One of my favorite things to do when I’m bored at home is to whip something sweet up in the kitchen. However, because it’s only me and my mom, I love to share my desserts with others. I even became known at work as the intern who always brought in sweets! There is nothing more satisfying than trying a new recipe and having it be a success.

There are always going to be a few duds with recipes you find on the Internet, however I’ve weeded through those enough to make this list of recipes that I know will always turn out good every time I make them. Some of these are great to take to holiday parties or, if you’re feeling nice, your club meetings at school. Even if you’re not the best at baking, don’t worry! This list includes easy recipes as well as more advanced. These are my top ten go-to recipes, happy baking!

1. Jam thumbprint cookies

My brother’s favorite, these cookies are very simple to make and were a hit at last year’s Christmas Eve party. You can change the flavor depending on what jam you use, I usually use raspberry as it is a favorite, but I’ve made this recipe with peach preserves as well as sugar-free blackberry jam. The sugar-free turns out just as good, however it tends to be more liquid-based which means you have to use less when filling up the cookie or it will spill over the sides. The trick with this recipe is to make sure you don’t fill up the thumbprint all the way to avoid spills, and to refrigerate the dough for a good half-hour (or more) because it is too soft to work with, otherwise. I have also sent these to my brother many times, and they travel well as long as you package them in plastic containers, otherwise they are easily broken. 

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-ki...

2. Meyer lemon crinkle cookies

This kind of cookie was a big surprise for me, as I thought it wouldn't be anything special. The first time I made these, I really wanted to bake, but didn’t have many ingredients in the house, so it prompted me to look for a recipe I could make with what I had (grocery shopping is overrated, anyway).  The only tricky ingredient to obtain is the lemon extract, which comes in a very small bottle and is usually found in the baking aisle of your grocery store. They turned out to be a favorite at the office and were easy to make! Even those who didn’t normally like lemon desserts liked these. I put a little more lemon juice than it called for, and I use a tiny less salt than it calls for as well.                    

 http://traceysculinaryadventures.com/2013/03/meyer... 

3. Chocolate chip cookies

My mother has been making me these since I was a little girl, and they have always been one of my favorite comfort foods; there is nothing better than a homemade chocolate chip cookie out of the oven with a glass of milk. I’d love to call it an old family recipe, but it can be found on the back of any Toll House chocolate chip bag. I haven’t found a better chocolate chip cookie recipe yet.                    

 http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/39781/original-nest... 

4. Snickerdoodles

This is a recipe you usually have all the ingredients for which is why I love it so much. Somehow, so long as you try to make each dough ball the same size, these snickerdoodle cookies turn into perfect circles. This is another holiday favorite and they are much easier to make than they may seem.

http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2014/04/best-sni...

5. Chocolate and peanut butter swirl bars 

This is a no-bake recipe that, while being very rich, tastes like a candy bar. It’s messy to make, but doesn’t take much time. Leave them in your fridge for at least 24 hours before serving. I use both graham cracker crumbs and broken up graham crackers to give the crust a better crunch.                   

http://deliciouslyyum.com/swirled-no-bake-reeses-p...

6. Seven layer bars                   

One of the easiest recipes to make when you are on a time crunch! All you have to do is layer the ingredients one after the other, and pop them in the oven, and one cookie sheet makes quite a lot. I make these without the nuts, but they are just as good. You cannot skip on the butter, either. Unfortunately, I’ve tried and it sticks to the cookie sheet! This is also one of the only recipes I know where you don’t need to measure any of your ingredients -- you just layer how much you want on and drizzle a can of condensed milk on top.       

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/five... 

7. Low-cal banana bread

When I have a sweet tooth and I’m trying to watch what I eat, sometimes I break and make this. By using Splenda, I cut all but the natural sugar out. If using frozen bananas, it’s better to add one more banana in than the recipe calls for.        

http://prettybitchescancooktoo.com/2012/11/08/sple...

8. Key lime pie                   

I made this pie at Easter, last year, after being somewhat obsessed with wanting to learn how to make a key lime pie. It is one of my favorites to order for dessert at restaurants, and it made me wonder how hard it could be to do myself. I had to squeeze a whole bag of key limes by hand, which made me mentally note that I needed a lemon juicer, but it was worth it. It was the favorite dessert at Easter dinner and my mom and I still gush over how good it was -- even when I order it at a restaurant, it’s just never as good as my own pie.                

http://lindaraxa.blogspot.com/2010/03/joes-stone-c... 

9. Cheesecake with a blueberry lemon curd topping

This is a very difficult and time consuming recipe to make, which is why I only do it on special occasions. It is more of a summer dessert, as I top the whole thing with fresh blueberries. I took a cheesecake recipe I found and did a different take on it with the toppings. I love lemon and blueberries together, and because I made this for the first time during Michigan blueberry season, I realized it was a shame to cook down the blueberries like the original recipe calls for. So, instead, I found a lemon curd recipe I could eat by the pot, and topped the blueberries on it after it chilled. It is a softer cheesecake, so not the best for traveling to other parties as it could melt a bit, but it is to die for. Oh, yeah, and I make all of it with Splenda, so I can feel a little better about myself when I eat it!                   

cheesecake: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/...        

Lemon curd: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemo...

10. Apple pie

Making a pie was one of the other desserts I became obsessed over learning how to make, and after doing my research, I’ve been able to make this rather successfully. This is great in the fall and at Thanksgiving dinner. The recipe is easier to follow than most because the woman who created it has a video to go along with it -- it’s better to watch the video a few times before you start to make your own. Mix your apples a bit with softer baking apples and apples that keep more intact for a better texture.                 

http://www.joyofbaking.com/ApplePie.html