Q: My wedding is at the end of June and I am doing a "potluck" dessert table where people can bring chocolate, vanilla, strawberry or lemon desserts. I love to bake and I'm planning on making a few desserts myself ahead of time. What are some freezer-friendly desserts that I can make now, that will still be delicious in a month and a half?

Having a good recipe for pound cake in your repertoire is a wonderful thing. It's most famous topped with whipped cream and fresh berries as a variation of strawberry shortcake, but it can also hold center stage served plain with just a dusting of powdered sugar.  Toast a slice for breakfast, offer it with tea to unexpected guests, or scoop a ball of ice cream on top and a drizzle it with chocolate sauce.  Pound cake will always be there for you.

Q: I am making the Overnight Buttery Streusel Coffee Cake for a brunch I'm having on Sunday. The recipe recommends using Kerrygold Butter, but I'm wondering what other brands people like to use for baking?

Sent by Elle

I purchased a doughnut pan a few years back for a recipe testing project I was working on, but after two or three uses, it got squirreled away to my laundry room along with plenty of other unitaskers left quietly to die. I decided recently to brush off the pan and give it another go, and I am so glad I did. l will be the first to admit that these "faux-nuts" will never be as good as a warm batch of Krispy Kremes, but they are definitely delicious enough to satisfy a hankering when there's no glowing 'Hot Now!' sign in sight.

My mother is an avid baker, but when she moved to Thailand after college to work at a leprosy hospital, she didn't have access to the peaches, fresh berries and apricots that filled the cobbler recipes in her old copy of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. Instead, she had mangos. Lots of mangos. She only mentioned her mango cobbler once many years ago, so I'm sure it will surprise her to learn I never forgot about it. But it stuck in my head, that mango cobbler, begging to be brought to life. And I'm so glad it did.

Strawberry season is starting! Strawberry season is starting! You'll find me stuffing strawberries in my face from now until the last pints leave the farmers' market. These scones are a riff on one of my favorite combos: fresh strawberries dipped in sour cream and coated with brown sugar. They're just the thing for a lazy weekend brunch with the windows open and bottomless cups of coffee close by.

Where I come from, the first thing to show up at the market is rhubarb, not strawberries. So as temptingly spring-like as a strawberry rhubarb pie might sound, if I were to make one now, it would be with strawberries flown in from a faraway place. 

Besides, why mess with rhubarb? Have you had it on its own? It's edgy, indeed. Sour and bright, it needs some sweetness, but not too much. 

Bran muffins can get a bad rap. They're so often dry and overly-sweet, which always feels like a shame because bran has such a nice flavor in and of itself. Plus, there are so many ways to add a punch of flavor without a lot of extra sugar. How about a mound of blueberries, fresh lemon zest, and coconut oil folded into a delicate whole-grain batter? 

Though you might normally associate chimichurri with grilled steaks, lamb chops and other robust cuts of meat, this garlicky South American herb sauce pairs wonderfully with mild halibut and other lean white fish. Rubbed over the fillets before baking, the flavor of the chimichurri stays fresh and bright, infusing the delicate fish with a pop of green color and taste that says SPRING! It's another simple yet impressive fish recipe to add to your repertoire.

Have you ever cooked using foil? We're not just talking about lining a pan, but rather a method of cooking where you place all your meats, herbs and vegetables inside and seal it tight before tossing it in the oven? This is hands down one of the easiest ways to ensure your food is all done at the same time. It's an old campfire trick that can be used for stress-free entertaining.