The New and Updated Recipes Our Cross-Testers Loved the Most This Year

Overhead view of birria, with a graphic that says

Serious Eats has been around since 2006, and back in our early blogging days, recipes and other content were often published with minimal editing and no recipe cross-testing (hey, it was the Wild West!). Since then, the brand has grown and our processes and standards have improved. Not only does that mean cross-testing every single new recipe before it’s published, but also doing constant work to update and improve the library of existing recipes: We remove old ones that we have low confidence in, cross-test others to make sure they work, and fix them if they don’t. All of this updating is made possible thanks to our skilled culinary team down in Birmingham, along with a crew of treasured freelance cross-testers.

This is work you may not often notice, but it makes up a large proportion of what we do each week and month, all in the name of making sure we live up to the high standards we’ve set for ourselves. Since this work largely goes on behind the scenes, we wanted to take a moment to recognize all of our cross-testers invaluable contributions this past year, and to hear from them about their favorite Serious Eats recipes they got to cook and eat. Read on for the new and updated recipes our cross-testers loved the most in 2023.

Chocolate Birthday Layer Cake

Overhead view of Birthday Cake — Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

After testing and eating this cake, I will never make another chocolate cake again (it’s really THAT good!). The cake layers are tender and moist and the ganache frosting is tangy and rich—what’s not to love?! —Anna Theoktisto

French Silk Chocolate Pie

Overhead view of Chocolate French Silk Pie with a slice removed — Serious Eats / Antonis Achilleos

Everything I dream of when I think of chocolate silk pie. From just a few simple ingredients, you get a dessert that’s elegant and utterly decadent. —Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman

Tortang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Omelette)

tortang talong on a black plate with white rice and banana ketchup — Vicky Wasik

I’ve never eaten anything quite like this before—it has creamy eggplant, some scrambled egg elements, and also umami-packed ground pork. I was surprised how much I liked this one. It’s a little messy to make, but lean into that! The results are worth it. —Anna Theoktisto

Salata Falahiyeh (Palestinian or Farmers Salad)

Overhead shot of Salata falahiyeh in a patterned blue bowl with crisp pita — Serious Eats / Mai Kakish

My favorite cross-test of the year was Reem Kassis’ Salata Falahiyeh (Palestinian or Farmers Salad). It’s a simple and quick-to-make recipe that is somehow way more than the sum of its parts. I love how it takes advantage of the juices from the tomatoes and cucumbers to enhance the flavor and body of its dressing, and that it uses the rind, pith, and juice from the lemon to punch it up even further. It’s a recipe that has become a staple in my household, especially when tomatoes are in season. —Andrew Janjigian

Kanafeh (Middle Eastern Cheese and Phyllo Dessert)

20180622-knafeh-vicky-wasik-15 — Vicky Wasik

This dessert is sooo over the top, but in a good way. It’s addictingly sweet, a little salty, and so rich. Desserts are aplenty in the test kitchen, and tasters can be piicckkky, but people gobbled it up! In the words of some of my friends, “It’s worth the calories.” It’s also easy to make! —Elizabeth Mervosh

Chicken M’qualli Tagine With Olives and Preserved Lemon

Overhead view of chicken tagine on a platter — Serious Eats / Jen Causey

I still dream about the jammy onions in this tagine on a regular basis. The onions cook down into the most vibrant, fragrant, meltingly soft sauce that is packed full of umami from the preserved lemon and olives. Truly one of the best things I ate this year. —Nicole Hopper

Har Gow (Crystal Skin Shrimp Dumplings)

Overhead view of dumplings in steamer — Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

This recipe walks you through making your own crystal-skin dough, which is notoriously difficult, but there’s so much room for practice and lots of little details that set you up for success. The interior is moist, plump, classic, and so tasty. —Catherine Jessee

Birria de Res (Beef Birria)

Overhead view of bowl of birria and assorted sides — Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

I really loved the birria. It’s a dish I order from time to time, and I think this recipe showcases a stellar version of the dish, flavor-wise and in every other way. It’s also relatively simple to put together at home, with great results. —Tina Ujlaki

Creamy Shrimp Dip With Shallots, Dill, and Lemon

This was such a delicious recipe! The shrimp is perfectly cooked and the creamy shallot mix was the perfect pairing. —Amanda Stanfield

Homemade Mallomar Bars

These bars are so nostalgic and oh-so-easy to put together. I love that no oven is required. Will be making these for many a party moving forward. —Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman