I was born into a family that loves sweets. In the summer, I crave ice cream or sorbet, and in the winter I often reach for a cup of cocoa in the evening. But those packets of store-bought hot chocolate are filled with sugar and hydrogenated oils and making your own is so very simple. Making your own healthier version? Just as easy. More

Q: I love holiday baking but when some of my favorite recipes call for tempering and chocolate coatings, I put them off because of the hassle and mess. I don't have a microwave so I do everything stovetop. Melting, tempering and dipping in chocolate seems so time-consuming and expensive... More

Not to be rude, but there's something a little scary about jelly donuts. It's not the donut part. It's not even the jelly part, to be frank. I just don't like surprises in my sweets. Don't ever hand me a box of chocolates without a very clear map of exactly what's in there, and at which precise coordinates. Also, I call dibs on anything with pistachio, always.

But let's return to jelly donuts. As a Jew, I can assure you that Hanukkah can be a trying time for the jelly-donut-averse. More

Q: I'm looking for a recipe for chocolate-covered biscuits like the Choco-Leibniz cookies pictured, which are rather hard butter biscuits covered with dark chocolate. Most recipes I've found are for chocolate cookies or dip packaged Marie biscuits in chocolate, neither of which is what I'm looking for. More

Q: I was so excited to see that Trader Joe's carried white chocolate chips without hydrogenated oil that I bought 3 bags — but now I realize I should probably use them up before they go bad. What can I make besides cookies, white chocolate drizzle, or white chocolate buttercream? More

Years ago when I was working as a wedding planner, our crafty in-house letterpress guru, Jennifer, would bring the entire office weekly homemade treats. I had yet to venture into the world of baking, so I was often completely mesmerized by the complicated recipes she tackled. (Profiteroles au chocolat, anyone?!) More

Q: I've been experimenting with making a rich from-scratch hot cocoa. I've tried several kinds of cocoa powder, and a few different techniques, and to me the result always tastes a little powdery, not creamy enough. More

This recipe for fudge is a classic one from my childhood. I like it because it requires no special equipment or ingredients — just sugar, cocoa powder, milk, salt, butter and vanilla. Even a candy thermometer is optional if you are gutsy enough to use the soft-ball test. I like this recipe for its practicality and deliciousness, but I love it because it's my father's recipe and every time I make it, it's like I'm spending time with him again. More

In a bid to consumers from hot-weather countries like India and Brazil, Cadbury recently announced its newest invention: chocolate that stays solid, even after three hours in 104-degree heat. More