drop sugar cookies

the goods:

1 and 1/4 cups white sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup coarse sugar crystals (you can use regular granulated sugar too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Mix in 1 egg yolk at a time and vanilla extract, scraping down bowl as needed. Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt and mix to combine. Be sure to scrape down the bowl and make sure everything is mixed in.

Using a medium scoop, form dough balls and roll them in sugar crystals. Place cookie balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12 minutes until the surface of each cookie is cracked and golden.

Remove from oven and allow cookies to remain on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

I was making these for my niece's baby blessing, so I decorated them with icing and edible pink pearls, but the cookies are just as delicious plain!

maple-oatmeal cookies

the goods:

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together oats, flour, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on high until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in maple syrup, egg, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, beat in oat mixture in 2 additions until just combined.

You can fold in raisins, or I baked one batch plain and then added the raisins to the remaining batter.

Drop dough in rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet until set, about 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

cadbury egg cupcakes

the goods:

1 box chocolate cake mix (or your favorite homemade recipe)

3 cans white frosting (or your favorite homemade buttercream recipe)

1 oz. yellow food coloring

48 mini Cadbury Creme Eggs (24 frozen)

Prepare batter according to package instructions. Scoop batter into paper lines cupcake tins 2/3 of the way full. Place 1 Mini Cadbury Creme Egg into the middle of each cupcakes (don't sink it too deep or it will burn on the bottom).

Using a small offset spatula, gently spread a thin layer of batter over the top of each egg.

Bake according to package instructions.

Allow to cool completely. While cupcakes are cooling, mix one can of frosting with the whole bottle of yellow food coloring, and blend well. Assemble your piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe a large circle around the perimeter of the cupcake with white frosting.

Fill in the center of the circle with the yellow frosting.

Top with a Mini Cadbury Creme Egg. Use the egg to cover up any pointy tips of frosting.

chocolate banana pops

the goods:

4 to 5 firm-ripe banana, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

sprinkles

Insert a toothpick into each banana piece. Arrange bananas, toothpick side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, 2 hours.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips in 10-second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. working quickly, dip each banana piece in chocolate, shake off excess, and cover with sprinkles. Chocolate should set quickly, but if necessary, freeze pops to harden coating before serving.