Rugelach is a beloved Jewish treasure originating from Eastern Europe. The cookie-pastry hybrid can be filled with anything from jam to chocolate and is the perfect two-bite treat fit for any holiday spread. This version, a classic chocolate rugelach bolstered with the flavors of creamy milk chocolate and malted milk powder, has a nostalgic flavor and tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that will shine at any cookie swap.

Hey, Burnt Toast fans: We're sharing an episode from Play Me a Recipe. This week: International pizza consultant Anthony Falco shares his grandma's recipe for a sourdough pan pizza topped with onions and olives, from 'Pizza Czar.'

Need to use leftover apples from your latest trip to orchard? Looking for a crowd-pleasing dessert for a fall gathering? Listen to Molly Gilbert's episode of Play Me a Recipe as she makes this homage to her favorite donut, the apple fritter. This cake has the same dense crumb, baked apple pockets, and sweet maple glaze. And the best part? No frying necessary.

The Simply Genius Cookbook is out now!! To celebrate, we're sharing an episode of Genius Recipe Tapes all about one of the featured recipes from the book, Tara O'Brady's Basic, Great, Chocolate Chip Cookies.

With the release of the Simply Genius cookbook right around the corner, this week we wanted to share a particularly simple and genius recipe from the book. And because every great chef needs a partner, in this episode Kristen is joined by a very special sous-chef, her daughter Mari, as they cook their way through Heidi Swanson's 5-minute tomato sauce (in maybe a few more than 5 minutes).

In French, "jolie laide" means "pretty and ugly"; it's a way to describe something that is unconventionally beautiful. This homage to jolie laide foods will explore the idea that deliciousness can come where you least expect it, from misshapen fish meatballs to organ meat that only a zombie could love. Some consumers may fall for the illusion of perfection, but companies such as UglyRipe and Imperfect Produce have made a point of promoting flavor over façade. (Bruised tomatoes may not be the most slightly, but they make a great sauce!) We'll examine the notion of perfection of taste vs. perfection of image

How, exactly, you grow a gourd larger than a living room, and more importantly—why.

The banana peel is so synonymous with slipperiness that we know how this joke ends right when it starts—why? And why a banana? We trace down the origins of the gag, and land in a surprising place.

After our episode about the vintage rotisserie machine that still has a cult following, we received an email from the son-in-law of the inventor, Leon Klinghoffer. Today’s episode is his story.

One presidential term goes down in history as serving borderline inedible food to the thousands of guests who dined there. What was on the menu, who was responsible, and the revenge theory behind it all. ----- This episode of Burnt Toast was produced by Gabrielle Lewis and Kenzi Wilbur. Thanks also to Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, the founders of Food52— and to Laura Mayer and Andy Bowers at Panoply. Our ad and theme music is by Joshua Rule Dobson; All other music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions. Our logo is designed by Abbey Lossing. Please let us know what you think of the show—leave us a review on iTunes. Or get in touch: You can email us at burnttoast@food52.com.

We talk to Professor Charles Spence about the science behind how what you hear when you eat affects the whole multi-sensory experience.

This countertop rotisserie has a lively cult following for producing the juiciest, spit-roasted birds. Our reason to be suspicious? It was made in the 1950s. We put one to the test to find out if this machine \*really\* makes the best chicken,

We ask—and then we try to change emoji history. Learn how an emoji gets made as we submit our pie emoji proposal to Unicode.

We track down the composer of one of the catchiest jingles of all time—the jingle that opened new factories it was so popular—to learn its surprising origin story.

We speak with Bee Wilson to follow the curious, contentious history of margarine back to its first invention. Turns out, we have Napoleon III to thank.

The banana peel is so synonymous with slipperiness that we know how this joke ends right when it starts—why? And why a banana? We trace down the origins of the gag, and land in a surprising place.

Today we dedicate our whole episode to a roundtable on meal planning: Amanda, Merrill, and Kenzi answer questions from our staff and community about how to cook smarter every week. Highlights include refrigerator graveyards, condiment guilt, and why avocado toast is a little like comfortable underwear. This episode of Burnt Toast is sponsored by Casper. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting www.casper.com/TOAST, and using promo code TOAST.

We invite Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff of Big Gay Ice Cream into the studio to talk about summer’s favorite frozen dessert. There are no boundaries: We discuss bedazzled unicorns, magnums, beet soft serve, and—for a little light hazing—we have Doug taste test some classic Good Humor ice cream treats. Burnt Toast is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the new service that delivers all the ingredients you need to make incredible meals at home. Discover a better way to cook. Visit BlueApron.com/TOAST to get your first two meals free today.

Even when it's leftover pizza or takeout from down the block. We talk to book seller and author of Lunch at the Shop Peter Miller about the midday meal: Why we should always break for it, the simple ways to make it better, and how to make our new favorite of his recipes, Pizza Soup. (You're going to want to hear this.)

This week, we talk to NY Mag food critic Adam Platt about criticism in an age that makes it easy for everyone with an internet connection to be a reviewer. Listen in for some salty conversation, his live evaluation of some food in the studio, and—because we couldn’t help it—a dramatic Yelp reading or two. Burnt Toast is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the new service that delivers all the ingredients you need to make incredible meals at home. Discover a better way to cook. Visit BlueApron.com/TOAST to get your first two meals free. BlueApron.com/TOAST