custard pies. The kind of cookie crumbs determines the flavor of the crust— this one is chocolate, but the variations are limitless.

Humble rice pudding gets a serious makeover with the addition of flavorful, fat-grained Carolina Gold rice and a glassy, sugared brûlée crust.

My sister Judy has made this recipe for holidays as long as I can remember. She makes one large trifle but I like to make individual ones, served in glasses so you can see the layers of fruit and cream. It is important to make this ahead of time so the cake will absorb the [...]

Tiramisu means “pick me up” for the espresso it contains. It’s what I make when I’m craving a rich dessert. It looks very elegant made in individual wine glasses, but if you prefer to make one large dessert, a medium glass bowl works nicely, so you can still see the layers.

Chocolate truffles are much easier to make than many people think. In fact, they only require three ingredients and two steps; they just couldn’t be any easier. You can make them as much as two weeks ahead of time, then put them out with coffee when you want just a little something sweet after a [...]

As luxurious as its name suggests, this refrigerator pie has just a hint of port to add depth and complexity. French silk pie can be make up o 4 days in advance and topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream just before serving.

Laura Cyr, who’s known as the “Casserole Queen” at Foster’s Market, created this. She gave me this recipe, but admits that she never sticks to it. Depending on what she finds when she arrives at the Market in the morning, she might use day-old bread, or stale or broken pound cake, scones, or biscuits. Serves [...]