Carroll's Desserts / Baking Blog

I know it sounds like a bizarre dish, but many people (like myself) enjoy that sweet (strawberries) and salty (pretzel) combination. When frozen, pretzel salad makes a great summer dessert perfect for taking to an end-of-the-summer Labor Day party.

Other Recipes Also Made with Pretzels:
Margarita Pie
Easy Chocolate Fondue

Photo © 2008 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Looking for a healthier version of traditional peanut butter cookies? This recipe for Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies is just what you need. It's made with Smart Balance Omega™ Peanut Butter and Butter Blend Stick, which both are made with Omega 3. Thanks to Smart Balance Inc. for allowing us to reprint this recipe developed by food consultant Nancy Hughes.

Photo © 2008 Smart Balance, Inc., licensed to About.com, Inc. for limited usage.

What makes these chocolate chip cookies so special is that they are made with chunks of semisweet chocolate not chips. I also like this recipe for Golden Treasure Cookies because it has a richer taste with the use of all brown sugar and no white sugar. Although, I don't have nuts in my cookies in the photo, I much prefer adding lightly toasted pecans to the cookie dough.

Photo © 2008 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Are you a subscriber to my weekly newsletter? If you aren't, then you missed getting this recipe for Magic Cobbler sent directly to your email box. Be sure to subscribe today so you won't miss one single issue.

Photo © 2008 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Don't let the messy frosting stop you. The next time you want to put a little love in your child's lunch box you'll want to follow this very simple tip.

More Cupcake Tips
Cake Recipes
Frosting and Icing Recipes

Photo © 2008 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.

You've been with them all summer. You're ready to be without them underfoot. They think they're ready to get out of your hair, but what if they're not? What if they're just a little scared to be without you all day? This article has several ideas to help make their school day better just by putting a little love in their lunch box.

Photo © 2008 Debbie Colgrove, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Complete Directions for Making Insulated Lunch Sacks

How could anyone resist this delightful cake? Not only is the Festive Flourless Chocolate Cake made with loads of chocolate, it's topped in a chocolate ganache, which is then covered in 3 flavors of chocolate shavings. To really blow their socks-off, serve each piece sitting in a pool of raspberry pureè.

Photo © 2008 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.

When we host our local supper club, we like to have dinner with an Italian theme. For the main course, my husband always likes to make his famous 3-inch deep pan of lasagna. The other couples bring the rest of the meal. On one occassion this delicious cake was brought for the dessert course. To me, what really made this light cake special was the toasted pecans. I know you'll want to take this Italian Cream Cake to your next function.

Photo © 2008 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.

While looking for refreshing cake recipes, I remembered this Lemon Poke Cake recipe Vickie E. sent me several years ago. When my daughter found out that I was baking a Lemon Cake, she wanted to know where the Poppy Seeds were.

"To kill two birds with one ..." cake recipe, I baked half of the batter in a bundette pan. I added 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the other half of the batter and baked it in a loaf pan. With or without poppy seeds, thank you Vicki for this great Lemon Poke Cake recipe.

Photo © 2008 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.

If I had to pick two words to describe this cake, they would be refreshingly cool. Enjoy this delectable three-layer, from-scratch Key Lime Cake today.

Photo © 2008 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.