[Photographs: Donna Currie] I wanted to use completely edible items for the whole birdie, so I used slivered almonds for the beaks and chocolate pearls for the eyes. I was a little concerned the eyes might melt and make a... More

[Photograph: Donna Currie] What Worked: While these wouldn't be considered healthy, if you're going to eat cinnamon buns, you might as well add whole wheat. Except for the color, you'd never know these were whole grain buns. What Didn't: For... More

The dough for these rolls isn't overly sweet. Too much sugar in a dough can result in a poor rise, so I kept the dough just slightly sweeter than usual. It was light, fluffy, and perfect for pulling off little bits to nibble on. The sweetness came from the sugar and cinnamon, while the apple added just a bit of tartness and interesting texture to the party. There were a few chewy caramelized bits of sugar around the outer edges of the rolls—a little bonus. More

It's embarrassing how many types of rye flour I usually have on hand. I love rye. Rye chops aren't a type of flour, though. Essentially they're roughly cut rye berries. They're chunky bits, sort of like the steel cut oats of the rye world. More

In elementary school, on special occasions, we used to get ice cream after lunch in the cafeteria. We had a choice of three desserts: a Hoodsie, a Nutty Buddy, or—my favorite—an ice cream sandwich. What could be better than rich, velvety ice cream squished between two pliant pieces of chocolate cookie? Years later, I still love ice cream sandwiches above all other frozen treats. That's why I was excited to try out Stonewall Kitchen's Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie Mix. More

This recipe is a three-fer. Yup. Three different bread recipes in one. I was already baking two loaves for other people, then decided to make a third for myself (why not, right?). But instead of making a triple batch of one dough, I made three different doughs—rye, white wheat, and oatmeal—then combined them in a braided loaf. More

The best thing about this tart is its versatility. You can use almost any nuts for the crust and topping. I've made it with almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts, and they were all delicious. You can also use any flavor of... More

They aren't as orange or as sweet-potato-y as other bread I've made with this same flour, but it still adds a subtle flavor and a pretty color without hitting you over the head that they're different. The flavor is, for lack of a better term, buttery. More

What's even better than buying cinnamon rolls is making them. Because the smell of cinnamon and sweet yeasty bread baking is almost as good as eating the rolls. (Almost.) These are great fresh from the oven, when they're just a little bit warm. Leftovers are great for French toast or bread pudding. If you have leftovers. More

Though we've been talking about bread on Serious Eats for quite awhile, I've never posted my most basic, generic, and foolproof bread recipe. This is the one I make when I need a buns or a loaf of bread and I don't want to mess with the formula and I don't feel like tossing in herbs, flavorings, nuts, or anything else. This is just plain white bread. More