Baked goods recipes

Chocolate zucchini bread with melted unsweetened chocolate, grated zucchini, cinnamon, and chopped nuts baked into a rich, moist loaf. Uses the garden glut deliciously.

Classic cocoa brownies made by beating eggs and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy, then folding in cocoa, flour, melted margarine, and chopped pecans. Simple pantry ingredients, rich results.

Applesauce, quick oats and raisins flavored with warm cinnamon and cloves.

Here's a recipe that I make whenever I'm recruited to make dessert for a dinner party. It's perfect for Passover since it contains no flour, but I bake it 12 months of the year.

Caramel banana nut loaves using cake mix and pudding mix for extra moisture, loaded with real mashed bananas and walnuts, topped with a homemade caramel frosting.

Hazelnut double chunk cookies with toasted hazelnuts, chopped semi-sweet and white chocolate, and a splash of Frangelico. Half the nuts are ground into a paste that makes the dough incredibly rich and nutty.

Spinach cheese bread made with Bisquick, cream of cheddar soup, frozen spinach, and caraway seeds. A savory quick bread with green flecks throughout and a tender, cheesy crumb.

Buttery slice-and-bake cookies studded with chopped almonds or hazelnuts, then dipped in melted chocolate. Crisp, nutty, and elegant enough for a holiday cookie box.

Cheese puff muffins made with choux pastry dough, sharp cheddar, eggs, and a hint of cayenne. Crispy outside, hollow and airy inside. A savory twist on classic French gougères.

Poinsettia pie with a chocolate wafer crust, creme de menthe chiffon filling, and decorative red and white chocolate leaves arranged like the holiday flower. A Christmas centerpiece dessert.

Biscotti ai pignoli are Italian pine nut cookies made with a warmed sugar-egg foam, lemon zest, and cake flour. Crisp, golden Sicilian-style sweets topped with pine nuts. Makes 36 cookies.

Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake), a classic German yeast cake with a caramelized almond topping and vanilla pudding filling. A bakery favorite made at home.

Sweet potato pie with warm brandy, fresh lemon zest, and a sprinkle of chopped citron over the top. The brandy-citrus brightness lifts the spiced filling into something more sophisticated than typical sweet potato pie.

Chewy homemade bagels from scratch with just 5 ingredients: whole wheat flour, yeast, honey, salt, and water. Boiled then baked with your favorite toppings. From counter to table in about an hour.

Neapolitan torte stacks chocolate, vanilla, and pink cake layers with green cream cheese filling and chocolate frosting. A retro Italian-flag-colored layer cake from boxed mixes.

Chocolate Pecan Shortbread with Chocolate Glaze recipe