28 basic base recipes

Basic holiday butter cookies with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb from cornstarch in the dough. This versatile base recipe can be rolled, cut, or shaped into any holiday cookie you want.

Chicken base is basically dehydrated, powdered chicken stock. If you can't find it in the supermarket, grind chicken bouillon cubes. For the asparagus, cut about two inches off the stem end. You don't need to peel it. To blanch spinach, simply drop it in boiling salted water for one minute and then immediately submerge it in ice water to stop the cooking and retain the color. The spinach will provide the soup with a vibrant green hue.

Homemade pita bread that puffs into pockets on a hot baking sheet at 500 degrees. Four basic ingredients, no fat, freezes well, and makes 6 large or 12 small pitas.

Applesauce spice muffins use a basic muffin mix as the shortcut, blended with applesauce for moisture, plus chopped nuts and raisins. A six-ingredient breakfast bake that comes together in one bowl.

A rosemary foccacia is baked in a pizza pan, brushed with garlic-infused olive oil, topped with roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and chunks mozzarella cheese. Loaded with delicious goodness and packed with flavor.

Homemade boiled-then-baked bagels with a chewy crust and dense, satisfying interior. Just 5 basic ingredients, shaped by hand and simmered before baking for authentic texture.

Bread machine pizza dough made with basic pantry ingredients. Let the machine knead, pull it before the bake cycle, and shape for homemade pizza night.

Basic beer bread with just five ingredients and no yeast. Flour, baking powder, beer, and a touch of honey make a dense, flavorful loaf with a crispy golden crust.

A flexible basic vanilla cake template using cake flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, and your choice of mix-ins. The starting point for chocolate chip, fruit, or layer cakes.

Basic berry dumpling wraps cinnamon-spiced blueberries in a tender shortening pastry, baked into a rustic single-pan dessert. A folded-corner cobbler-meets-pie that's ready in an hour.

French lemon pie is a simple rustic tart: a whole wheat butter crust filled with a buttery fresh lemon custard and baked golden. Tart, glossy, and finished in an hour with pantry basics.

Rustic whole wheat bannock bread with rolled oats and raisins bakes up golden in just 30 minutes. This hearty, no-yeast flatbread is a cozy, simple comfort food staple that needs only basic pantry ingredients.