Sometimes killing time results in a wonderful discovery. This was the case a few weeks ago while waiting to meet a friend at the all-too-good chocolate cakery Hot Cakes in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. It was then and there that I made a dangerous discovery: smoked chocolate chips. 

I've never made bagels at home. They fall into the category of things that I like to buy from people who do them well. Good bagels are really good, and I figure that supporting the people who have it mastered is a smart move. That is, until I saw this recipe for granola bagels. I may have been convinced to give them a try myself! I mean, come on. Chocolate chip granola bagels? 

Buttery Popcorn Ice Cream with Homemade Cracker Jack

Whether you are a kid, or just a kid at heart, sometimes there is no better way to end a summer meal then with a big bowl of rich, creamy ice cream. If you've planned ahead, nothing pleases a crowd like homemade, but if you're strapped for time, dress up store bought ice cream with an array of unusual toppings. I can guarantee you won't hear a single complaint.

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.

Come springtime and warmer weather, I get positively giddy when I hear the first chimes of the ice cream truck. But now I don't have to wait for the truck to make its rounds — I can make my favorite chilled treat, the Drumstick, whenever a craving hits. Seriously, this version is easy, fast, and a million times better than the original!!

Q: I recently bought a pound of Trader Joe's bittersweet chocolate with almonds on accident as I did not see the mention of almonds on the label. This didn't work for the recipe I was making, and I'm not sure what else I can cook or bake with it? 

A Visit with Woodblock Chocolate in Portland, Oregon

As Dessert Week draws to a close (aren't you sorry to see it go? We are!) let's talk about chocolate for a moment. Chocolate inspires the most passionate responses — I know people who say, hyperbolically, that they could not live without chocolate, that their ultimate dessert is a wedge of the darkest chocolate cake imaginable. But chocolate doesn't really do it for me; I like it in small amounts or swirled with peanut butter. What about you? Is chocolate the best thing ever, or could you take it or leave it? 

Have you ever become so totally obsessed with an ingredient or recipe it completely takes over your life? Because that is exactly what happened when I recently sampled an ethereal Chocolate Hazelnut Torte at a local Atlanta restaurant. That particular sweet and nutty flavor combination is always a favorite, but it was the crispy, creamy wafer crust that had me at hello.