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My mother in law is a great baker. She really loves to go all out and make delicious treats for the holidays and anyone’s birthday. She is pretty famous for her ultra special, secret recipe of Hershey’s chocolate cake. It is rich, very chocolatey and totally delicious. I know, there are so many chocolate cakes out there, but hers is truly the best! Everyone always begs her to make it for their birthday and she gladly does.

Another thing that she makes often is a Yule log cake. It is so cool because it is a perfect chocolate cake wrapped so neatly and tightly with a chocolate filling. My gosh, it is beautiful to cut and looks so elegant. Now, I know the holidays are behind us and a Yule log really is not in season anymore, but I want to show you this amazing option! This is a log cake as well, but the filling is green and minty. It is such a refreshing treat. I absolutely love the combination of mint and chocolate, and if you do too, you are going to LOVE this easy to make and super impressive dessert. Give it a try and you will not be disappointed!

Photo and recipe courtesy of My Recipe Confessions.

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Quick Tip: Never frost a cake until it has completely cooled.

About a couple of years ago during the holiday season, Panera Bread debuted a new line of cookies: holiday red velvet crinkle cookies. They were as chocolatey as red velvet can be, filled with lots of white chocolate chips, then crinkled up as they baked and dusted with powdered sugar. They were the perfect combination (and ratios!) of sweet to chocolatey to red for the amazing red velvet! They were quite a hit and we went almost daily to pick up a few of those cookies and bring them home.

Fast forward a year or two and they do not serve them anymore. I guess we were the only faithful customers for those amazing red velvet cookies. So, I decided we had to do something about it. Instead of complaining to Panera Bread, we decided we would make them at home. We realized they were super easy to make with just a couple of other ingredients besides a boxed cake mix and we had great cookies in the end. So, with that great experience, I decided to play around with other flavors. I discovered that chocolate crinkle cookies taste just as great, and look even better than the red velvet.

Photo and recipe courtesy of The Baking Chocola-tess.

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Quick Tip: Serve these with a bowl of strawberries.

Coconuts. Man, I used to hate them when I was little! I live in coconut paradise: Miami, Florida. We practically have fresh coconuts to enjoy year round, and everyone takes advantage of it. When we traveled, it was always to the Dominican Republic and that is where coconuts are famous. You just sit on the beach, relaxing and a guy who sells coconuts will stop by and if you want one, he will crack it open, peeling the skin back until it is just barely open, and the pop a straw right in. It is pretty cool.

Nowadays, I am more of a coconut fan. To be honest, I still do not like to drink the juice (although the little coconut preparing bit is awesome!) but I do like shaved coconut flakes, or coconut flavored foods. That is why I am thrilled to share this recipe with you. This creamy coconut pie reminds me of summer days on the beach, basking in the sun and splashing in the ocean. So if you are missing those summer days on this cold winter morning, feel free to make yourself this pie, turn the heater on, and watch a beach movie while you take bite after bite!

Photo and recipe courtesy of Bunny’s Warm Oven.

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Quick Tip: Top with cherries for a pop of color.

My dad cannot eat chocolate because of his arrhythmia. The caffeine in chocolate alters his heart in a way that can be very detrimental for him. He has even passed out because of eating a bit of chocolate. So, for that reason, we always try to look for recipes that cut back on the chocolate. Instead of making brownies for dessert, we make cheesecake. Instead of making chocolate chip cookies, we make sugar cookies. These little habits help my dad stay healthy and all of us as well.

I am a lover of cookies so I am always looking for a new and improved recipe that is different than the last I made. I love the classic chocolate chip cookie, but sometimes I just feel like enjoying a nice oatmeal cookie or raisin bran. I know, it is weird, but I get bored easily. I need to switch it up.

That is how I found this recipe that really helps me satisfy my cravings. It is a bit strange, very nutty and totally delicious! I know it is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love all kinds of nuts, so this is a perfect cookie. Give it a try, whether you are a nut lover or not. You might find yourself becoming one!

Photo and recipe courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction.

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Quick Tip: If you’d like, feel free to add white chocolate chips.

I think banana muffins are the first thing I ever learned how to bake. They were so easy with the “dump and go” mentality. All you had to do (at least in my mom’s recipe) was dump everything in a bowl, mix it up until well incorporated, put in a greased loaf dish and pop in the oven for an hour. DONE! I used to take pride in my banana bread and serve it to anyone and everyone who would come over. I loved seeing ripe bananas because I knew that would be my chance!

Nowadays, I still make banana bread pretty often- specifically banana muffins like these. Boy have I played with the recipe, too! I do not just mix up the classic recipe and go, oh no! I switch it up almost every single time. Sometimes I add diced pineapple, other times, some chocolate chips, and more often than not, a handful of diced pecans. They are what make this treat perfect by adding that little crunch to the end result. This recipe is so easy, and even better than the one I used to make as a kid with my mom. And the fact that they are muffins? Even better!

Photo and recipe courtesy of The Cozy Cook.

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Quick Tip: Stir in any of your favorite toppings

I love trifles. They look pretty in this trifle bowl and they’re very easy to make. My favorite trifle recipe was the one I used to help make as a kid. Grandma always used the freshest and biggest strawberries, the ones she bought fresh from her neighbor. It really made a huge difference compared to those packaged strawberries from the grocery store. She also made her very own whipped cream because she was never a fan of store-bought cream. Before she arranged the ingredients into the trifle bowl, she dipped the strawberries into this thick, glassy syrup, coating them until they were shiny like crystal fruits. I would always be one of the first ones to have a serving glass ready; that and a cute pout that would give me that first serving. Grandma’s weakness were her grandchildren’s puppy dog expressions.

Nowadays, there are a number of trifle recipes you can find anywhere. Most of them have been shared by people who experienced eating these treats as kids; recipes that have been passed from one generation to another. The most interesting trifle recipe that caught my eye lately is this one that combines the richest dessert ingredients—peanut butter, cream, and chocolates. Nothing can get richer than this.

Photo courtesy of Lou Lou Sucre. Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.

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Quick Tip: Tastes best with a strong cup of coffee.

If I asked you what your comfort food was, you would probably tell me the name of some kind of pasta or cookie. Because when we talk about what “comfort food” means, it’s literally something that calms you when you’re feeling angry and lights you up when you’re feeling down. Most of the time, these comfort food dishes are the classic recipes from the older generation, particularly a kind of pasta or a kind of dessert. Your parents or grandparents have probably made these meals to make you feel safe and loved.

My comfort food has always been oatmeal raisin cookies. You can make me do anything if you bake me a good batch of these treats. I am not too much of a fan of raisin. For me, they’re these annoying dried fruit that get stuck between your teeth. But oatmeal and raisin together are a good pair. And this recipe from All Recipes will remind you how good of a team these two ingredients are when it comes to making a perfect dessert that everyone will surely love.

Photo and recipe courtesy of All Recipes.

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Quick Tip: You can cut put chocolate chips on the dough if you prefer.