Chocolate pudding is a classic, and I'm never one to mess with a good thing just for the sake of trying something new. But I've been to a few restaurants lately that are offering their own boozy versions of the popular dessert, and it's gotten me to rethink my position pretty quickly. More

There are choices we all make each day, some more important than others. What to have as a midday sweet probably falls in the 'not so important' camp. But that being said, having a little something sweet after lunch can do a lot in the happiness realm of things. And if that something is relatively healthy and without too much sugar? Even better. More

I have a chocolate crush. I'm rolling in the deep with it. It's even a touch embarrassing — like the times when I'm the only person at the table who orders dessert. Oh, but St. Valentine's day. That's a day I can indulge in without judgement. A day I can fill with chocolate, a day I can plan an all-chocolate dinner meal. And it's not as sweet as you may think. More

I speak not as an angry spinster but as a happily married woman when I say: I hate Valentine's Day. It probably stems from my general dislike of anything overly girly or pink, and my feeling that a sweet gesture of love is much more special on a day when society isn't pressuring you into doing it. And don't even get me started on how alienating the holiday is for anyone not in a romantic relationship.

In short, my feelings about Valentine's Day are a lot like this popcorn: salty and a little bitter, but impossible to ignore.

Q: I have recently developed a sensitivity to chocolate. It's not a serious allergy, but the symptoms are just bad enough to be seriously annoying. My mother has the same sensitivity and her solution is 'don't eat chocolate.' This is highly logical advice that I am finding near impossible to follow! 

I have my go-to brownie recipe and I generally don't mess around with it. If I'm going to make brownies, it's what I reach for. But then there are days (like today) when there are dried cherries in the pantry and I begin to wonder what would happen if I jammed a few different kinds of chocolate, some quinoa flakes, and said dried cherries into one pan of brownies? The answer: something quite wonderful. More

Truffles and chocolates are one of the traditional gifts folks buy for one another, but I love the idea of a DIY gift for Valentine's Day. Enter these great (and simple!) recipes for quick truffles that are bound to impress your sweetheart - or yourself, or your best friend! More

I don't spend a lot of time pointing out so-called "food holidays" that celebrate specific foods, like National Hot Chocolate Day, because they always seem a little fake and to be honest, they make me a little grumpy. But I can make an exception for one of my favorite treats: the creamy combination of chocolate and hazelnut, more popularly known as Nutella. 

Yes, it's World Nutella Day. How are you going to celebrate?

I have a romantic history with chocolate pies. It doesn't matter if it's my grandmother's microwave chocolate pie, chocolate chess pie, chocolate pudding pie, or brownie pie. I never discriminate. However, this satiny, creamy, light-as-a-feather French silk pie may have just nudged itself to my winner's circle. More