Baked goods recipes

Black pepper focaccia with freshly cracked pepper in the dough, dimpled crust glossed with olive oil, flaky sea salt, and fresh thyme. Steam-baked for a bakery-style crackle and a pillowy middle.

Jim's buttermilk bread: a sponge-method white loaf with buttermilk tang, honey, and olive oil. Soft tender crumb, two loaves from one recipe, the kind of bread that makes toast worth waking up for.

Turtle shells are a novelty edible-insect snack: cooked cicadas dipped in warm chocolate glaze and cooled into crunchy, chocolate-topped morsels. A bold entry into entomophagy for the adventurous.

Upgraded fudge cake mix recipe with whipped topping and butter flavoring for an extra-moist, tender crumb. Two layers of deep chocolate frosted all over for a showstopper with minimal effort.

Lady apple fruit wreath ringing a holiday roast with spiced crabapples frosted in tinted cream cheese and rolled in toasted pecans, set on a bed of parsley. A retro edible garnish for your festive platter.

Fruity pound cake with lemon Jello, white cake mix, and a fluffy instant pudding frosting with whipped topping. Classic 1970s shortcut layer cake.

Fruit ginger drop cookies made with gingerbread mix, candied fruit, and chopped nuts. A 4-ingredient holiday cookie ready in 25 minutes.

Quick chocolate macaroons with just four ingredients: unsweetened chocolate, shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Fudgy, chewy coconut cookies baked in 30 minutes flat.

Pillowy potato dumplings with cottage cheese and a whisper of nutmeg, boiled until tender and drizzled with melted butter. Eastern European comfort food from scratch.

Angel food cake split into four layers and filled with strawberry and chocolate ice cream. Covered in whipped cream frosting with almonds and chocolate leaves.

No-bake marshmallow candy balls with ground candied cherries and blanched almonds rolled in shredded coconut. A vintage Christmas-tin confection that's chewy, sweet, and oven-free.

Quick peanut butter cookies from a yellow cake mix, peanut butter, egg, and water. Four ingredients, no mixer needed, with that classic fork-pressed crosshatch pattern.

Friendship cake made with brandied fruit starter, cake mix, and instant pudding for a moist, boozy tube cake with nuts. Endlessly customizable with different mix and flavor combos.

Honey buttermilk bread for the bread machine: a soft, slightly sweet white loaf that uses the dough cycle, then bakes free-form in the oven. Buttermilk and honey create a tender crumb and golden crust.

Yeast-free brown rice bread made with whole wheat flour and cooked brown rice. Hand-kneaded 300 times and naturally leavened overnight. Dense, hearty, and vegan.

Whole wheat apple loaf sweetened with honey, made with buttermilk, wheat germ, and grated fresh apples. A wholesome quick bread with cinnamon and lemon zest.