Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for National Oatmeal-Nut Waffles Day

Who knew such a holiday existed? Weird, but wonderful. Every other link is inspired by the National holiday at hand; the others are random awesome things I've found here and there. 

Oatmeal nut waffles, plain and simple. (Taste of Home)

Easy patterns to draw. Get artsy! (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Vegan oatmeal nut waffles. (Eggless Cooking)

Mini monte cristo sandwiches. SO CUTE. (Gringalicious)

Banana nut oatmeal waffles. Yum. (Maebells)

Banana bread bars with browned butter frosting. YES! (Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen)

Soaked oatmeal pecan waffles. Yum. (Tradishen)

A comprehensive guide to icings, frostings, and glazes. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Not oatmeal, but with a healthy sort of ingredient spin: Maple walnut spelt waffles. (Emmylou's Kitchen)

Four ingredient homemade Mounds hack. Awesome! (Back for Seconds)

Maple oatmeal cinnamon waffle scones. Add nuts and they're 100% perfect for this holiday. (The Waffle-Off)

Homemade TWINKIES! (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Peanut butter oatmeal waffles. Yes! (Kathryn's Kitchen)

Anyhow, listen to me on an awesome podcast! (The Dinner Special)

Book of the week: Will It Waffle? 53 Irresistible and Unexpected Recipes to Make in a Waffle Iron. This book is dedicated to seeing what happens when you put weird and unexpected foods in a waffle iron. I guess the real issue is this: why don't you own it already?

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for National Pound Cake Day

Happy National Pound cake day! Let's link.

This pound cake is ideal for creating sculpted cakes. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Chocolate pound cake (yes please). (CakeSpy Archives)

Carrot patch pound cake. You have to see this!! (Chocolate and Carrots)

Grilled peanut butter pound cake (pictured top). (Peanut Butter and Company)

Brown sugar pound cake. (Bsugarmama)

Fried peanut butter and jelly pound cake sandwich. (CakeSpy Archives)

Maple bacon pancake pound cake. (The Domestic Rebel)

Pound cake with a chocolate heart hidden inside! (Cooking with Manuela)

Raspberry pound cake brownies (!). (Desserts Required)

Colorful cream cheese pound cake. (A Periodic Table)

Olive oil lemon poppyseed pound cake. Whoa. (CakeSpy Archives)

...aaaaaaand a gratuitous glaze experiment with the aforementioned cake. (CakeSpy Archives)

Pound cake recipe, circa 1824. (CakeSpy Archives)

Pink lemon pound cake. So pretty! (Smart School House)

Book of the week: The Pound Cake Cookbook. If you love pound cake, then this book is for you: it's packed with over 300 recipes for the hefty, dense, cakey stuff. From historically interesting pound cakes to creative flavor variations, this is a great text to own. 

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for National Pistachio Day

My new favorite pistachios? The amazingly delicious ones from Setton Farms. They are incredibly fresh and flavorful--this company is new to me but rapidly became my new favorite when I tried their pistachios. Their site also features some nice recipes. (Setton Farms - tray by Bags of Love)

The absolute most memorable pistachio sweet in recent memory? Absolutely the pistachio baklava from the Balkan Bakery in Abingdon, VA. What looks like a Chinese egg roll at first glance is actually a delicately rolled pastry creation with ground pistachios, honey, and a lovely rosewater syrup. It will make your fingers sticky, but your mouth oh so happy. I really, truly recommend this place. (The Balkan Bakery) 

Chocolate chip pistachio cookies. These cookies are a childhood favorite of mine, and I still love them today. (CakeSpy)

Cranberry pistachio white chocolate bark. (XObella)

Kind of addicted to: pistachio chewy bites. (Setton Farms)

Cranberry pistachio cupcakes. I want these. (An Edible Mosaic)

Homemade pistachio butter. OMG. (Coffee & Quinoa)

I seriously need this pistachio creme brulee. (LA Times)

Olive oil pistachio brownies. (Love and Olive Oil)

Spiced shortbread dipped in white chocolate and pistachios. (Waffle & Whisk)

Baklava cinnamon rolls. Includes pistachio and white chocolate. Bliss. (Knowing Full Well)

Pistachio russian teacakes. Yum! (Lexi Bites)

Salted caramelized pistachios. Wow. (Fine Cooking)

Ever heard of Watergate cake? (Craftsy)

Book of the week: The Wonderful Pistachio: 50 Delicious Pistachio-Mixed Sweets and Treats for You! I mean, with a title like that, aren't you already halfway in love? It gets better, with recipes for key lime pistachio bites, avocado cheesecake with pistachio crust, and pistachio pineapple cake, and much more.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for National Chocolate Mint Day

Happy Chocolate Mint Day. Let's link. 

DIY Thin Mints cookies. Yes! (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Mint chocolate cream pie. YES! (Guest post from Sally's Candy Addiction)

Homemade Andes mints. (Homestead and Survival)

Mint chocolate chip semifreddo cake. WOW. (Gringalicious)

Mint chocolate chip whoopie pies! (CakeSpy for Serious Eats)

Thin mint chocolate cake. Does this ever look good! (Bay Leaf Kitchen)

Mint chocolate cake. Like Grasshopper brownies but in cake form. YUM. (Sweetest Menu)

Dark chocolate mint avocado pudding. Looks awesome and intriguing. (Delightful Adventures)

OMG! These little chocolate-mint puddings look like tiny adorable planters!! (Martha Stewart)

Mint chocolate chip shamrock marshmallows. Cute! (The First Year)

Mint chocolate chip oreo cupcakes. These look amazing. (Peas and Peonies)

Vegan peppermint chocolate cupcakes. I haven't been able to get these out of my mind since I first saw them. (Eva Bakes)

These brownies are kind of christmasy, but delicious all year round (just use starlight mints instead of candy canes!). (CakeSpy for Perugina)

Mint chocolate cheesecake brownies. I'll just be alone in the corner crying until I get one of these in my mouth. (The Floating Kitchen)

Book of the week: Mint Chocolate Chip Murder. Because seriously, it exists and that makes me happy. 

February 13: National Tortellini Day, and a Sky High Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Happy National Tortellini Day! Oh me oh my, how I love tortellini. Carbs and cheese. So much yes! But while I loved sharing that with you, I think I'm going to keep my focus for the post sweet today, since Valentine's Day is coming and I have made so many romantic and fantastic desserts lately. For instance, this sky-high red velvet cake.

Technically, I suppose it's two cakes: a red velvet cake, and a chocolate layer cake. But I've sandwiched them all together into a four-story sweet stack of frosted awesome to make this object of edible art. 

This would be an impressive cake to make for your valentine, don't you think?

Find the full recipe here. 

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for National Plum Pudding Day

Happy National Plum Pudding Day! No, this isn't plum pudding, but isn't it pretty? You can find the recipe for that baby right here.

Anyhow, in spite of that brief digression, I do want to discuss plum pudding. While I have no idea why plum pudding is in the middle of February, I do think it's worth giving a try, so I have assembled a sweet batch of plum pudding-themed links for you!

Learn a bit more about the history of plum pudding. (What's Cooking America)

More interesting plum pudding history. (History Today)

Self-saucing chocolate plum pudding. WHAT. (Bite.co.nz)

Plum pudding cupcakes. Cute! (Adeline & Lumiere)

Plum pudding parfaits. (Betty Crocker)

White chocolate and cranberry plum pudding. (Chocablog)

A different type of plum pudding: brandied plum-vanilla bread pudding. (My Recipes)

Another different type of plum pudding: banana-plum crumble pudding. Looks yum. (Pudding Heaven)

Yet another different type of pudding: summer berry and plum pudding. Looks healthy, but awfully tasty. (Real Simple)

How to make the best plum pudding, with lots of interesting lore. (Victoriana.com)

Plum sticky toffee pudding. INTO IT. (The Prepared Pantry)

Tiny Tim's plum pudding. (Taste of Home)

California Walnut plum pudding. This looks good. (California Walnuts)

Book of the week: Confident Cooking: Sticky and Steamed Puddings. This little recipe pamphlet is so retro cute. I just bought it--maybe you should, too, purely because it exists. I can't get enough of these little publications on such specific subjects!

February 8: National Molasses Bar Day

I'm sorry, but what kind of a food holiday is this? I don't know if I have ever even had a molasses bar. But I like to play nice, so I went ahead scoured the internet for some ways to enjoy this hallowed day. I have to admit, I have become decidedly appetized and quite keen to try a molasses bar, if they're anything like this. Here are five tasty molasses bars I'd like to try:

1. Chewy molasses bars.

These are described as "like brownies, but with molasses". The pictures show a really perfect-looking chewy bar texture, and I think the spices and chocolate chips in this recipe would make a nice, cozy bar cookie that would be great with cocoa on a snow day. Via Jen's Favorite Cookies.

2. Soft and chewy gingerbread molasses bars.

I'm into the chewy--no, downright FUDGY--texture of this fine specimen of molasses bars, as well. The secret to their flavor, says the baker, is using a mild molasses--the blackstrap stuff is simply too pungent. Via Averie Cooks.  

3. Peach "newtons".

These aren't a classic molasses bar, I suppose, but they are a bar, and they do contain molasses. And they sound just swell. An oat-wheat-molasses crust contains a sweet peach mixture, making for a crave-worthy way to enjoy National Molasses Bar Day. Recipe and photo (top) via Janet Hudson. 

4. Gingerbread white chocolate blondies

They're called blondies, yes, but the molasses in the batter makes me think that they're doing double duty as molasses bars. These ones are speckled with white chocolate chips, which I think would add a great visual contrast as well as a pleasing sweetness to the assertiveness of the molasses. Via Mel's Kitchen Cafe. 

5. Molasses cake bars.

These are what I think of when I think of molasses bars: a snack cake type of bar, with a sweet confectioners' sugar-rich icing on top. These look old-fashioned and classic, and I want one. Via Love That Food.

Have you ever tried a molasses bar?

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for World Nutella Day

Peace, love, and Nutella. That's the name of the game today, on World Nutella Day (February 5). What will you do today? Maybe one of these links will inspire you:

Homemade nutella. Toooooooooo goooooooood. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

3 ingredient Nutella Truffles. Naughty. (Crazy for Crust)

Pretzel nachos with Nutella. OMG. (Cook's Hideout)

Cinnamon sugar Nutella swirl pumpkin pie pop-tarts. Don't even try saying it five times fast, just go get the ingredients. (Half Baked Harvest)

Pumpkin Nutella bars. (CakeSpy archives)

Grilled peanut butter, Nutella and banana sandwich. Yum. (Kitchen Simmer)

Nutella-filled monster cookie bars. Don't mind if I do. (The Domestic Rebel)

Creamy Nutella hot chocolate. (Pretty Providence)

Chocolate Nutella cookie bars with sea salt. Be still my beating heart. (Two Peas and Their Pod)

Nutella white chocolate chip cookies...yes. (Averie Cooks)

Decadent Nutella Chocolate Cake. I like the look of this. (OMG Chocolate Desserts)

Peanut butter Nutella candy bar brownie. Whhhaaaaaaat. (How Sweet it Is)

Nutella bread pudding. Sounds about right. (Steamy Kitchen)

Book of the week: Nutella World: 50 Years of Innovation. Everyone loves Nutella; here's the story of how it came to be and how it's become a staple. Plus, the cover features a world iced in Nutella. What's not to love?

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for National Corn Chip Day

Happy National Corn Chip Day! You might think that corn chips have nothing to do with dessert, but you're wrong. 

Photo licensed via Creative Commons by Flickr member Paul Martin

Want proof? I've included desserts featuring corn tortilla chips and Fritos in this roundup. Enjoy.

Peanut butter and corn chip no-bake cookies. (Skip to My Lou)

Fritos chocolate chip cookies. (Dessert for Two)

Sweet corn tortilla chips recipe. Interesting. (Rumbamel's)

Chocolate dipped Fritos. (Blue Bonnet Baker)

White chocolate Fritos popcorn. (The Girl Who Ate Everything)

I'm interested in the concept of a chocolate Fritos pie. (Homesick Texan)

Vanilla caramel corn Fritos pie. Yes, for real. (Frito-Lay)

Fritos bark. Interesting. (Dozen Flours)

Buffalo sauce, corn tortilla chips, doughnut. What do you think? (Grub Street)

Fritos waffles with mascarpone and fruit. (Frito-Lay)

Fine, this one is savory. But it's in pie form, OK? Fritos Pie...PIE! (Oh Bite It)

Fritos bars. Into it. (One Crazy Cookie)

Double chocolate Fritos cookies. (Petite Panini)

Book of the week: Fritos Pie: Stories, Recipes, and More. This book not only delves into the history of the famous corn chips but offers some pretty interesting recipes, from (of course) Frito Pie to Fritos fruitcake. Do you need this book? Well, let me say this. If you want interesting cocktail party banter, you'd be smart to keep this one prominently displayed on your coffee table!

National Pie Day. How Many Pies Have You Tried?

To celebrate National Pie Day (as observed by the National Pie Council), I've come up with a list of 100 pies to try before you die. Some of them are familiar favorites; others may be unknown or might seem downright odd. How many pie crust notches are on your belt?

If you feel like it, we can play a game: you can copy this list, and put an asterisk next to the ones you have tried. Then go ahead and post it as a comment on this post, or  on Facebook or on your blog or wherever!

I've left mine unmarked so that you can copy it, but my tally is a mere 39! Did you fare any better? 

1. Ambrosia Pie
2. Apricot Pie
3. Apple pie
4. Avocado Pie
5. Bakewell Pie (traditionally Bakewell Tart)
6. Banana Cream Pie
7. Banoffee Pie
8. Bean Pie
9. Blackberry Pie
10. Blueberry Pie 
11. Bob Andy Pie
12. Black bottom pie
13. Buko Pie
14. Butter Tart Pie
15. Buttermilk Pie
16. Butternut Squash Pie
17. Butterscotch Pie
18. Cactus Pie
19. Candy Bar Pie
20. Cantaloupe Pie
21. Caramel Pie
22. Cherry Pie
23. Chess Pie
24. Chiffon pie (could be any number of flavors)
25. Chocolate cream pie
26. Coconut Cream Pie
27. Coffee-Toffee Pie
28. Concord Grape Pie
29. Cookie Cake Pie
30. Crack Pie
31. Cranberry Pie
32. Cushaw Pie
33. Date Pie
34. Derby Pie
35. Dutch Apple Pie
36. Finger Pie
37. Flapper Pie
38. French silk pie
39. Fried Pie (could be any number of flavors)
40. Funeral pie (also known as Raisin or Rosina Pie)
41. Funny Cake Pie
42. Grape Nuts Pie
43. Grapefruit Pie
44. Grasshopper Pie
45. Green Tomato Pie (Sweet)
46. Grits Pie
47. Gooseberry Pie
48. Honey Pie
49. Hoosier Pie (AKA Sugar Cream Pie)
50. Huckleberry Pie
51. Ice Cream Pie (could be any number of flavors)
52. Impossible Pie 
53. Italian Wheat Pie
54. Key Lime Pie
55. Lemon Meringue Pie
56. Lemonade Pie
57. Maple Cream Pie 
58. Margarita Pie
59. Marionberry Pie
60. Marlborough Apple Pie
61. Millionaire Pie
62. Mincemeat Pie
63. Mississippi Mud Pie
64. Mock Apple Pie
65. Nesselrode Pie
66. Oatmeal Pie
67. Orange Pie 
68. Osgood Pie
69. Ozark Pie
70. Peach pie
71. Peanut butter Pie 
72. Pear Pie 
73. Pecan Pie
74. Pineapple Angel Pie 
75. Poppyseed Pie
76. Prune Pie
77. Pumpkin Pie
78. Ricotta Pie
79. Sack Pie
80. Saskatoon Berry Pie (I'll say go ahead and substitute any regional berry pie here)
81. Sawdust Pie
82. Shaker Lemon Pie
83. Shoofly Pie (also simply Molasses Pie)
84. S'mores Pie 
85. Strawberry Pie
86. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie 
87. Sweet Pickle Pie
88. Sweet Potato Pie 
89. Tang Pie 
90. Tar Heel Pie 
91. Tennessee Toffee Pie
92. Transparent Pie
93. Treacle Pie (if you've had Treacle Tart I say it counts)
94. Union Pie
95. Vanilla Cream Pie
96. Vinegar Pie
97. Walnut Pie
98. Watergate Pie
99. Watermelon Pie
100. Zwieback Pie

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for National Blondie Day

It's National Blonde Brownie (AKA BLONDIE) day!! Since I love blondies even more than brownies, this is a momentous day for me. It should be for you, too, because blondies are freaking delicious. This batch of sweet links is dedicated to blondies! 

Brown butter chocolate pecan blondies. Yes. (Keep it Sweet)

Salty chocolate and pecan honey blondies. OMG. (Warm Vanilla Sugar)

Donut hole blondies. (The Domestic Rebel for CakeSpy)

Gooey pear hazelnut blondies. Fascinating. (Edible Woman)

Blondies with summer berries and marzipan. Elegant! (Nilssons Ambrosia)

Peanut butter blondies. With PB frosting. Yes! Pictured top. (CakeSpy)

Cake batter blondies. Awesome! (Sally's Baking Addiction)

Kahlua blondies. They look really easy! (Aly in the Kitchen)

Why I love Blondies better than Brownies. (CakeSpy)

ROLO BLONDIES OMG. (Oh Sweet Basil)

Marshmallow blondies. Looks crave-worthy! (Cookies and Cups)

Macadamia nut blondies. Oh my. (Brown Eyed Baker)

Cinnamon roll blondies. No, I cannot stand it. (A Latte Food)

Book of the week: CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life. Yes, my book. Because it contains a recipe for BLONDIE-TOPPED BROWNIES, PEOPLE.

January 19: National Popcorn Day

Poppin' fresh news: today is National Popcorn Day!

While popcorn is most famously associated with movies and microwaves, I'd like to take a few moments today to celebrate delicious uses for popcorn in baking and as a dessert component. So here you go - a collection of 12 fascinating and delicious sweet popcorn recipes!

Peanut butter cup popcorn. I can't stand it! (Chocolate Moosey)

Funfetti brownie popcorn. Awful / awesome. All at once. (CakeSpy)

Toffee popcorn bark. Yum! (Kitchen Mason)

Drizzled black sesame popcorn balls. Elegant! (Gringalicious)

POPCORN ICE CREAM. (James Beard Foundation)

As advertised on the site: IT’S A CHOCOLATE BROWNIE CAKE WITH SOME SALTED CARAMEL FROSTING (DYED IN PINK CAUSE YOU KNOW) AND TOPPED WITH  A POPCORN MOUNTAIN. How could you not love this? (Carmela Pop)

Popcones! (Martha Stewart)

Salted caramel popcorn brownies. (Love Swah)

Birthday cake popcorn. Sweet! (Tikkido)

Caramel corn cupcakes. YUM! (Culinary Concoctions by Peabody)

White chocolate buttered popcorn cookies. Yum! (Joanne Eats Well With Others)

Big Bird's Popcorn Pudding. Sesame Street-approved! (Sesame Street)

Do you like popcorn in dessert?

January 16: National Fig Newton Day

Aaaaand a happy National Fig Newton Day to you! 

Now, there are plenty of ways you could choose to celebrate this hallowed day. Most obvious, perhaps, would be buying some Fig Newtons and eating them. That's an idea.

Or, you could cover them in chocolate and put them on sticks!

I created this tutorial for Serious Eats a few years ago and quite frankly, it still delights me. Maybe it will delight you, too.

Recipe here. 

If you prefer to explore Fig Newtons in greater depth, read on:

Five links of interest for Fig Newton Day:

An interesting look at the Fig Newton's history. (Eatocracy)

Homemade Fig Newtons. Healthy-ish. (My Whole Food Life)

Fig Newton cupcakes. Also healthy-ish. (Amy's Healthy Baking)

Fig Newton coffee cake. (Just a Pinch)

Caramelized fig and Fig Newton ice cream. WOW. (Sprinkled Side Up)

Do you like Fig Newtons?

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for National Strawberry Ice Cream Day

Don't ask me WHY today is National Strawberry ice cream day. It's nowhere near strawberry season, and ice cream isn't going to be the most appetizing prospect on a cold day. But then again, why not? These links celebrate the magic that is strawberry ice cream. 

Learn the laws of strawberry ice cream. (Serious Eats)

Neapolitan ice cream's story! Because strawberry is a third of the equation. (CakeSpy)

A strawberry ice cream "good enough to be served at Ben & Jerry's". (Food.com)

Blondie ice cream sandwiches with strawberry ice cream. Yesssss. (CakeSpy)

Dark chocolate strawberry ice cream. OOooh. (Love & Olive Oil)

White chocolate strawberry ice cream. OOooh again. (We Are Not Martha)

Strawberry milk ice cream cake. This thing is like joy in cake form. (Taste and Tell)

Bi-Rite's strawberry-balsamic ice cream. (Serious Eats)

Chocolate covered strawberry ice cream pie. INTO IT. (Handle the Heat)

Strawberry shortcake ice cream bars. Yes. Please. (Life Made Sweeter)

Strawberry ice cream bars inspired by Good Humor. Love this. (Big Red Kitchen)

Strawberry "ice cream" cupcakes. Cute! (Australian Kitchen)

Not actual ice cream: strawberry ice cream cookie pops. SO cute! (Wilton)

Book of the week: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear. Remember this book? It's not at all a recipe book, but when I came across it while looking for book inspiration for the week I had to include it. This classic kid's book was part of my collection, and it's bound to offer enough delightful nostalgia to inspire you to create something sweet.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links for National English Toffee Day

Happy National English Toffee Day! (January 8). Let's celebrate with a batch of Friday links devoted to the stuff. And (totally unrelated to English toffee) just while I have it on my mind, be sure to listen to this awesome food podcast featuring ME.

Uncertain of what English toffee is? Let's briefly discuss.

Toffee is a type of candy. Food writer Harold McGee claims it to be "from the Creole for a mixture of sugar and molasses". It can be a hard or soft candy, and personally, I think of it as a buttery brown sugary mixture which is firm or even hard, but softens quickly in the mouth. 

English toffee is the tricked-out version of regular toffee, featuring nuts (often almonds) and a chocolate topping. 

Glazed English Toffee Cake. (Hershey's)

English toffee cookie bars. (Hershey's Canada)

Homemade English toffee. (Taste of Home)

English toffee bites. Cute! (Shugary Sweets)

What's the difference between English toffee and American toffee? (Etoffee.com)

Chocolate covered English toffee bars. Yum. (Taste of Home)

I can't wait to order English toffee ice cream the next time I stop by Oklahoma-based Braum's. (Braum's)

Make your own English toffee cappuccino mix! (Food.com)

English toffee scones! (Mad in Craft)

English toffee cheesecake! (Smuckers)

Giant chocolate toffee cookies. (Epicurious)

Irish toffee shortbread bars. OMG. (The Kitchn)

What to drink alongside English toffee? An English toffee martini, of course! (Daydreamer Desserts)

Make everything you make taste like English toffee with English toffee flavoring oil. (via Amazon)

Book of the week: English Toffee Cookbook. Only available as a kindle/online read, this recipe booklet isn't JUST for English toffee, but does include a nice collection of cheeky British recipes. I found it charming and worth checking out. 

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Pink champagne cookies. Happy new year! (Girl Versus Dough)

Chocolate buttercream. In under 10 minutes. YES. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

I'm into this: champagne yogurt scones with maple glaze. (De la Casa)

Scottish Breakfast. It's probably not what you think. It's probably better. (Sun Diego Eats)

Infographic: how to poach an egg. I'm proud of this one! (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Champagne brownies with macerated berries. Yes! (Baked Chicago)

Brownies with peppermint ganache. Be still my chocolate loving heart. (Perugina)

Pastel petits fours. Sweet! (Not Quite Nigella)

What to do with leftover cookies. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Biscoff taffy truffles. So creative! (The Domestic Rebel)

I want to eat this: spiced gingerbread with cream cheese frosting. (Whisk and Shout)

I'm loving this cornbread with honey butter. (Warm Vanilla Sugar)

Get creative in the new year with free, downloadable calendar coloring book pages! Pictured at the top of the post. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Book of the week: Bake it Like You Mean It by Gesine Bullock-Prado. I had the pleasure of interviewing this super talented lady a few years ago, and every now and again I re-remember how great she is. This is my favorite of her books!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Yule love this cake! (Colavita)

Clever ideas for decorating delicious chocolate cake. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Salty chocolate pecan honey blondies. Whoa. (Warm Vanilla Sugar)

Did you know that you can make your own tomato paste? (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

OMG! Nanaimo bar layer cake! (Recipe Rebel)

This banana custard cake has set my craving meeter a -tingling. (Kitchen Nostalgia)

Gingerbread eggnog sandwich cookies. Yeah! (Goodie Godmother)

How to make homemade fortune cookies! (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Sourdough pumpkin pretzel Parker House Rolls. WHAT. (Gringalicious)

These little cookies are just the HAPPIEST. (Cook with Manali)

Hot chocolate bread pudding. Mercy. (Cookie Rookie)

Oat milk hot chocolate. (Rawberry Fields)

Kitchen hacks: these awesome tips and tricks will streamline your cooking. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Book of the week: Luscious Lemon Desserts. Do you love the bright zing of a lemon dessert? Me too. This is my go-to book for all things lemon and sweet. It's been out for a while, but it's a keeper, with recipes for classics like lemon bars and lemon tarts, but then there are creative recipes, too, like lemon panna cotta and lemon ricotta gelato (I love saying that one). A great gift for the lemon lover in your life. Or, you know, yourself.

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How to stir-fry without a wok. Worth looking at if only for the illustrations!

Infographic: A guide to the different types of cookies! 

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Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Melted snowman cookies! How cute are these? (Pillsbury)

Cookie infographic: the best type of education is about cookies. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Easy homemade caneles. YUM. (Coco in the Kitchen)

Moon pie cupcakes. Sweet! Cute! Nostalgic! (Stetted.com)

Why not make a yule log? (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Just look at these ube-taro and pandan-matcha eclairs. WOW. (Sun Diego Eats)

Sugar cookie dough cups. I can't stand it, and I don't think you'll be able to, either. (Culinary Concoctions by Peabody)

Single serving cookie butter cake. I could go for about twelve of these "single servings". (Kirbie's Cravings)

In case you missed it: what happens when you forget to add sugar to your cookies? (CakeSpy)

Five minutes and you get this: amazing cranberry pistachio fudge. (Sprinkle Bakes)

Honey corn muffins. I am craving these. (Jessica Gavin)

Mexican hot chocolate snowball cookies. (Love and Olive Oil)

So, this one is savory, but pretty cool: how to make DIY tomato paste. (Craftsy)

Homemade peppermint marshmallows. Do it! (The Spiffy Cookie)

Book of the week: Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays. I eat gluten, rather famously so. But I also understand that a lot of people can't or choose not to, and it truly bums me out that those peeps might miss out on traditional holiday favorites like COOKIES. This book re-creates traditional and beloved holiday classics sans gluten. Great for you, so that you can bake something for everyone, or great as a gift for your favorite gluten-free buddy. 

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Did you know that today is National Cookie Day? Check out this cookie quiz I made for Craftsy. Let me know how you do!

Lemon brownies. Really! (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Lemon snickerdoodles. I'm intrigued. (Not so Humble Pie)

2-ingredient Nutella brownies. Clever! (The Kitchn)

Mini olive oil ganache tarts. Yum. (Colavita)

Chocolate chip layer cake. YUM. (Baked Bree)

Homemade devil dogs. Awesome! (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Soft cream cheese chocolate cookies. These look so good! (Light Orange Bean)

Traditional holiday desserts from around the world. Interesting! (BHG)

Jack Daniels brownies with caramel sauce. Sounds naughty. (PBS)

Enrobing, dipping, and molding chocolate. A helpful guide! (CraftyBaking)

Resting utensils etiquette. I found this interesting. (Etiquette Scholar)

Chocolate cranberry olive oil cookies. So good. (Colavita)

Ever tried stollen? Pictured top. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Book of the week: New England Pie: History Under a Crust. I read this interview with the author, and was fascinated enough to check out the book. If you didn't already love it by the title, let me tell you if you love food history and think things taste better with a backstory, you must check out this book!