Recipes with water

Herb focaccia with rosemary and olive oil, made from scratch with a simple yeast dough. Golden, dimpled, and pillowy soft with crispy edges.

Maple walnut pie fills a flaky shell with toasted walnuts in a glossy pure-maple-syrup filling thickened with browned butter and flour. The Canadian cousin to Southern pecan pie.

Old-fashioned molasses gingersnaps with deep molasses flavor, a full tablespoon of ground ginger, and that signature crackled top. Crisp at the edges, slightly chewy in the center.

Simple sourdough starter made with unbleached flour and active dry yeast mixed into a thick batter and fermented for 24 hours. The foundation for sourdough breads and pancakes.

Butter-rich nutmeg sugar cookies made with a blend of all-purpose and cake flour, rolled thin, and topped with a sparkling sugar crust. Crisp, fragrant, and deeply buttery.

Lemon cinnamon cookies are crisp rolled shortbread-style cutouts scented with fresh lemon zest and warm cinnamon, glazed with egg wash and sparkling sugar. Old-world cookies leavened with baking ammonia for a shatter-crisp snap.

Mom's homemade apple pie pairs a flaky shortening crust with canned apple filling for a from-scratch taste in half the time. Brushed with milk and dusted with sugar, the top crust bakes up golden and crackly.

Chocolate sheet cake (Texas sheet cake) with hot cocoa-buttermilk batter and a poured cocoa-buttermilk icing finished while the cake is still hot. The Southern church-supper crowd-feeder cut into 24 squares.

Basic Rice: a foolproof 3-ingredient method for fluffy white or brown rice. Classic 2:1 water-to-rice ratio, simmered low and covered. Two-cup yield, ready in 20 to 40 minutes.

Ethereally light layer cake where whipped cream and beaten egg whites replace butter for cloud-like texture. Vanilla and almond extracts add delicate flavor to this unique dessert.

Fresh strawberry pie with a homemade cornstarch glaze over 4 cups of whole berries in a flaky baked crust. A no-bake filling that sets up glossy and bright in just 20 minutes of hands-on work.

Triple pear puree: Anjou pears simmered and pureed with vinegar and sugar, then reduced to applesauce consistency. A sweet-tart condiment for pork, cheese, or toast.

Thyme focaccia made simple with a bread machine: a dimpled, olive-oil-rich flatbread scented with fresh thyme, cracked black pepper and flaky kosher salt. Crisp edges, soft airy middle.

Orange pekoe iced tea steeped with orange and lemon rinds, fresh mint, and a generous squeeze of citrus juice. A pitcher-sized summer drink, courtesy of H&R Block founder Henry W. Bloch's personal recipe.

Spanish-style garlic soup with toasted bread crumbs, tomatoes, paprika, and egg ribbons stirred in at the end. A rustic, warming bowl thickened with stale bread.

Onion and rosemary focaccia: classic Italian flatbread with finger-dimpled olive oil top, soaked-and-sautéed sweet onions, kosher salt, and crushed fresh rosemary. Crusty edges, pillowy interior.