Baking, and desserts in general, are really important in my family. It seems that I somehow end up in charge of the desserts every time that I'm home, regardless of if my mom and sister help out or if I'm on my own. Over the years I've developed a few favorites. Hopefully you'll like them too!

1. Blueberry Cobbler*

I just made this tonight for my mom's birthday. We're not really cake people, but everybody loved it. Pair it with vanilla ice cream for the perfect dessert! Here is the recipe that I used.** Or, for something a little easier, you can make this recipe with Bisquick. It only has five ingredients: Bisquick, butter, sugar, milk, and blueberries! Just be warned that it'll taste a little less like a cake and a little more like a biscuit, but it's still very yummy!

*Blueberry crumble is an equally good choice.

**I used frozen blueberries instead of fresh and they worked really well.

2. Peanut Butter Fudge

This definitely isn't baking, but it's one of my favorite desserts and it's also one of the first that I learned to make. There's no cooking required! Just squish it all in a pan and go! If you have any little kids who might like punching some stuff in a bowl, this recipe is for you. The recipe that I usually use is locked in the family safe, but this one looks nearly identical. For an added twist, melt some chocolate chips (either in the microwave or in a double boiler) and then pour on top for a crunchy, chocolaty "frosting."

3. Fruit Trifle

Again, this isn't really baking, but my mom and I make this all the time because it's pretty easy and it looks amazing at a party. We tend to use a different recipe each time (for some unknown reason), but I really like this one. It's a little bit more complicated than usual, but it's totally worth it. If you want something easier, this is pretty much as easy as it gets and it's also super yummy. If you want something in between, use the second recipe, but make your own whipped cream. Try them out and see what you like!

Just make sure to put this together more or less right before serving, or right before your people come over, because the whipped cream will deflate with time. If it's necessary, you can make it ahead of time, but keep some extra whipped cream on hand to spray on top and fill up the bowl right before serving.

4. Oatmeal Cookies

I've never actually made these, but I've eaten this recipe before and they're amazing. Seriously, if you like oatmeal cookies at all (I love them), make these ASAP. They're next on my to-do list. We make them the normal way, without raisins (because raisins are gross).

5. Ice Cream Pie

I haven't made this in ages, but it's featured in most of my childhood memories from my grandma's house. Based on what I can remember from the one time that I helped make it, the recipe that we use looks a lot like this. The best part is that it (like many others that I've listed) doesn't actually require any baking! Just mix it together and freeze!

You can mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and press them into the pan before adding the ice cream to use as a crust.

6. Heath Bar Cheesecake

My mom and I make this every year for my dad's birthday and he always raves about how much he loves it. Little did he know, it was just a recipe that we got off of the back of the Heath Bar bag! Trust me, it's amazing. We always used this recipe, but I don't think that we ever added the chocolate chips. Try it out and let me know how the extra chocolate tastes!

7. Almond Butter Cookies

If I had a "signature dish," it would be these cookies. I make these almost every time that I'm asked to bake for an event because they're easy, fast, and absolutely amazing. I've never had someone try them and not like them. These are technically the cookies that are traditionally made for Lebanese weddings, but I've found similar recipes for wedding cookies from many different cultures (Mexico has a pretty similar idea going on) and I make them for all occasions. Once, my mom had me make them to give as Christmas gifts for essentially my entire hometown. I couldn't stomach the taste of almonds for years. Now I'm back at them and I love them even more than before! Don't underestimate these tiny little cookies, because they are heaven on earth. Just don't think about the amount of butter that you just put in them.

Unfortunately, I found these in high school, memorized the recipe, and promptly lost the source, so you'll just have to bear with me.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 (Fahrenheit).
Beat butter until fluffy and making peaks. Add sugars and almond extract. Slowly add in flour. At this point, the dough will become really thick, so you may need to start mixing by hand unless you have a heavy-duty stand mixer (or risk burning out your handheld mixer motor).
Roll into small cookie balls and placed on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for approximately 12 minutes.

If you're allergic to almonds, you can easily substitute vanilla extract for the almond and they're still super yummy.

Be prepared for all of these to disappear into your friends' stomachs within about 30 seconds. Plan accordingly and make sure to eat some while they last.

8. Boxed Brownies

My mom and I are all about making boxed brownies. We've tried making them from scratch many times and we quickly realized that they taste no better than the box mixes. Our favorites are definitely the Ghirardelli box brownies, because the chocolate is amazing.

That's it! I've exhausted my knowledge of baked goods and other desserts! I hope that you get to make all of them and enjoy!