Midwest Living September/October 2016 Recipes

One of our testers described this tart's filling as "chocolate butter." We couldn't agree more. It's fantastically rich, with roast-toasty salted almonds in the crust and flaky sea salt on top to balance the sweetness.Salted Almond Truffle Tart

This isn't a watery cocoa for the kids on movie night. It's a fully adult dessert that you just happen to sip from a cup. A dash of cayenne pepper makes the drink extra-warming without being overtly spicy.Double-Hot Drinking Chocolate

This fantastic one-pan dinner is ideal for a Sunday supper or casual fall get-together with friends; the sauce is delicious, so serve with bread or mashed potatoes to soak up every delicious bite.Cider-Braised Chicken, Brussels Sprouts and Apples

If mousse vacationed in a Sicilian villa, this is how it would taste when it came back. Olive oil lends sultry silkiness and fruity complexity. The apricot and pine nut topping is a sun-soaked (but optional) delight.Mediterranean Chocolate Mousse 

Behold! We have found the holy grail of homemade bread. It's an appealingly soft, barely sweet, mostly whole wheat sandwich loaf.  And the recipe is flexible and fuss-free-no kneading required! The recipe comes from The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Minneapolis residents Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Begging for a crown of birthday candles, this layer cake has two kitchen tricks working in its favor. Mayonnaise yields a moist crumb; sour cream keeps sugary buttercream in tangy check. (Note: This recipe makes enough frosting to fill and frost the entire cake [top and sides]. To leave the sides unfrosted as we did in our photograph, just make a half batch.Country Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

We traded the traditional white wine and kirsch for hard apple cider in our autumn twist on cheese fondue. Try cooked smoked sausage, pumpernickel bread or apple wedges as dippers.Cider-Cheese Fondue

When cooler nights trigger cravings for warming autumn suppers but the garden still bears a summer's bounty of tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and eggplant, we call on the French for help. The classic vegetable stew is traditionally served unadorned, but we love it spooned over homemade garlic bread as a luxe fork-and-knife sandwich.Ratatouille

These warm, bittersweet puffs have coffee in them, but you'd never know it. Performing culinary sleight of hand, the hidden ingredient just helps chocolate taste more chocolatey, like a capful of vanilla would, but with a darker intent.Mini Chocolate Soufflés

For a fun twist on a root beer float, top vanilla ice cream with ginger ale, hard cider and a sprinkle of cinnamon.Hard Cider Float

Browned butter infuses irresistible nuttiness into these four-ingredient cookies without sullying their essential simplicity or sandy texture. Dip them in satiny chocolate for effortless glamor.Cocoa and Brown Butter Shortbread Bites

Fans of cakey brownies, step away now. These squares are dense and rich, thanks to brown sugar, extra egg yolks- and more than half a can of stout. Your friends and family may not be able to identify the beer, but its toasted malt flavor brings depth to every bite.Fudgy Stout Brownies

We put everything we love about fall into this easy side dish- a riot of bright colors, hearty veggies, woodsy sage, and a brown sugar-sweetened hard cider glaze.Cider-Glazed Vegetables