dessert

When my mom took me shopping to pick out a cake for my third birthday party, I perused the cake case and almost immediately zeroed in on a pure white coconut layer cake, crowned by a single gleaming red maraschino cherry. Now, this wouldn't seem out of the ordinary, except for one key factor: I hated coconut (and still do).

Not looking to tempt a meltdown, my mom gave in and had the cake boxed up for the celebration. Later, after blowing out the candles, I refused to try even the tiniest taste, instead gobbling up the maraschino cherry with glee, sated by that single cheery cherry. Today, my mom likes to joke that she could have gotten away with just buying a jumbo-size jar of maraschino cherries, with better success for all parties involved.

So when my mom mentioned that my (much younger) brother requested a carrot cake for his birthday, I panicked slightly. Would he be expecting the carrot cake equivalent of that notorious coconut cake? Were his eyes filled with dreams of piped frosting carrots, rather than the contents within? Craftier folk might have practiced piping diminutive carrots ad nauseam until they came out with bakery-level precision. But I know my limitations: my shaky hands are capable of a clean and simple frosting job at best, so I trudged on, and held my hopes high that my brother would be wise beyond his years and enjoy the cake for its sweet and spicy flavor, rather than a deftly packaged product.

Keep reading for the recipe.

No, there are no insects involved in grasshopper pie. We're not sure why this mint-chocolate pie obtained the name it did, but we do know that these mint-green miniature pies are a festive way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The mason jars make it easy to transport the pie; simply screw on the tops and garnish the pies with whipped cream when you're ready to serve.

Crush Oreo cookies to create the chocolate pie crust, and top each jar with a hefty scoop of minty, marshmallowy filling. Garnish the mason jars with a tall peak of whipped cream, a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips, and a mint leaf.

Click here to view the recipe.

Sometimes less really is more; case in point: these tender, pared-down bars of Scottish shortbread made up of little more than butter, sugar, salt, flour, and cornstarch. Sure, one could jazz them up with a hefty pinch of citrus zest, a drizzle of melted chocolate, chopped nuts, or a vast variety of other additions, but something about their simplicity and purity of buttery flavor is what makes them a star in my eyes, and those just about everyone who's tried them.

I've been making this particular recipe for over a decade, and for good reason. Their effort-to-reward ratio is shockingly high — I've been making them unassisted since my tweens — they keep well, and their rich comforting flavor is soul-soothing whether nibbled on unadorned or generously dolloped with a bit of jam or preserves. Given their short ingredient list, use the best butter you can get your hands on; it will make all the difference.

So what are you waiting for? Make this shortbread today.

Hostess may have shut down last year, but that doesn't mean you can't still get your chocolate cream-filled cupcake fix!

Start by making an easy, classic chocolate cupcake that's fluffy and moist.

Build a surprise on the inside of each cupcake with a vanilla marshmallow filling using marshmallow fluff as a base. If you have any leftovers, make a fluffernutter sandwich with the marshmallow cream and peanut butter.

To fill the cupcakes, simply dive the star tip of the pastry bag into each cupcake's center. To fill each cupcake with the same amount, twist off a small section of the pastry bag (toward the tip) and only squeeze that amount (or less) into the cupcake. This little technique allows you to keep everything consistent, since you can't see how much marshmallow filling is actually in the center of each cupcake.

Take your time when icing the curlicue pattern: try to pipe the circles so that the edges touch each other.

OK, enough already! Time to dive in to discover that always-exciting cream center. See the Hostess-inspired cupcake recipe.