The 10 Recipes Our Readers Couldn't Stop Making in May

Black Eyed Susan Cocktail

The Kentucky Derby has the mint julep. The Belmont Stakes has the Belmont jewel. And turns out the Preakness Stakes has the black eyed Susan, a lesser-known but no less refreshing cocktail made with vodka and orange juice. Our version also contains bourbon, peach schnapps, and sour mix for the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The Preakness has come and gone, but this cocktail is ideal for the moment: spring going on summer.

TikTok's Chicken Cobbler

Recipes from TikTok aren't always as good as they look, a lesson many of us have learned the hard way. But once in a while you find a jewel of a recipe. This dish falls into that category. This savory cobbler (just think of it as a casserole if the idea of a savory cobbler bothers you) uses a few flavorful shortcuts to get you to weeknight dinner with only 15 minutes of prep time. If you can't find cheddar bay biscuit mix, no worries! We've got a workaround that uses good ol' Bisquick.

Quick and Easy Fresh Mint Tea

Mint is a garden wonder, growing with vigor even for those of us with brown thumbs. The only problem is that when you grow mint you inevitably end up with too much of it. Adding a few leaves here and there to your cooking isn't going to make a dent. Enter, mint tea. All you need is boiling water and five minutes and you have a refreshing (and practically free) beverage harvested from your own backyard (or fire escape—mint knows no boundaries).

No-Cook Vanilla Ice Cream

The prospect of homemade ice cream is a glorious one. I can't be the only one with fond memories of the big bucket-style ice cream maker coming out in the summertime, and all the anticipation that went along with it. As an adult, however, I understand why that ice cream maker only made an appearance a couple times a year. Making ice cream is a bit of a pain!

Not so with this easy, four-ingredient recipe. Just whisk the ingredients together and it's ready to churn. Even better, this vanilla base is perfect for all kinds of flavorings and mix-ins, so you can customize it to your heart's content.

Classic Rhubarb Custard Pie

A delightfully old-fashioned recipe, rhubarb custard pie marries a lightly sweet custard pie base in a buttery crust with neon pink, ultra tart rhubarb. The flavors of custard and rhubarb balance each other perfectly. A homemade crust is always a boss move, but store-bought crusts still make standout pies (and make your life a lot easier).

Perfect Grilled Eggplant

What's that sound I hear? It must be the sparking of charcoal and the clicking of gas grills igniting all across the land. For it is Grilling Season! Almost anything—meat, fish, or vegetable—is a candidate for grilling, but there are some finer points to consider. If you've ever had sad, cottony grilled eggplant you know what I mean.

This simple recipe gives you all the tips, tricks, and techniques you need to grill meltingly tender eggplant. Serve it with a green sauce or even hummus and pita as part of an al fresco summer meal.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

Summer desserts and whipped cream go together like strawberries and shortcake. Only problem is, summer heat and beautifully whipped cream do not mix. While you can take steps to keep your whipped cream from turning into a puddle, you're working against time and time always wins.

That said, you can keep the effects of time at bay with this clever recipe that uses gelatin to stabilize the cream. Cream whipped with just a little bloomed gelatin will hold up for days in the fridge and hours at room temperature. You can even freeze it!

Southern Wilted Lettuce Salad With Hot Bacon Dressing

Maybe wilted salad doesn't conjure up a great image for you, but I argue it's different if you're wilting it on purpose. This southern salad has its roots in Europe and is perfect for this time of year especially if you're a gardener. Right about now all your beautifully tender lettuces are toughening and starting to bolt in the increasing heat, meaning you have a limited window of time in which to eat them. Wilting the greens in a bacon-enriched hot dressing takes their bitterness down a notch and compresses the greens a bit, making it easier to serve and eat a mess of them.

Chicken Biryani

Maybe you've been intimidated by biryani recipes in the past, but allow me to entice you with this exceptionally flavorful version. In it, chicken is marinated in a rich yogurt marinade, browned, and layered with fried onions and basmati rice. The recipe is also a master class in rice cookery, and you'll come away with a big pot of perfectly fluffy saffron-scented grains dotted with hunks of tender chicken. It's an epic one-pot dinner you'll keep coming back to.

Perfect Lemon Posset

Needing just lemon juice, sugar, and cream, this eggless custard dessert could hardly be easier. The tart lemon provides a puckery contrast to the rich cream, a combination perfect for pairing with nearly any spring or summer fruit from strawberries to plums. We recommend serving posset with a crumbly cookie like shortbread or biscotti for the most pleasing combination of textures and flavors.