Our Most Popular Recipes in September

Summer has come and gone, but we can’t possibly say goodbye without highlighting our most popular recipes from September (and singing Wake Me Up When September Ends one more time for good measure). 

The thing with this time of year is that no one really knows what to make of it—some days are too hot to cook, while others require a heavy knit blanket, a crackling fire, and a strong bourbon. So naturally, tomato and pumpkin recipes appeared on the list (though not as part of the same dish!) The top 10 for September also included a few all-new dishes for Rosh Hashanah, like Sweet Cheese Kreplach With Jam. 

But it was Tara O’Brady’s Basic, Great Chocolate Chip Cookies that topped the list—this recipe was published in Kristen Miglore’s brand new Simply Genius cookbook, and our readers couldn’t get enough of them. Admittedly, neither could we.

10. Olive Oil Cake With Lime & Sumac

The inclusion of sumac in both the cake and glaze makes this pretty-in-pink cake delicious, too.

9. Rose & Pistachio Mississippi Mud Cake

Though rosewater and pistachios are common in Indian and Persian cuisines, there is still a lot going on in this recipe—a rosewater- and coffee-infused chocolate cake topped with mini marshmallows, chocolate ganache, and pistachios. It works, though: Leave it to Chetna Makan to make it work.

8. Sloe Gin Fizz Recipe

A frothy, citrusy cocktail to sip on as you bid summer “Adieu.”

7. Chile-Garlic Chicken With Spinach Pesto Pasta

Smoky, ancho chili–marinated chicken mingles with pesto-laced pasta for the epitome of summer flavor. The pesto skips basil and pine nuts in favor of spinach and toasted hazelnuts.

6. Best Brisket Marinade

It’s not Rosh Hashanah without apples and honey, which is why recipe developer Joe Baur spun them with classic marinade ingredients for the juiciest, most flavorful brisket to grace your table. It broke our top 10 most popular recipes during September, so you know it’s good.

5. Creamy Caesar Salad Pasta

We are so excited about this creamy pasta recipe, which is inspired by one very classic salad recipe. The sauce—which is made with anchovy fillets, eggs, garlic, capers, lemon, and mustard—is whirred in a blender and tossed with warm bucatini. “It’s very similar to the process of making a carbonara sauce, but one that's been Caesar-ified,” writes recipe developer Becca Jacobs.

4. Sweet Cheese Kreplach With Jam

We couldn’t wait to share Ellen Gray’s recipe for sweet, baked kreplach, which eschews the more typical apples-and-honey Rosh Hashanah flavors in favor of (still-traditional!) pomegranates and figs. Taking a cue from her grandmother’s Yom Kippur break-the-fast kreplach, these are filled mostly with cream cheese and a small dollop of pomegranate or fig jam.

3. Pumpkin Banana Bread With Toasty Pecans

Every day is an excuse to eat banana bread (don’t mind if I do!), but for fall, we wanted to create something that featured autumnal flavors. So we turned to Jessie Sheehan, who exceeded our expectations with this quick bread. It has everything you know and love about banana bread, plus pumpkin purée, warm spices, and pecans.

2. Roasted Tomato Galette

Our readers celebrated the final days of summer with this warm-weather galette featuring 2 1/2 pounds of mixed variety tomatoes. (Heirloom, beefsteak, and cherry tomatoes all work here). Rick Martinez’s crust is special, too—it’s made with a combination of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour for a little nuttiness.

1. Basic, Great Chocolate Chip Cookies From Tara O’Brady

It’s really no surprise that these massive, super chocolatey cookies were our most popular recipe last month. They came straight from Kristen Miglore’s brand new cookbook Simply Genius—and that’s exactly what these winners are. There’s more brown sugar than granulated sugar, which means the flavor will be richer, deeper, and 100 percent better. Instead of chocolate chips, use chocolate discs for a bigger, chocolatier bite.

What was your favorite recipe that we published in September? Let us know in the comments below!