Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar-Cream Cheese Frosting

This is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe.

What You'll Need:

For the cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional)

For the frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and two sugars until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add the apple sauce and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture and beat to combine. Fold in the pecans, if you're using them. Pour the batter into 18 paper-lined muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes until done, rotating the tins after 10 minutes of baking. Move the pans to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, in a medium bowl beat the cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar until completely incorporated and creamy. If you're not going to use the frosting immediately, refrigerate it until ready to use. Then bring it to room temperature and stir well before frosting.

Raspberry Cheesecake Pie

What You'll Need:

1 store-bought chocolate cookie crust

For the filling:

4 oz softened cream cheese

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup raspberries

For the glaze:

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy cream

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and egg. Beat well to combine and set aside. Layer raspberries in the crust. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the berries. Bake for 30 minutes. In a small saucepan, place the chocolate chips and cream over low heat, stirring constantly until the chips are melted. Drizzle the glaze over the pie. Refrigerate 4 hours before serving.

No-Bake Chocolate Tart

This is so easy to make!

What You'll Need:

1 store-bought chocolate cookie crust

3/4 cup half and half

3 tbsp sugar

6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup heavy cream

Chocolate curls or shavings, for topping

How to Make It:

In a microwave-safe medium bowl, stir the half and half and 2 tbsp sugar. Heat the mixture in the microwave until very hot, about 90 seconds. Add the chocolates and vanilla and stir until melted. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 3 days. Beat the cream until soft peaks form when the beaters are pulled away. Add 1 tbsp sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread the topping over the tart and top with chocolate curls or shavings.

Frozen Lime Pie

This recipe contains uncooked eggs. We all know that growing up, we were warned not to eat these things. However, because of the miracles of modern science, they are actually safe to eat. Any and all cookbooks recommend, however, that you not ingest them if you are pregnant, elderly, a small child, or you have a compromised immune system, just in case. I have served this pie many times, though, and no one has died.

What You'll Need:

Store-bought graham cracker crust

For the filling:

6 XL egg yolks, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp grated lime zest

3/4 cup lime juice (from 4-5 limes)

For the topping:

1 cup cold heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

Thinly sliced lime wedges, optional

How to Make It:

Beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, zest, and juice. Pour into the pie shell and freeze until fairly solid, about an hour. To prepare the topping, beat the cream on high speed until soft peaks form when you pull the beaters away from the cream. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm peaks form when the beaters are pulled away. Spoon onto the pie and decorate with lime wedges, if desired. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Brown Butter Toffee Blondies

This is adapted from a recipe from Martha Stewart. These are incredible, and pretty impressive. Brown butter has a wonderful hazelnut-y taste and smell. Be careful not to burn the butter- it burns when it sticks to the pan, making little burnt butter bits.

What You'll Need:

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for the pan

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups brown sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup toffee baking bits

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment; butter and flour the parchment. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter until golden brown. Remove from heat and let it cool. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the browned butter and both sugars; stir until combined. Add the eggs. Beat the mixture on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture, nuts, and toffee bits. Stir to combine thoroughly and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Turn the pan out onto a cutting board and cut the blondies to serve.

Cream Cheese Brownie Pie

What You'll Need:

1 refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 box brownie mix (plain old chocolate fudge)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp water (plus more if needed)

2 eggs

Chopped pecans, optional

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and 1 egg until smooth; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, vegetable oil, water, and the other 2 eggs. Spread half the brownie mixture in the pie crust. Carefully spread the cream cheese mixture over the brownie layer. Top with the remaining brownie mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle with pecans, if desired. Cover the edges of the pie with foil. Bake the pie 40-50 minutes, removing the foil during the last 15 minutes of baking. When the pie is done, the center will be puffed up a bit and look like fully baked brownies. Cool completely before serving. Store the leftovers (if you have any) in the refrigerator.

Broccoli Salad

This is adapted from a recipe from Pat, a friend in my Bible study group. I normally don't like broccoli, but I can't get enough of this stuff. And my husband even said "I like the salad" when I served it, which means it must be good because he rarely says anything about what I make, except for "mmm" when it's chocolate.

What You'll Need:

2 large broccoli crowns, chopped

1 heaping cup shredded Italian blend cheese

1 heaping cup shredded casserole blend cheese

1 package real bacon bits

Golden raisins, optional (I used three of those snack-sized cartons)

2 cups Miracle Whip

1 cup sugar

4 tbsp white vinegar

How to Make It:

Combine the broccoli, cheeses, bacon pieces, and raisins in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together Miracle Whip, sugar, and vinegar until creamy. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine completely. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. The salad may need to be stirred again before serving, as the dressing tends to settle into the bottom of the bowl.