Lately, I’ve been trying to bake with conventional flour a little bit less. After all, I’ve got a GF spouse, so it’s the least I can do. The good news is, this bread is still amazing, gluten or no. And it’s filled with strawberries and chocolate chips (and covered in chocolate)!

Can we say thank you? Someone. Please. I’m hungry for praise and dessert.

This is the week my students take the AP test I’ve been preparing them all year for, and I’m feeling pretty good. They’re ready to excel, and I’m ready to sit back and take a deep breath. Another year slowly ends, and another crop of students can now write better than they could nine months ago. I’ll take it.

It’s pretty sad that teenagers have such a bad reputation in our society, because they’re great. They work so hard, and they still believe in making a difference for the better in our world. People complain about them being tuned out with headphones and smartphones, but have you looked around? That’s the adults. They’re just as bad. And they’re old enough to know better.

Even though it’s hard to change your perceptions, try and give adolescents a break. There’s nothing wrong with their generation that wasn’t wrong with yours, too. And they’re dealing with the technology piece as well, which makes their lives a lot more complicated than we can possibly understand. They need support, not condemnation.

Okay, my PSA is over. Let’s get back to dessert. Which, incidentally, teens tend to love as much or more than adults. Their sugar tolerance is higher. Or maybe it’s just their metabolic rate.

This bread is all about moisture. I put in a hefty dose of brown sugar to make that happen, as well as some buttermilk. If you don’t keep buttermilk handy, just take a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice (not both!) and put it in a cup, filling the rest with milk up to the one-cup mark. That will work too!

Once the chocolate chips are worked in and a thick chocolate glaze is poured on top, this bread is the ultimate indulgence. And there’s no butter in it or flour. So it’s even kind of healthy!

Take this week to appreciate our younger generation, who will be our bosses soon enough. And enjoy a slice (or five) of this chocolate-covered strawberry bread while you’re at it!

First of all, they often just change seasonally, if at all. And when they do change, there are a couple of standbys that never shift. At any given time of year, you can be pretty sure that there will be crème brulee and molten chocolate cake on the menu, along with a fruit-based dessert (tart or crisp, usually) and an assortment of ice creams and sorbets.

Don’t get me wrong. I love all those things. But why can’t pastry chefs be allowed to really get creative? To have more fun? And, dare I suggest it, change the menu at least (gasp!) monthly? Would that be so terrible? It’s more expensive for restaurant owners, of course. But let the pastry chefs do what they do best!

You see, I’ve pretty much accepted the fact that dessert at restaurants is no longer worth it, both in that it’s overpriced and mundane. I order it on special occasions, or at special restaurants, and then leave the rest of my indulgences to my own baking. At home, I take risks. I try new things. That guarantee doesn’t exist in fine dining anymore.

Take this strawberry ganache tart. I can make this whole tart for a fraction of what one slice would cost at a restaurant, and it tastes amazing. It’s pretty, too, and a great option for an at-home date this Valentine’s Day.

Listen, I’m not trying to pretend that running a restaurant is easy, nor do I think that I could do an amazing job in that setting. But here at home, this tart is making me plenty happy. In fact, after I added the last touch of drizzle and stepped back to examine the finished product, my heart sang a little. Nothing is prettier than a finished tart!

It was hard to destroy the prettiness and cut it up into slices, but the good news is, I gave half away and froze the other half for this coming weekend. Saturday night after the kids are in bed and the angels are singing, Kenny and I will have some tart and wine. It’s the perfect date.

And maybe I’ll stop being so, well, emphatic about dessert menus at restaurants. This is the season of love, after all. But if you are a creative soul, you might want to think about making your desserts mainly at home and saving the restaurant splurges for the occasional creative departure from the norm on the dessert menu. That makes it all the more special.

Before that starts, though, I wanted to make sure your holiday pie plans are all set. The week of Thanksgiving I shared four pie recipes with you, but there are so many more that I love. Here’s a review of my favorites!

First up is this Peanut Butter Oreo Pie. Honestly, this might be my favorite thing that I’ve made all year. I don’t usually pick and choose, but I couldn’t stop eating this. Instead of giving at least half away, which is my usual modus operandi, I kept this thing and hid it from everyone else. Slice after slice made its way into me, and I missed it like an old friend once it was gone.

Luckily, it’s easy to make! Most of my pie recipes don’t require knocking yourself out. Even the fanciest pies, like this Strawberry Cream Pie, don’t require crazy amounts of effort. I made this at the end of the school year as a celebration, and unfortunately, my fellow teachers destroyed it before I even got a slice. So not cool!

If you’re a food blogger and you want to taste your own food before it leaves your kitchen (which is pretty much a requirement), then the most fun part of the job is taking pictures of a slice and then eating that slice, bit by bit, after the photo shoot is over. With this Peanut Butter Cup Cheesepake (not a typo!), I more shoveled it into my mouth. This pie/cheesecake hybrid had me. I was powerless to resist it, most especially because I melted peanut butter chips directly into the graham cracker crust. Can we say crack, anyone?

Most recently, I’ve been obsessed with my Chocolate Linzer Tart. There are two slices left in my freezer, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be gone by tomorrow. This big guy was the sleeper star of our Thanksgiving table, and the crust is one of the best I’ve ever made. It’s flaky, crumbly, and buttery. You can’t go wrong.

I plan to make a lot more pie, but let’s face it. This time of year is the best for good pie recipes, and then we have a bit of a dry spell until summer pie season, when all those amazing fruits burst forth. If you’re looking for something a little different than the typical winter pie, try one of these!

You see, my husband and I had to have margaritas last night. I knew at the time it wasn’t going to feel good this morning. I knew it. But I went ahead anyway. And I know that my past self isn’t sorry, and my future self won’t be either. But man, my present self is a little ticked off.

On the plus side, we made it through the holiday with a minimum of our usual string of disasters, with the exception of my son getting sick once again. What is it with my child? Does he enjoy curling up on the couch with his stuffed animals and conking out? Actually, that sounds pretty good right about now. Or anytime, really.

Morning after woes aside, this strawberry cream pie reminds me of why I love this time of year. Dads have it best. They always get mid-June for Father’s Day, when fruits are at their peak and you can make delicious desserts like this.

Moms get May, which isn’t nearly as nice. I guess it’s better than February. But this pie would actually work really well on Mother’s Day, too.

Or any holiday! To be honest, I made this for my colleague’s birthday, not for Father’s Day. And I really wanted to take a picture of a slice, all dripping with delicious filling. Because there is an amazing creamy layer underneath those strawberries composed mainly of…wait for it…cream cheese. And heavy cream. Hel-lo!

But I literally turned around to take care of something and when I came back to my office, the pie was gonesies. Totally and completely obliterated. I never even got to try a slice! Though everyone told me that it was super amazing and I know they’re telling the truth. I work with teachers. We’re brutal.

It’s a pretty easy pie to make and it looks beautiful. Don’t forget to melt the white chocolate on the crust and drizzle more on top! It adds a certain panache.

Okay, I’m gonna go get a Tylenol. My evening ended with a mild head injury after the margaritas. Stupid car door.

But hey, enjoy the pie! Don’t eat it all while I’m gone.

Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust (I used the Immaculate Baking brand)
• 1 cup white chocolate chips, divided
• 2 packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature (I used low-fat)
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 and 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 cups sliced strawberries (fresh, not frozen!)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a pie plate with cooking spray.

Press the pie crust onto the pie plate, working the pastry up the sides. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden.

Sprinkle half of the white chocolate chips on the crust. After two minutes, spread the melted chips all over the crust. Put the crust in the refrigerator to allow the white chocolate to harden for about 20 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, heavy cream and vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating after each addition, until all the powdered sugar is mixed in.

Spoon the filling into the crust, smoothing it out evenly. Arrange the sliced strawberries in a pattern over the filling.

Take the remaining white chocolate and heat it in the microwave until melted, about one minute. Stir and then immediately drizzle the white chocolate over the strawberries.

Chill the pie for anywhere from three hours to overnight. Serve cold, and keep it covered in the refrigerator when not serving.

Well, these aren’t cake. They’re bars. But really, who cares? It’s all about the crumbs, baby! And this simple recipe has crumbs upon crumbs to the point that they’re spilling out of the pan and straight into your mouth, where they melt as you sigh in ecstasy.

Before I keep using the word “crumbs,” let me explain how this magic happens with little effort on your part.

See, this recipe uses yellow cake mix. Yep, it’s a cheat! And quite a good one, I might add. Whipping this up takes ten minutes or less, and what better way to use up a box of cake mix that has been sitting in your pantry for too long because your husband bought it by accident when you told him you wanted all-purpose flour?

Sorry, sorry.  I got carried away again. It happens. Ahem. Back to the yumminess. See how I couldn’t stop the crumbs from falling onto the plate? That’s a good thing, y’all.

Basically, you mix the quick oats into the yellow cake mix, add melted butter, and make crumbs. Some of them go in the bottom of the pan for crust, and the rest of them get crumbled on top. You can pick your filling. I chose strawberry jelly and white chocolate chips, but raspberry jelly and dark chocolate would work just as well. It’s not about that. It’s about the topping, which we’ve already established. See the topping? It’s crumbtastic!

The result is rewarding and addictive. I’m not really a yellow cake mix person, but in this form it’s both unrecognizable and fantastic. And let’s face it: I’m also a sucker for a good bar cookie. Especially one that I can make while my three kids are having a play date with two other kids and I’m trying to make sure that nobody gets maimed.

Give this a shot. It’s foolproof, and you’ll impress your friends! Crumbs. Crumbs. Crumbs. It’s go time!

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 and 1/2 cups quick oats (do not use regular oats)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 10 oz. white chocolate chips
• 1/2 jar strawberry jelly

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, letting the foil overhang the sides of the pan for easy removal later on. Coat with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the yellow cake mix and oats thoroughly. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture forms crumbs. Press several handfuls of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan to make a crust, reserving the rest.

Spread a thin layer of jelly over the crust, and then sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the jelly evenly. Finally, crumble the rest of the topping over the chocolate chips, being sure that the crumbs vary from larger to medium-sized.

Bake for 25 minutes until the crumbs are turning golden. Remove from the oven and cool. Cut into bars or triangles. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.