Chocolate Back-to-School Cake
Our son started Kindergarten this year, and I was excited to adopt a tradition of Joanna Goddard’s – celebrating the beginning of the school year with a cake.
This single-layer 8-inch square cake serves a small family a treat the night before school starts with enough leftover for the next night as well. It’s an easy recipe to make on a weeknight and is absolutely delicious. Rainbow sprinkles add a sweet touch of celebration.
Chocolate Sunflower Butter Energy Bites
Packing school lunches is a whole new challenge at our house. After six weeks, these protein-packed treats have become a lunchbox favorite. Any nut butter will do, though sunflower butter makes them allergy-friendly. They’re so easy to make that they’re a great hands-on activity to do with a new kindergartener, and they never come home at the end of the day (unlike those poor rejected baby carrots).
Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins
These tart-sweet lemon muffins, topped with a brown sugar crumble and lemon glaze are deliciously moist, since the cream cheese is mixed right into the batter.
Mom’s Rum Balls
When I was little, I remember mom making these rum balls for holiday parties. Made from crushed Nilla wafers, chopped nuts, cocoa, and light rum, they’re not for kids (but that didn’t stop us from sneaking one when the adults weren’t looking).
Candy Cane Blossoms
Bake these soft sugar cookies, rolled in red or green sugar sprinkles until just done, and then press a peppermint-striped Hershey kiss into the top of each cookie. They’re the perfect holiday project for a child eagerly awaiting Santa’s visit.
Jamy’s Apple Crumb Cake
Apple desserts aren’t always my favorite (I’ll choose chocolate every time), but this apple crumb cake is sooooo good. It has quite a few components (shortbread base, thinly sliced apples, custardy sauce, and crumb topping) and is a labor of love, but it’s a special dessert that’s worth the work.
Serve with a German Riesling.
Chocolate-Covered Bacon
We first tried chocolate-covered bacon at the Big Top Candy Shop on South Congress Avenue, and decided to make it for our friend Atticus’s bacon-themed first birthday party.
Making a double batch for a party on a warm Austin day wasn’t the best idea, but if you give yourself plenty of time and reserve this project for a cool day, the results are delicious.
Hungarian Pastry Jam Bars
These bars have a tender pastry base, a layer of raspberry jam, a layer of browned egg whites similar to merengue, and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts. They’re the perfect dessert for girls’ night.
Double Chocolate Quick Bread
This quick bread is moistened with apple sauce and either sour cream or Greek yogurt, and has both cocoa powder and chocolate chips.
Leesa’s Hawaiian Rainbow Jello
During my junior high years, we lived in Hawaii, and I spent most of my time at my BFF Kim’s house. Her mom often made this layered rainbow Jello, and I though it was pure magic.
Now that I have a child, I want to add a little magic to his and his friends’ lives, so I’m excited to have found the recipe.