173 crackling recipes

All-purpose bourbon marinade with white wine, vinegar, and aromatics built for wild game. Tames gamey flavors and tenderizes up to 7 lbs of venison, elk, or any cut.

This relish is based on a prize-winning English recipe of more than a generation ago. It is less sweet than traditional chutneys; most of its sweetness comes not from sugar, but from apples, dates, and parsnips. I generally use Winesap apples but any well-flavored, crisp eating apple will do.

This cinnamon-orange marinade, characteristic of Balkan cooking, is a specialty of Georgia in south-central Russia.The tabaka marinade is usually used with chicken and game hen, but it also goes nicely with swordfish.

Espresso cheesecake with a toasted hazelnut-cocoa crust, baked in a water bath for a silky, crack-free finish. Reduced espresso and Kahlua deliver bold coffee flavor in every bite.

Marinated mixed Italian olives cracked and soaked with bell peppers, celery, garlic, oregano, and vinegar. Cured at room temperature for two days for bold, giardiniera-style flavor.

Italian cheese bread bakes a yeasted dough with grated provolone, garlic butter, and parmesan into two pull-apart loaves. Crackly tops, soft interior, perfect for a pasta night.

Panang beef curry with homemade spice paste, coconut cream cracked to release its oil, roasted peanuts, and fresh basil. Authentic Thai technique, medium heat, ready in 40 minutes.

Giant chocolate chip whopper cookies loaded with semi-sweet chips, pecans, walnuts, and a shot of espresso. Crackly shell, fudgy center, bakery-style at home.

Italian biscotti with candied cherries, chopped nuts, and a hint of star anise. Twice-baked for that signature dry crackly snap, perfect for dunking in coffee, espresso, or vin santo.

Easy crusty French-style bread with just five ingredients: flour, yeast, water, sugar, and salt. Baked with steam for a crackly golden crust and chewy interior.

Classic old-fashioned fruit punch with cold tea, fresh-squeezed orange and lemon juice, ginger ale, and soda water. Garnished with orange slices and fresh mint. Makes 40 cups for a crowd.

Black pepper and walnut biscotti pack toasted walnuts and a serious dose of cracked pepper into a brown-sugar dough. Italian-style twice-baked cookies that pair with cheese or coffee.

Peanut mojhy, a Pennsylvania Dutch molasses and brown sugar candy loaded with peanuts. An old-fashioned hard crack candy poured onto buttered tins with just five ingredients.

Nearly brownie cookies with melted semisweet chocolate, butter, and chopped pecans. Fudgy, crackly-topped, and intensely chocolatey with minimal flour for maximum richness.

No frost chocolate chip cake bakes its own topping: a moist date-sweetened cocoa cake crowned with a crackly sugar and chocolate-chip crust. Skip the icing entirely.

Intensely fudgy brownies with a crackly, craggy top loaded with melted chocolate chips and chopped nuts. These one-bowl bars are rich, chewy, and dangerously easy to make.