Jammy pink rhubarb, coconut custard, and a honey-rose water drizzle! Who needs gluten (or dairy or nuts or refined sugar, for that matter) when you've got all this going on?! 

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Q: I'm making a cheescake for my boyfriend's birthday, but still want to write "Happy Birthday" like I would on a traditional cake. Any suggestions of what kind of icing to use on top of a cheesecake? Any other ideas to decorate a cheesecake?

Sent by Amelia

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The Internet is rife with ideas for using Mason jars, but I rarely encounter new ways to repurpose the metal rings or bands. So I was instantly intrigued by a photo that has been making the rounds on Facebook and Pinterest, involving the use of Mason jar rings to make muffins or cupcakes. Would this really work? 

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As we move slowly and steadily into spring, chocolate desserts often get pushed aside for fresh seasonal fruit, ice cream and sorbets, and light lemony treats. But when you start missing bars and cookies again, blondies come reliably to the rescue. 

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Scones — American scones at least — are notorious for being about as tasty as hockey pucks. After sampling a near-perfect scone at a bakery recently, however, I took it upon myself to create a fluffy, flavorful from-scratch recipe that would be considered not only edible, but delicious. This version with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes is up to the challenge!

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When planning a cocktail party, I always make sure to have one "straight-from-freezer-to-oven" recipe, and I make extra. You can keep refilling the tray as long as you need to, and any leftovers stay in the freezer for the next party. There's only one problem. With these cheddar olives, my favorite straight-from-freezer-to-oven recipe, there are never any leftovers. Ever. No matter how many I make. People just can't get enough of the warm, cheddary, slightly crumbly pastry enclosing a juicy olive. More

Q: I found your terrific recipe for Fruit Crumble. We will be baking a variety of fruit crisps and crumbles for 200 people for a wedding and had planned on using aluminum pans — the flimsy kind — for this task. Are we wrong to use these pans? From bake to serve, will be about 6 hours. Thanks!

Sent by Peg

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If Dan Lepard's new cookbook Short & Sweet is the one-stop shop for homey everyday sweets and baked goods, Patisserie is the one-stop shop for all things classic and French. Want to become the master of puff pastry? Craft your own pulled-sugar roses? Drap petits fours with fondant? With over 3,200 step-by-step photos and 210 recipes in 800 pages, this book will show you exactly how to do all of these things and more. Wowzas.

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Madeleines.  That little French butter cake that most (non-French) people think of more as a cookie.  They have a classy, literary reputation, having served as Proust's muse in his famous Remembrance of Things Past.  Like most muses, however, madeleines appear to be simple but actually require a fair amount of patience and careful following of instructions.  In the end, though,  you are rewarded with a truly unique little cake, browned and crispy on the outside and spongy and soft on the inside.  A perfect accompaniment to your afternoon cup of tea.

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Q: What's a fool-proof recipe to win a bake-off at work? I need a great recipe that will impress in one bite. It has to be able to be prepared the night before and sit out for at least an hour (so no ice cream or frozen desserts). It also has to be cut into bite-size pieces.

Sent by Megan

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