This time of year, white chocolate macadamia recipes abound—in holiday cookies, bars, cakes, and more. But how did this delicious pairing come to be? Does anyone really know its origins? More

Rice Krispies were rather dull to me. I preferred cereals with animal cartoon spokespersons like the Trix Rabbit. I was suspicious of the strange, creepy little men named Snap, Crackle, and Pop. But my new friend assured me not to worry—she could make the bland cereal taste good. She heated a bag full of puffy marshmallows and a bowl of neon yellow oleo, and stirred in the crackling cereal, measuring as if by memory. More

Sprinkles? White chocolate? A mountain of whipped cream? Yes, please? Marisol, of Once Upon a Plate, makes a white hot chocolate worthy of a fairy tale. There's heavy cream and half-and-half in there, but I never think that's a bad thing. I'm sure you could substitute milk or more half-and-half though if you'd like something a little less rich. Besides, all the wow factor is in that gorgeous whipped cream mountain and the smattering of sprinkles on top. Sprinkles make everything better on a dreary day.... More

I hope my mother, who lovingly taught me how to bake dense, fudgy brownies from The Joy of Cooking when I was a little girl isn't reading this: while her version holds a special place in my heart, the Fat Witch's brownies are better. The Fat Witch Bakery is located in New York City's Chelsea Market, which is also home to Food Network headquarters. Two years ago, when I was freelancing at the Food Network, I couldn't stop myself from popping into the bakery every day on my lunch hour to savor a sample (or two, or three) from the plate so generously set out by the cash register. Thick, buttery, and moist, Fat Witch's brownies had the most intense... More