In the dead of winter, I enjoy the hours I spend baking in the kitchen, appreciating the beauty within. (Can you tell I'm not a skier?) Plus, there are plenty of parties and events to bake for this month. From symbolic foods for Lunar New Year to romantic baking on Valentine's Day, to trophy-winning foods for your Super Bowl parties, we've got you covered for the next 29 days.
What to bake for Valentine's Day
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
1) Besos o Yoyos (Jam Filled Sandwich Biscuits)
These sandwich cookies get their name from beso, the Spanish word for kiss, as they are kissed together with strawberry jam. They'll make a cheeky yet subtle way to send your loved one a sweet message this year.
Get the recipe: Besos o Yoyos (Jam Filled Sandwich Biscuits)
Buy the recipe: White wheat flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
2) Tiramisu for two
What happens when you want tiramisu but not a lot of leftovers? Enter the Tiramisu for two. Packaged in mason jars, this small-batch bake is a match made in heaven for mini-dessert enthusiasts.
Get the recipe: Tiramisu for two
Buy the recipe: Triple Cocoa Blend
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
3) Cute little chocolate cake
Less is more! This adorable mini cake only requires one cup of flour – perfect for when your bag is almost empty. Hand-mixed in just 15 minutes, it's the perfect date night bake that's not too much work, but still delivers great results. (A lush, moist cake, that is.)
Get the recipe: Cute little chocolate cake
Buy the recipe: 6″ Round Layer Cake Pan
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
4) Sweetheart Pull-Apart Chocolate Bucks
Just like you and your partner, tahini and chocolate are made for each other, which is why they play together in these heart-shaped filled buns. Make these for an unforgettable Valentine's Day breakfast, complete with a sweet glaze on top.
Get the recipe: Sweetheart Pull-Apart Chocolate Bucks
Buy the recipe: Guittard Bittersweet Onyx Chocolate Wafers
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
5) Rich chocolate mousse
Nothing says love and romance like a whole bowl of chocolate mousse. It's the kind of dessert that you and a loved one can dive right into with a spoon—we won't judge!
Get the recipe: Rich chocolate mousse
Buy the recipe: Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Wafers
What to Bake for the Super Bowl
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
6) Sesame rim with hot onion
If you like pigs in a blanket, you'll love these hot dogs wrapped in pillowy milk bread dough. They're the sweet and savory addition your Super Bowl party has been missing. (And if you need more ideas, here are 16 of our best Super Bowl recipes.)
Get the recipe: Scallion Scallion Sesame Hot Dog Bun
Buy the recipe: Baker's Special Milk Powder
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
7) Baked Quesadillas
When cooking for a crowd, the last thing you want to do is stand over the stove tending to individual quesadillas. Instead, take the nacho approach to quesadillas: Build your quesadillas on a baking sheet and bake them all at once in the oven. Bonus points if you make your own tortillas; OUR 50/50 corn and flour tortillas are perfect for this.
Get the recipe: Baked Quesadillas for a Crowd
Buy the recipe: Time of day
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
8) Garlic bread pizza
Why settle for plain French bread pizza when you can use garlic bread as a base? Whether you use store bought or homemade ciabattayou can be sure that every nook and cranny will be brushed with garlic oil and covered in a rich cheesy cherry tomato sauce.
Get the recipe: Garlic bread pizza
Buy the recipe: Boyajian Garlic Oil
What to bake for the Lunar New Year
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
9) Chinese Almond Cookies
These almond cookies are an iconic Lunar New Year snack, and this version from Hetty Lui McKinnon departs from the classic in two subtle yet transformative ways. Butter is used instead of lard (making this suitable for vegetarians) and the ground almond flour brings an even deeper and more delicious flavor to these cookies.
Get the recipe: Chinese almond cookies
Buy the recipe: Almond flour
Photography by Danielle Sykes; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
10) Taiwanese fruit desserts
These bite-sized cakes feature a buttery shortcrust pastry with a quick and easy jam filling made from a dried fruit mix. Similar to Taiwanese pineapple cakes, these are a perfect snack to give as gifts to celebrate in the Year of the Dragon.
Get the recipe: Taiwanese Fruit Desserts
Buy the recipe: Baker's Fruit Mix
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
11) Biang Biang Noodles
Named for the sound the dough makes as it hits the counter, these noodles are a fun cooking project; engage attractive hungry noodles! Over noodles any way you like: You can't go wrong with a simple garnish of roasted cucumbers and fresh chilies—there's no better way to ring in longevity in the new year.
Get the recipe: Biang Biang noodles
Buy the recipe: Bread flour
More February baking recipes
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
12) Palm trees
Leave it to the French to create a cookie that is entirely made of dough. All you need is a bunch of us Easy and quick pasta and granulated sugar to create these golden, salty swirls (so named because they resemble butterflies). For crispier cookies, use carbonated sugar instead.
Get the recipe: palm trees
Buy the recipe: Parlor knife
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
13) Mochi Filled Ube Crinkle Cookies
Ube is the star of the show in these unique cookies. Ube extract AND he is crazy make sure the cookie has lots of fruit and coconut flavor, giving it its purple color as well. And a surprise is packed into each of these mouth-watering cookies: a chewy mochi center.
Get the recipe: Mochi Filled Ube Crinkle Cookies
Buy the recipe: Rolling mat
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
14) Steamed Pork Bun (Xian Rou Bao)
Prepare your steamer and get ready to pack it with these fluffy baos, which are filled with delicious ground pork seasoned with ginger and scallions. Forming these bao is half the fun, so feel free to double the batch to perfect your pleat – these freeze well enough for future meals.
Get the recipe: Steamed Pork Bun (Xian Rou Bao)
Buy the recipe: All purpose flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
15) Homemade cheese ravioli
If you have a food processor and a bag of flour, you're already halfway to making your cheese-filled macaroni. All this pillowy herb ravioli needs is a simple red sauce and a garnish of basil.
Get the recipe: Homemade cheese ravioli
Buy the recipe: 14 Food processor cups AND Pasta machine
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
16) Twice Baked Caramelized Cashew Baklava
With its layers of phyllo and a nutty, syrupy filling, this spiced spiral baklava is the perfect two-bite treat. In this version, cookbook author Sohla El-Waylly calls for double baking the baklava, which caramelizes the syrup and creates a candied layer around the phyllo. Plus, that sugar coating will keep them fresh for one MONTH.
Get the recipe: Twice Baked Caramelized Cashew Baklava
Buy the recipe: Cloud Forest Cardamom
Need another crowd-friendly bake? Cupcakes to the rescue! Learn how to decorate them at any skill level.
Cover picture (Tiramisu for two) by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
