Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, made from a recipe in The Washington Post’s 2008 Cupcake Wars contest. Awesome.

Mattie Lee’s Apple Cake….it’s even better the next day.

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Glazed Pecans

Candy Corn Cupcakes: a fun and festive treat!

Baklava made with walnuts, almonds, and pistachios.

Blueberry Upside-Downer: blueberry-pecan topping with a cinnamon-vanilla cake.

Zucchini & Caramelized Onion Pizza – with a Pumpkin Pizza Crust & Basil-Parmesan Vinaigrette drizzled on top. Delish!

Strawberry Almond Cream Tart: fresh strawberries, almond-laced cream cheese filling, and a graham cracker crust.

A Great Make-the-Morning-of Waffle, adapted from the Waffle of Insane Greatness by Molly Wizenberg

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes. Recreating an elementary school favorite.

Starry Starry Nights – dark chocolate cookies with a sugar coated crackle.

Espresso-Chocolate-Walnut Banana Bread Muffins.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cake: chocolate cake, jam filling, and peanut butter/cream cheese frosting. The kid in you will love this cake!

Swedish Visiting Cake. The hints of lemon, vanilla, and almond make it one fragrant little cake.

Spicy Chicken Peanut Noodles

The infamous “Baked” Brownie – a dense fudge-like brownie with a light, crackled crust. Amazing!

Mini mocha-walnut marbled cupcakes with sticky chocolate icing!

Apple Cider Donut Holes – baked not fried!

Healthy Mini Pumpkin Muffins with a nutty topping made of walnuts, sunflower seeds, and oats.

Thumbprint Cookies For Us Ladies – full of almonds and super fruit jam.

The (never home)maker’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows.

Mom’s chicken vegetable soup with homemade croutons. An easy, weeknight crock-pot recipe!