This recipe was revised 1/20/22

True love in the form of soft crumb and tender crust, this bread is a gluten-free treasure. The secret is an ingredient called tangzhong, which roughly translated is "water roux". This is a small amount of flour that's gelatinized by cooking in a mix of water and milk. Added to bread dough it dramatically tenderizes, softens and moistens the finished loaf. As is the case with many 9 grains inventions, a great variety of flavors can be obtained by choice of flour for the tangzhong.

Although it is perfectly fair to say that this recipe isn't a shortcake in the glutenous, store-bought "cake" sense, no one will care once the fork hits the mouth. These are actually biscuits, made using the Cinnamon-Stripe Biscuit recipe without the cinnamon. Split in half, loaded with a mix of fresh-cut and partially dehydrated strawberries and topped with whipped cream, strawberry biscuit shortcakes are the quintessential dessert of early summer.

These cookies are a treat that goes by two names in our house: Rosquillas and No They're Not. To me these soft, sweet, corn-based snacks are the closest thing I've eaten to any Central American dessert, and so I call them what I think they should be. To my wife Leslie, who lived in Honduras for more than a decade, "If your teeth are intact, they're not Rosquillas." Authentic or not, this recipe yields treats that are a cross between corn tortillas and sugar cookies.

This take on the Lenten classic adapts a King Arthur Flour recipe, changing it to gluten-free with flavors unlocked by a sourdough starter. Although the recipe calls for millet sourdough starter, you could also use brown rice or quinoa. The flavors will be slightly different but still very good.

Yield: a dozen 1 1/2 ounce buns.

Time to make: 45 minutes mixing and prep; 3 1/2 hours proof; 20 minutes oven dwell

Adapted from Diane Morgan's Parsnip Cake recipe in her cookbook, Roots, this easy and delicious cake is full of subtle surprises. It's surprisingly light, toothsome, and not overpoweringly sweet, with crunch from walnuts and an enhanced nut-based umami from the addition of (optional) walnut oil. Make it with overwintered carrots if available for optimum flavor.

Yield: One, 9-inch diameter circular frosted cake. Serves 6.

Time to make: 45 minutes plus 50 minute oven dwell.

Soft, sweet, flavorful and packed with decadence, these classic treats are quick and easy to make. A New Years Day tradition in the Luce household, they can be finished in a morning and ready for a lingering brunch. The very soft dough requires some handling tricks - spelled out below - but the end results are worth the effort.

Yield: Eight, 3-ounce sweet buns

Time to make: 30 minutes prep and assembly; 1 hour 20 minute proof; 40 minutes oven dwell

For any pie to be successful, the first prerequisite is an excellent crust. To me, this means two things: buttery-rich and flaky. This method provides both .

Regardless of flour blend or filling, the innovative pie dough technique described below will produce a puffy, delectable crust. Smearing the fat (ALWAYS butter!) into dry dough, then gently spritzing water onto the dough/butter mixture, are the essential steps. Keeping track of water use with a kitchen scale guarantees precision and repeatability.

Contrasts of all the good things describe this pie: Flaky, crispy crust that does not get soggy; smooth, rich chocolate pudding filling and optional whipped cream frosting; and slightly tart quinoa background. Make it for the one you love - or yourself!

Yield: One, 9-inch pie; 6 to 8 servings.

Time to Make: 15 minutes dough prep, 2 hours to overnight refrigerated dough chill, 20 minutes crust bake, 15 minutes custard prep, 2 hours to overnight chill.