Lately I've been obsessed with making pizza. It began with (I'll admit it) a Boboli renaissance," but has graduated to pizza crust mixes. Free from worries about yeast, arduous kneading, and second rises, nothing is more fun than hanging out in the kitchen, sipping wine and scouring the fridge for inspired toppings. Recently, I picked up a box of Ecco La Pasta's Parmesan Pizza Crust Mix (available in select Williams-Sonoma stores for $12), hoping it would deliver something like Pizza Hut's stuffed crust—but be a bit more, ahem, refined. More

Our gift-guide marathon continues. Don't know a baking-mix maven? Try our full complement of lists. —Ed. Though from-scratch kitchen projects can be very rewarding (and delicious), sometimes the shortcuts are just too good. These throw-it-together mixes—ranging from cider donuts to funnel cake, brownies, and flan—make great gifts. Stonewall Kitchen Eggnog Pancake and Waffle Mix: A breakfast flavored with all the ingredients traditionally found in the holiday drink—except the booze. Remedy that by serving them drizzled with maple syrup warmed in a saucepan with a tablespoon or two of bourbon or rum. Available online at stonewallkitchen.com, $5.99 Dean Jacobs Funnel Cake Kit Perfect for kids (or carnies). With two cake mixes, powdered sugar topping, a funnel cake pitcher, frying ring, tongs,... More

Christmas is here, and 'tis the season of splurging—when it comes to both cash and calories. On a recent shopping trip to Williams-Sonoma I couldn't resist picking up a box of this Sugarplum Crumble Specialty Bread Mix, which promised to be "a festive bread studded and swirled with sweet plums and topped with crystallized ginger streusel." The price seemed at little steep at $14.00, but the friendly sales associate persuaded me, with much eye rolling and gesticulation, saying that it was "brand new and absolutely amazing." Since I had offered to bring dessert to an upcoming holiday party, I figured, why not? Bread, loaf cake—what's the difference?... More

With all the intense preparation needed for Thanksgiving dinners, a baking mix or sauce mix here and there isn't going to make or break the authenticity of your meal. The key is to use mixes that actually make life easier, rather than ones that complicate your free time. While I may not be preparing a whole meal for the holidays, the least I can do is bring a side dish, or perhaps, a bag of fresh buttermilk biscuits. So when Ed Levine handed me a pack of Organic Southern Buttermilk Biscuit Mix ($10.50 at Williams-Sonoma, at stores only) to try at home, I happily obliged and got to work. The tools necessary: the mix, a stick of unsalted butter,... More

My mom's version of Monkey Bread; my version from the King Arthur Flour mix Every Christmas morning for as long as I can remember, my mom would make her version of classic Monkey Bread using Pillsbury dough, with at least a stick of butter and a cup of sugar (if not double of both). I have such fond memories of the bread that I set out to recreate it with the King Arthur Flour Classic Monkey Bread Mix ($12.50, williams-sonoma.com) and its accompanying baking mold ($29.95, williams-sonoma.com). This mix is not about saving time or saving calories; start to finish the process was approximately 3 1/2 hours, including waiting time (and lots of cleaning). For a good laugh, I... More

It all started with the pears. In 1910, Seattle hotelier Samuel Rosenberg traded the opulent Hotel Sorrento for 240 acres of pear trees in southern Oregon. Following his untimely death in 1914, his two sons, Harry and David, took over the business, and, in the wake of the Great Depression, began selling their special "Royal Riviera" Comice pears by mail. The rest is history. Almost a century later, Harry & David is an umbrella organization that encompasses everything from fresh fruits and spiced nuts to chocolate truffles, salsas, barbecue sauces, relishes, and that dangerously addictive candied popcorn snack, Moose Munch. They also have mixes for all kinds of baked goods, such as scones, pancakes, and cookies. This being hot, sticky... More