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Nutella Sugar Cookies

We can't get enough Nutella. These cookies are super easy, quick and yummy! Get cooking...

Funfetti Cupcakes with a healthy twist

These Funfetti Cupcakes are healthier than boxed mix and fun to make with the kids. Get cooking...

Pretzel S'mores Bark

This bark is perfect for entertaining and is easily customizable for your family's favorite tastes. Get cooking...

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Using Greek Yogurt makes this recipe healthier than usual, and sweetened by chocolate chips. Get cooking...

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

These flourless brownies are gluten free and super tasty. Get cooking...

Healthier Sugar Cookies

This recipe for sugar cookies and delicious, melty frosting has a healthy twist. Get cooking...

Healthy Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake

Get cooking...

Try this fruit and yogurt sundae for dessert

This fruit and yogurt sundae from Sunkist is a refreshing and healthy alternative to a classic ice cream treat. Get cooking...

Country Fruit Cobbler

This Country Fruit Cobbler is sweet and delicious, and sure to be an instant family classic. Get cooking...

The perfect apple pie

With this easy baked-in-a-bag apple pie, even the kids can take part. Get cooking...

Oatmeal and Honey Cookies

Kids will enjoy making and eating these healthy cookies. Get cooking...

Yummy Frozen Banana Bites

Frozen bananas make a cool, yummy summer beat-the-heat treat. Get cooking...

Strawberry and Chocolate Chip Passover Brownies

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Ready In: 55 minutes Makes 24 This recipe can be found at AllRecipes.com. Get cooking...

Matzo Candy

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Ready In: 55 minutes This recipe can be found at AllRecipes.com Get cooking...

Valentine's Baked Apple Chips

Older kids will love these apple chips - with a heart cut out so they know who baked for them. Get cooking...

Heart shaped fruit

Toddlers and preschoolers love finger food they can pop into their mouths. To surprise them on Valentine’s Day, offer your little one a bowl of heart-shaped fruit. Get cooking...

Heart shaped teething biscuit

Valentines don't have to be store-bought. This is a great healthy recipe for wishing your little person a Happy Valentine's Day. Get cooking...

Healthy Brownies

Makes 8 servings (16 squares) Nutrition per serving: 208 calories, 4 g fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrate, 466 mg sodium, 8 g protein, 4 g fiber Get cooking...

Sugar Cookie Letters

Mix up a batch of sugar cookie dough and make alphabet letter cookies for some whimsical fun. Get cooking...

Carrot Pineapple Cake

According to AllRecipes.com, The carrots and pineapple work together to keep this cake moist and wholesome. Get cooking...

Apple Dumpling

This AllRecipes.com entry is easy to make, but a bit time-consuming. Serve with warm whipped cream or ice cream. Get cooking...

The photo, from AllRecipes.com, is the suggested variation on the recipe, with apricot jam and brown sugar added to the inside. You can also substitute mini chocolate chips for the raisins (or do both). Get cooking...

Classic Tiramisu

This popular AllRecipes.com entry is a classic Italian dessert made with ladyfingers and mascarpone cheese. It can be made in a trifle bowl or a springform pan. Get cooking...

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies come in at #10 in the AllRecipes.com list of top 10 holiday cookies in Chicago in 2011. Makes 72. Get cooking...

Aunt Teen's Creamy Fudge

15 minutes to cook up this creamy fudge. #9 on the AllRecipes.com list of top 10 cookie recipes in Chicago 2011. Get cooking...

Pretzel Turtles

These Pretzel Turtles: mini pretzels with chocolate, caramel and pecans are #8 on the AllRecipes.com top 10 cookie recipes for Chicago 2011. Get cooking...

Cake Balls

With this cake balls recipes, you can mix and match cake and icing flavors as well as the chocolate coatings. You can also add nuts, coconut, or double dip in white and dark chocolate. #7 in the AllRecipes.com top 10 holiday recipes in Chicago for 2011. Get cooking...

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. #6 on the AllRecipes.com list of top 10 holiday cookie recipes in Chicago. Get cooking...

Buckeyes

Real buckeyes are tree nuts. These cookie buckeyes are peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate. #5 on the AllRecipes.com top 10 cookie recipes for Chicago holiday 2011. Get cooking...

Puppy Chow

The name is not appetizing, but the finished product sure is. This Puppy Chow recipe is #4 in AllRecipes.com top 10 cookies for Chicago holidays 2011. Get cooking...

Sugar Cookie Frosting

If it's creamy frosting you like, here's the recipe to top off those sugar cookies. #3 in the top 10 cookie recipes for Chicago 2011 at AllRecipes.com. Get cooking...

Sugar Cookie Icing

This Sugar Cookie Icing recipe dries hard and stays shiny. And you can make them any color you want. #2 on the top 10 holiday cookie recipes in Chicago for 2011. Get cooking...

Easy Sugar Cookies

The top cookie on AllRecipes.com's list for Chicago are these Easy Sugar Cookies. From start to steaming hot in 25 minutes. Get cooking...

Homemade chips

If you want a healthy version of potato chips to put in your kids' lunches, try Pampered Chef's new potato chip maker. It makes light and crispy chips in just minutes in the microwave without the use of fat or oil. It can be used with many vegetables and fruit, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, yucca and apples. Get cooking...

Caramel Cashew Cups

Yield: 24 servings Nutrients per serving (1 cup): 130 calories, 8 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 2 g protein. Get cooking...

Mile High Apple Pies

Yield: 6 servings Nutrients per serving (1 pie): 300 calories, 12 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 51 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein. Courtesy of the Pampered Chef. Get cooking...

Mity Nice Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Executive chef Larry Donahue Get cooking...

Butternut Squash Tiramisu

Carlucci executive chef Kevin Provenzano

This recipe is made in two stages. The squash and the assembly.

You want to intensify and concentrate the flavor of the squash. Long, slow roasting will accomplish this.

Get cooking...

Waterleaf Fruity Indian Pudding

Executive chef Jean-Louis Cerc

My version of this baked, colonial American dessert contains apples and raisins, combined with the traditional ingredients of cornmeal and molasses.

Hands-on Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Serves: 16

Get cooking...

Waterleaf Restaurant's Caramel Thumbprints

Waterleaf executive chef Jean-Louis Clerc

Melted caramel candy adds luscious richness to the cocoa goodness of these cookies.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Servings: 26

Get cooking...

Waterleaf Restaurant's Festive Chocolate Bark

Waterleaf executive chef Jean-Louis Clerc

Once you've sampled this melt-in-your-mouth confection, you'll be tempted to fill your own candy dish with it instead of giving it away as gifts. Best to plan on making a couple of batches from the start. Just enlist a young helper - swirling the white and semisweet chocolates is a particularly popular job - and package the finished candy in see-through cellophane bags to show off the mouthwatering goods.

Get cooking...

Campfire Quiche Lorraine

This dish might have a fancy name, but it's as down-home as it gets when it comes to campfire cuisine: Scrambled eggs and flavorful extras in a pie crust. Get cooking...

Campfire Apple Pie

Ten minutes to gooey apple pie - and a recipe simple enough for the kids to take charge! Get cooking...

S'mores are nice, but next time your family gathers around the campfire, try this treat instead. With a little prep before you hit the trail, it's even easier. Get cooking...

Clover Crispies

These sweet snacks are like the pot of gold at the end of your family's feast. With their yummy peppermint and marshmallow flavor, they'll have Irish eyes smiling. Get cooking...

Lucky Leprechaun Cookies

Let these little guys be the stars of your St. Patrick's Day party. They're so fun to make and adorably edible. Get cooking...

Chocolate fondue

If your family isn't up for a cheese-based dinner, you can always introduce them to fondue for dessert. After all, who can resist the pure joy of dipping things into melted chocolate? Get cooking...

Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

These pop-'em-in-your-mouth treats are great for homemade gift baskets. Get cooking...

Valentine's Day Lollipop Cookies

You can use your imagination with this recipe to create designs for any season...the possibilities are endless! Cookie "lollipops" are always a hit with the kids. Get cooking...

Strawberry Valentine Cookies

Start a new Valentine’s Day tradition with these pretty, whimsical cookies from Marna Heitz of Farley, Iowa. Strawberry is a perfect complement to the chocolate glaze. Get cooking...

Secret Kiss Cookies

Literally sealed with a kiss, this cookie is bound to tickle any sweet tooth. Get cooking...

Valentine Candy Hearts

These special sweets are so simple to fix, you'll want to skip the store-bought kind for good. Get cooking...

Super-Easy Christmas Cookies

A lot of ready-made doughs (like some Pillsbury and Nestle brands) contain potential allergens. This recipe, based on my Grandma Mary’s classic Christmas cookies, is almost as easy as slice and bake dough—and yet it’s much, much tastier. These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are so easy and they taste like bakery butter cookies. Get cooking...

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream (egg-free, nut-free)

Reader-submitted
Submitted by "Nut-Free Mom" blogger Jenny Kales: "Since many commercial ice creams may pose cross-contact risk for nut allergies, I find myself making a lot of my own ice cream these days. This recipe was inspired by the "limited-edition" ice cream flavors you see in the supermarket during the holidays." Get cooking...

Marshmallow Snowman Cupcakes

Turn your basic chocolate cupcake with white frosting into a perfect winter treat. TIP: To speed up the process, make the snowmen toppers while the cupcakes bake. Get cooking...

Ice Cream Lollipops

Everyone loves lollipops. Everyone loves ice cream. When you put the two together, it’s going to be a happy/merry/thankful holiday of your choice. This recipe comes from Gale Gand, executive pastry chef at TRU, a 4-star restaurant in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood. Get cooking...

Chef Henry's' Maple Creme Brulee

This autumn take on classic creme brulee comes from Palmer House Hilton Executive Chef Stephen Henry. Get cooking...

Chef Patricio Sandoval's pumpkin bread pudding

Patricio Sandoval, executive chef at Mercadito, an upscale Mexican restaurant in River North, adapted this recipe from his grandmother's bread pudding, or budin de calabaza. It's a great way to get rid of bread that's no longer fit for sandwiches -- the older and drier, the better! Get cooking...

Chef Kosikowski's Maple Pecan Tart

Get cooking...

This holidays dessert comes from Chris Corby, executive chef at Wildwood restaurant in Geneva. Get cooking...

Zucchini-carrot-apple bars with caramel date glaze

Talk about sneaking vegetables in the window. This grab-'n-go snack has zucchini and carrots, along with egg whites, wheat germ and other healthy ingredients. Get cooking...

Chunky applesauce cupcakes

You've heard applesauce can be a heart-healthy substitution in baked goods. Try this simple bar-and-icing recipe and see for yourself. Get cooking...

Cranberry-apple tart with chocolate walnut crust

Using fresh fruit and bittersweet chocolate keep this tart treat on our "healthy holiday" list. A great way to use up the bushels of apples you picked this fall and a fun alternative for those pumpkin pie-haters this Thanksgiving. Get cooking...

Thankful Turkey Table Favor

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Chef Fedorko's Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Chef Robert Fedorko, the culinary mastermind behind the menu at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, says this recipe should serve 6-8 people, but it'll end up being more like 2-4. Yeah, it's that good.

See more Thanksgiving recipes from Chicago chefs Get cooking...

Cranberry Pear Tarts

Try this fruit-filled dessert instead of the traditional array of pies this Thanksgiving -- you'll be amazed how many calories you'll save without knowing it. Get cooking...

Pumpkin Muffins

Lose the butter and swap non-dairy milk like soy for regular and this seasonal treats become vegan-friendly. But you'll never know by tasting them. Get cooking...

Hamburger cookies

This recipe comes from reader Dori Mages, of Northbrook, and is a cute, fast and easy food pun kids will get. Get cooking...

Pecan Pretzel Bites

From reader Ann Culver Peavey: "My 3-year-old son loves to help make these fast and easy treats. They're a hit year-round and during the holidays, we fill up tins and give them to teachers and coaches." Get cooking...

Ghostly Bananas

These ready-in-no-time treats are just as fun and easy for the little gremlins in your home to make as they are for you. Get cooking...

Pumpkin popcorn balls

Opt for the sweet (and healthy) taste of agave nectar over corn syrup to make these pumpkin-flavored treats. Get cooking...

Make a dent in that mountain of Reeses' peanut butter cups with the adorable Thanksgiving treats. Get cooking...

Candy Bar Apple Salad

Take a swing at all that leftover Halloween candy with this twist on meat salad. The recipe calls for four Snickers bars, but feel free to be creative! Get cooking...

Harvest Snack Mix

Use up that leftover candy corn (recipe calls for 1 cup) with this grab-a-handful-and-go seasonal snack mix. Get cooking...

Creepy Crawly Cupcakes

The one time you'll be glad your kid has a taste for dirt! Use up those mountains of leftover gummy worms with this Halloween spin on "dirt and worms." Get cooking...

Boneyard Cookies

With a pinch of spook, a dash of creepy and a heaping spoonful of delightfully tacky, these yummy cookies are an eye-catcher at any Halloween party. Get cooking...

Strawberry Ghosts

Strawberries - nature's candy - take center stage in this ghoulish taste on a classic do-it-yourself treat. Get cooking...

Snowballs

Reader-submitted
This is my all-time favorite Christmas cookie recipe. I came up with this recipe to replace the powdered-sugar coated pecan cookies that my grandmother used to make. Get cooking...

Frankenstein Monster Toe Cookies

Reader-submitted
Allergy-friendly! These make a great addition to any Halloween celebration. The original recipe calls for dyed almonds as the “toenails,” but because of my daughter’s nut allergy, I substituted colorful jelly beans and most kids seem to prefer my version, allergies or not. Get cooking...

Nut-Free Easy Bake Oven Mix

Reader-submitted
The baking mixes that come with Easy Bake and other kid ovens normally carry peanut and tree nut allergy warnings, so we have been unable to use those. Luckily, we found a self-published book online that featured "homemade" recipes for "little oven" treats. Besides being nut allergy-friendly, making your own recipes offers your kid without all the chemicals and they're much more affordable, too.  Here is one of my kids’ favorite recipes -- we tweaked it a little from the original and it works great. Get cooking...

Nut-Free Cinnamon Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Reader-submitted
Sour cream coffee cakes are so rich and delicious, but they usually feature a nut-filled topping. I came up with a delicious nut-free alternative—brown sugar and cinnamon streusel. Get cooking...

Nut-Free Banana Bread

Reader-submitted
One reader commented recently that this is the best banana bread recipe she ever tried. It is so moist and delicious and unlike many banana bread recipes, it contains no tree nuts. And you won’t miss them! Get cooking...

Rhubarb Crisp

From writer Caitlin Murray Giles, who tested this out in her own kitchen: "Ever since we had this dessert, my son has been asking for more. We now have plans to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie." Get cooking...

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Reader-submitted
From reader Ngoc Nguyen, who says: ":D Enjoy!" Get cooking...

Blueberry Smoothie

Smooth, delicious, and the perfect cure for a sticky Chicago summer day. Careful in making and eating this one, though -- blueberries are one of nature's most resilient stains! Get cooking...

Strawberry Banana Cooler

This one's as easy as it is refreshing: Put delicious things in a blender and mix. For a lower-calorie twist (or to avoid the "kids-on-a-sugar-high" fun that ensues), use Splenda instead of honey. Get cooking...

Apple Pie for One

Reader-submitted
From reader Carmen Tibbs: "One of our favorite fall treats is our annual trip to County Line Orchard in Hobart, IN to pick apples. After eating our fill of apples, donuts and other apple-icious treats, we head home to make our own. With our fun mini pie pans, we make individual apple pies yummy enough to make Grandma wish she was at our house." Get cooking...

Skinny Strawberry Sandwich

Love strawberry shortcake? You'll love this lighter tak. It's a snap to make and uses ingredients you already have in your kitchen! Get cooking...

Mixed Fruit "Lasagna"

This "lasagna" requires Get cooking...

Creepy Crawly Fruit Snack

Get cooking...

Irish Flag Cookies

Show your Irish spirit with these fun cookies, plus the kids will get a geography lesson to boot. Get cooking...

Shamrock Shakes

For a few weeks each March, McDonald's offers its popular Shamrock Shake. But they're only around for a limited time. Try making your own green shakes at home any time of year. Get cooking...

Ginger Peach Popsicles

When Chicago's summer rears its sweaty head, try these cool-as-a-cucumber popsicles. The ginger adds a grown-up taste you're sure to love, even if your little ones don't. Get cooking...

Ho Ho Holiday Trail Mix

Who says you have to leave milk and cookies? Try this recipe for a treat Santa will actually appreciate! Get cooking...

Run, Run Rudolph Granola

Run, Run Rudolph Granola makes a fun and whimsical gift for children. And after you've served the hungry reindeer, the extra granola will make a great Christmas morning breakfast. Get cooking...

Reduced-Guilt Cheesecake Dippers

Everyone loves cheesecake, but we hardly ever make it because of the time involved. Also, because of the entire day's worth of calories in a slice. But this simple and delicious recipe curbs that cheesecake craving in no time — and with a fraction of the guilt. Get cooking...