Last week, out for dinner at a family restaurant I enjoyed a little cup of the complimentary dessert – spumoni ice cream. Instantly I recalled the childhood pleasure of the contrasting but complimentary flavours of pistachio, chocolate and vanilla all rolled together into stripes so perfect that Martha Stewart would be proud. I spooned precise bites in an attempt to get a bit of each kind in every mouthful, and wondered why I don’t put pistachio, chocolate and vanilla together in recipes more often?

This chocolate and pistachio cookie recipe was the simplest way I could think of to incorporate that bite variety and color contrast. By using freshly shaved or chunked chocolate the cookies are freckled with varying amounts of cocoa while the occasional green nut adds crunch and diversity. Not exactly perfect stripes, but a little bit of everything in each bite. Be warned, you will have trouble eating just one.

I am not a fan of anything that falls into the barbecue chicken fad including pizza, burgers or pasta. The dishes tend to be cloyingly sweet, overly sauced or both. But last week I had this craving for that tangyness that only barbecue sauce can deliver and decided to create a barbecue chicken enchiladas recipe that was easy to make but wasn’t syrupy.

The chicken enchiladas were a big hit in my household and were very easy to make. Despite my snobbery against such things, I suspect I will make them again and as such, decided to share.

Despite their low calorie count they are light and fluffy, with chunks of pears and walnuts creating natural breaks and allowing you to tear the cake apart with your fingers. Try serving with a bit of butter and a good read.

If you are in need of a simple recipe that is comforting, warm and fit for the holiday season look no further than this apple pie.

In the last few years a new season has emerged for us to celebrate. The season of pumpkin. Similar to how November 1st is the day we are inundated with Christmas carols, now, right after labour day Starbucks announces their pumpkin latte and all edible goods from beer to yogourt are pumpkin flavoured.

This quick and easy pumpkin muffin recipe is a slight twist on the usual symphony of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. The addition of maple adds an extra warm dimension and a light sweetness. Light and fluffy, these muffins are perfect for a light breakfast and even better torn apart for a midnight snack.

Seriously it’s awful. It’s most redeeming quality is cheapness, because it is greasy, flavourless and full of msg. After trying every place within reach I started working on a pizza dough recipe. I have made pizza at home for years, but now, it was serious.

After 6 months in the making, and at least twenty pizzas eaten, this has become our staple pizza recipe. We have baked it, grilled it, made calzones and perfected the slow rise. At two-thirds whole wheat it has nice flavour and texture without being dense. Do you make pizza at home?

So this recipe felt even more successful when it transformed into light and fluffy banana chocolate chip muffins. Secret Ingredient? Nutella. If you don’t have any, try substituting peanut butter and let me know how they turn out.

(If you are interested in a healthier recipe for banana chocolate chip muffins, check out the muffin archives.)

But now is the season. So pick up a pint of fresh blackcurrants and make this easy blackcurrant and apple cobbler recipe. When baking with blackcurrants be wary that you will need the extra sugar as they are very tart.

Oh, and if you have never tried Ribena before, buy some and try it mixed with soda water. You will find it a great way to get fluids into sick children.

Clafoutis is a fancy french word for a crustless fruit tart made with a baked custard. The filling is soft, fragrant and sweet, with the texture of a lemon tart, punctured with chunky pieces of fruit. Classically cherries. These little clafoutis are baked in muffin cups so they are individually sized. Perfect for a party or a delicate presentation. Or so you can try and see how many you can fit in your mouth at once.

Traditionally clafoutis is made with un-pitted cherries but who wants to break their teeth on cherry pits? This recipe was adapted from a cookbook which is likely to always be on my shelf: the Joy of Cooking.

This brownie recipe emerged from a debilitating chocolate craving. Though these brownies do not involve any special ingredients, this is the sort of recipe I imagine college students making at 2am.

They are gooey, they are ultra chocolatey and the marshmallow melts into pockets of sweet crystallized sugar. You should also be proud to hear that because I take quality control so seriously, I made sure to check every inch of that brownie pan when photographing them the next morning. I left no crumb uneaten.