The year is coming to an end. 2012 was my first year of blogging and while I personally made, ate, and loved everything I posted to share with all of you, my wonderful readers, I liked some better than others. With my blog audience growing, albeit slowly, I wanted to share with you my favorite recipes from the past year to make sure you don’t miss out on some stellar goodies certain to make your New Year much sweeter!
It was the first thing I posted and I never tire of this recipe. Great, flaky pie crust, tons of crunchy pecans, and that traditional sweet, gooey goodness made just a little better with bourbon and maple syrup. I know a lot of you have said you love pecan pie, so this is for sure a recipe for you.
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Caramelized Mango Buttercream
Okay, so these cupcakes aren’t exactly the easiest to make, but they are incredible. From the moist and spicy gingerbread cake to the ginger soaking syrup to the smooth and creamy, never too sweet French buttercream with mango puree added, they are a labor of love that will leave your taste buds singing.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Filling
Mom’s favorite and one of mine, I make these several times a year and they never disappoint. Ever. Super moist pumpkin cakes filled with sticky homemade marshmallow filling so good you’ll never buy marshmallow fluff from the store again. In fact, I just made these for Christmas and have updated the post with new photos. What are you waiting for? You need to make these.
Another instant hit, these have a rich and buttery shortbread crust with perfectly tart lemon topping. I’m quite picky about lemon desserts, but I love this one with a great balance between sweet and sour, never bitter, flavors.
These are the best cookies I’ve ever had. Like Funfetti boxed cake mixes, but a million times better. They’ll take you right back to childhood with a heaping helping of rainbow sprinkles. The sweet cookies have a slightly crunchy rim, with soft centers, all enhanced by the Birthday Cake Crumble. I think I need to go make these again right now.
Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Muffins
Quite the breakfast treat, these are packed with peanut butter, peanut butter chips, and Reese’s Pieces. It doesn’t get much better than that. Plus, it is up to you whether to eat them for breakfast or dessert.
Baking with fresh fruit is one of my favorite things to do. The combination of apricots and cherries sings in this lightly spiced cake with a super soft and addictive crumb topping. I love the layers of flavor and texture separately, but together they make one amazing dessert.
I’m obsessed with blackberries and my dad is kind enough to pick them for me every summer, so I’m always looking for recipes using them. This may just be my favorite. Sweet, crumbly shortbread crust and topping encase a creamy center studded with blackberries. These bars are great warm out of the oven, cooled to room temperature, straight from the refrigerator, or slightly thawed from the freezer, when they taste reminiscent to ice cream. Wishing I still had some in the freezer right now . . .
This is the first pie I made and there’s a reason I keep coming back to it year after year, baking it becoming a summer tradition: I love this pie. Flaky crust is another important part of this pie, but the filling that allows fresh peaches and blackberries to shine with a little sweetness, spice, and alcohol for good measure is unlike any other. Summer in a pie.
If you make one thing from my blog, I really hope it will be these. My signature treat, the blondie is thick and dense without ever being greasy and the caramel in the middle . . . well, everything’s better with caramel in the middle. These are rich with complex flavors and never become cloyingly sweet.
If you love blueberries, this is the dessert for you. Sure there’s a great cake and awesome crumble, but the star of this show is blueberries. There are more berries than cake or crumble, as slicing into it reveals a blue-purple masterpiece.
Perhaps the most dangerous thing I make because it’s so good no one can stop eating it. Crunchy cereal, smooth Biscoff coating, and tons of powdered sugar make this no bake treat good any time of day all year long.
The first time I worked with almond paste, this cake showed me what a vital ingredient it is. Moist cake, tons of fresh cherries, an almond scented glaze, and the perfect crumble with homemade almond paste. This cake will have you going back for more and more with layers of flavors and textures that are meant for each other.
Vanilla Reese’s Pieces Cookies
Vanilla beans are my new favorite cookie ingredient. They add a layer of complexity unmatched by any other cookie addition. In this cookie the beans combine with vanilla extract to make a lovely vanilla cookie that’s still a little gooey in the center and is studded with Reese’s Pieces. Good any way you serve them, I like them best warm with melty Reese’s Pieces.
Gingerbread Marshmallow Biscoff Bars
I know these were just posted but you have to make these because they are so easy and have tons of different flavors and textures that are a match made in heaven. One of the least complicated, but most impressive things I’ve made, I am in love with these bars from the shortbread crust to the marshmallow center to the Biscoff, cereal, and walnut topping.
Well that’s enough to keep you busy for awhile, and I can’t wait to share more recipes with you! Thank you for all of your support throughout this year and I hope you continue to visit in the next!
Great top 15! Everyone looks and sounds so good. I hope this year I can try each and every one of these. You will make a baker of me yet…. Happy New Year and great job with your blog. It is on the way to being a hit for sure.
Thanks, Debbie! If you try all of these, you will be doing some amazing eating next year 🙂 Happy New Year yo you too, and thanks for all your support. Hopefully 2013 will be the year!
Wow what a list. I can’t pick one favorite out of this selection. The whoopie pies would be near the top though.
It’s tough to choose favorites, I have to agree that the whoopie pies are pretty awesome!
CONGRATS on a great year for you Laura. It’s a never ending journey. So glad to see some of my favorites make this list like the peach blackberry pie and pumpkin whoopie pies. 🙂
Thank you so much for your support and encouragement, Sally! It means so much. I can’t wait until it’s summer again to make the peach blackberry pie.
What a great group of recipes! I’ve made the Gingerbread Cupcakes with Caramelized Mango Buttercream before, and I was just thinking of them the other day. I need to make them again soon!
Thanks, Lisa, and thanks for visiting 🙂 I need to make the cupcakes again too. I can’t believe it’s almost been a whole year since I made them.
The caramel blondies are at the top. As others have stated there’s a lot of very good recipes that believe it or not I liked them all. Great job for 2012, can’t wait to see what you cons up with next yr.
I love the caramel blondies too, Eric! I’m glad you enjoyed everything. Happy New Year 🙂
I love them all but again the Pumpkin Whoopie pies are my favorite! Love the frosting. You have made some great recipes and more to come. I hope 2013 is your year! Keep up the good work and something good will happen.
Oh, yeah, the pumpkin whoopie pies are awesome! I really hope 2013 is my year too 🙂
Those blackberry pie bars looks amazing – I love any kind of hand-held pie dessert. I hope you had a great xmas and that you have an excellent New Year!
Thanks, Sydney! Happy New Year to you as well 🙂 The blackberry pie bars are outstanding. They are a very unique dessert too, which I always love.
Oh boy, this is not easy. For the cookie it’s the Momofuku. For the bar, I can’t decide!
It is so hard to choose favorite recipes. I think the Momofuku cookies are my all-time favorite. There’s something irresistible about them
Great list, they all look incredible. I have my eye set on making the maple bourbon pecan pie, how decadent!
Thanks, Natalie! The maple bourbon pecan pie never disappoints. I can’t imagine pecan pie without maple syrup and bourbon in it now. Let me know if you make it.
I think one of the first desserts we tried is still our favorite- the Plum Cherry Crumble. I’ve used that recipe many times trying different fruit like peaches, apples and pumpkin!! The topping is especially good and tastes great with all the variations!
Thanks for a great year with “pies and plots” and best wishes for the New Year!
I really loved the Plum Cherry Crumble too, Mary. It was crazy hard to choose just a few when I loved them all! It sounds so good with pumpkin. I’ll have to try that 🙂 Thank you for all your support! Happy New Year to you and your family!
That is one mouth watering year! I want to make everything in the list : )
Espeically those caramel blondies! Mmmmm!
The caramel blondies hold a special place in my heart as they are an original recipe that took forever to perfect. I love them so much. I need to make those again!
I think my waist has expanded five inches just by staring at these photos! LOL Each and every one of them looks decadent and irresistible.
Thanks, Carolyn! A lot of them are pretty decadent . . . but everything in moderation, right? 🙂
Ok, I want you to know I have gone back and read all the posts I’ve missed since I went to Ohio. I love your Christmas-y traditions. I love your ornaments. I love the fact that you have fun baking with your mom. I love peppermint marshmallows. and I love that we’ve become friends this year!
Kayle, that is the sweetest comment ever! Thank you for always visiting and leaving comments and being so supportive. I’m so glad we became friends too! I hope you had a great time in Ohio and can’t wait to see a new blog post from you.
There are two that stand out among the many I’ve had the pleasure to sample, and sample I did this year, sometimes 3 of each when possible; Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting, and Pumpkin Snack Cake with Frosting. I think they are essentially the same base just in different mediums, but nonetheless, I loved both of them. Congratulations on a successful and tasty year.
Thank you so much, Arturo! I’m glad you enjoyed my recipes this year, especially the pumpkin ones. Thank you for all of your words of encouragement 🙂
Aria and I loved the Momofuku Confetti Cookies – they were so fun and yummy! What great success you have had this year, you should be very proud. Can’t wait to see what you stir up for next year 🙂
I loved those confetti cookies too, Jessica! I need to make another batch to combat this sad winter weather. Sprinkles make everything better 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind words and unending support. It means so much to me.
My favorite for 2012 was the Caramel Blondies! That was a tough choice, because you made soooo many great deserts and treats in 2012. It’s only going to get better in 2013, can’t wait!
Thank you so much, Lendon! I loved the caramel blondies too. I am hoping for bigger, better, and yummier things for 2013 🙂