Last week, we talked about desserts like cakes and cupcakes, the typical sweet treats you might find on someone’s dessert plate. But just because sweet potatoes are considered a vegetable, and they’re actually good for you, doesn’t mean you can’t eat them for dessert. Sure, I often serve them as a dinner side dish, simple and steamed, but these veggies can easily be taken to another level with a few basic ingredients that are probably in your pantry right now. LadyLovelace’s Pecan-Crusted Fluffy Sweet Potato recipe inspired me to create a similar dish, with a few extra fun ingredients. I didn’t mash-up my sweet potatoes, instead, I cut them into little cubes and sprinkled a few spices, like cinnamon and pumpkin spice, on top before putting them in the oven to bake for about half an hour. I also added a few almonds to the mix, along with a bit of apple juice and brown sugar to create a lightly sweet glaze for the potatoes. Sweet potato is a versatile, tasty food that can be eaten in so many ways; even the non-sweet potato lover would probably find something like mirving’s sweet potato nut bread delicious.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone describe lentil soup as being sweet, in fact, I don’t think lentil soup has a very good rep with most people, but my cloned version actually came out sweet and savory. Unattractive brown color aside, lentil soup is an earthy, and nutritious soup that can be very delicious, if prepared with the right ingredients. Personally, I love lentil soup just the way it is, so long as it has a good amount of salt to bring out its rich flavor.

If you’re in the mood for a healthy soup that doesn’t take long to prepare, and just so happens to be rich in protein, fiber, and iron, then get ready to empty out your refrigerator’s vegetable drawer into a big pot, because c_kiuchi has a lentil soup recipe that you’ll have fun cloning and simmering on your stove.

Below you’ll find my cloned version. I added a few extra spices and decided to leave the vegetables whole, because when I’m eating a meat-free meal, it’s still nice to have something I can sink my teeth into. This recipe is great because you can literally add as many veggies as you want; the more, the better!

So far this week we’ve covered baking, but now it’s time to post a recipe for a fried treat that doubles as an American classic: Chicken and biscuits! You don’t have to come down South to get a real fried chicken dinner with a golden, crispy exterior and moist, mouth-watering center. As long as you have some chicken, a kitchen, and MERRILEE66’s Crisp Chicken and Biscuits, you’ve got it made.

Just recently, Kat, here at Key Ingredient, cloned this recipe and also followed the one for Traditional Southern Biscuits, which she claims are the best she’s ever made. Kat explains that she initially planned on oven-frying the chicken, but after the butter and shortening started to sizzle and smoke (right before the fire alarm went off!), she realized it’d be a much safer idea to use an iron skillet and some heated canola oil to fry it instead. She later used the oven to finish cooking the chicken and bake the biscuits at the same time - what a great way to save energy! Kat really liked how the salt, pepper, and paprika flavored the chicken, and she thoroughly enjoyed eating her homemade meal with a green salad.

Before you can bake a light and fluffy cake, you first have to sift the flour. This is my least favorite part of the baking process, probably because it takes some time, and my taste buds aren’t very patient. But I can tell you that I did have the patience to sift through all 1000 impressive cake recipes posted on Key Ingredient. Some of them are in a category all their own, with creative names and unique ingredients that I never even thought of incorporating into my own cakes…that is, until now.

A plain old white cake would be put to shame against D_1Tri’s Buttermilk Layer Cake with Praline Frosting; the cake is taken up a notch with the buttermilk, and the frosting sounds like it could be a delicious dessert on its own.

Now imagine a cake inspired by a candybar and you might think of a recipe similar to BriarRose413’s Almond Joy Cake. It’s a chocolate cake that’s been bathed in coconut, chocolate chips, and even marshmallows. If your sweet tooth’s asking for a chocolate-free dessert, Eliorakiah shares a recipe for a rich Italian Cream Cake that would complement vanilla ice cream quite well.

But if you’re allergic to dairy or even nuts and/or gluten, there’s a cake recipe with your name on it! It’s Cindalou’s Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake! This cake wears many hats, so if you’re looking for a specific kind of diet-friendly chocolate cake, you’ll be happy with this one.

I also guarantee that if you’re looking for a specific kind of cake, you’ll likely find it on here! I even found a recipe for Persian Love Cake that calls for some pretty amazing ingredients, like saffron threads and organic rose petals. I decided to clone it so that I could start gathering the ingredients before going on this weekend’s baking adventure.

It’s amazing how much frosting can make or break a cake, cookie, or even cupcake. For Instance, if you’re using dried egg whites, one teaspoon too many will harden the frosting so that it’s almost impossible to decorate the baked good. (Which is why covering the frosting bowl with a damp cloth is a good idea. This is something I learned from my own frosting experiences.)

I’ve yet to come-up with the “perfect” cupcake or cake frosting. As a result, I’ve sadly encountered one too many sugary messes during a few frosting sessions. Thankfully, there are countless frosting recipes available on Key Ingredient that I can take a few lessons from; maybe next time I won’t find myself in a sweet but very sticky situation.

A moist yellow cake is my definition of comfort food, and Carla has a chocolate ganache frosting that would give the old, familiar cake a tasty finishing touch. StephanieKim’s Spiced Cream Cheese frosting makes me want to go bake a carrot cake, when I read that both cinnamon and nutmeg give this frosting its name. If you’re looking for a more traditional frosting that grandma used to decorate your favorite childhood birthday cake, then Pennyfl2911’s recipe will certainly put the icing on your cake. She claims her fluffy white icing comes together in a matter of minutes, 7 to be exact. Though the frosting is fluffy, there’s no fluff involved in this recipe; it’s a classic that doesn’t even require an electric mixer.

This Easter, instead of decorating eggs, I decided it’d be fun to decorate mini cupcakes. I used dfallon’s recipe for vanilla cupcakes as a template for my mini cupcake recipe. A few changes were made because I needed a lighter cupcake batter for my loaded neapolitan cupcakes. With a strawberry and vanilla cream frosting and a chocolatey, strawberry-vanilla body, these little neapolitan cupcakes pack a punch of different fun flavors in one bite. They taste great cold, and definitely give a nod to the ice cream that inspired their birth.

Peonys posted a recipe for Incredible Chicken Cacciatore - the ingredients sounded promising and flavorful, but I decided to clone the recipe and give it a few minor additions. I am a fan of mildly spicy pasta sauces that have a hint of pepper, along with a few other ingredients, so I added some red pepper flakes and an Italian spice blend to the cloned recipe. When I remember to apply the cooking tip I learned from watching The Godfather, sometimes I even throw in some nutmeg; it really does give the pasta that mysteriously wonderful taste.

This past weekend, a few of us here at Key Ingredient gave Rhonda’s Fantasy Fudge recipe a try. Some followed the original, which yielded a sweet, chocolatey dessert that melts on the tongue like every good piece of fudge should, while others experimented and used some creative and uncanny ingredients.

First, there was a vegan interpretation of the recipe. H, the lovely lady who created the vegan fudge, actually used psyllium husks instead of vegan gelatin. Her fudge had a fun, sticky texture. Despite cutting down the sugar amount by half, her chocolate was still sweet. Even the soy milk she thickened, by bringing it to a boil so that it would resemble evaporated milk’s texture, didn’t take away from the dessert-quality of the fudge.

K, a first time maker of fudge who followed the recipe, says her fudge came together easily. She added whole, roasted almonds to this decadent dessert and claims that it added a candy-bar taste to the fudge. I have to agree with K when she says this is an affordable dessert, which makes Rhonda’s fudge a great family treat.

I enjoyed making the fudge because Rhonda’s recipe was fun and easy to follow. I didn’t have very many walnuts left, just enough to use as a garnish, so I had to improvise slightly. I gave the fudge a kick by adding some cinnamon and nutmeg to it. I also used 60% dark chocolate, which gave the fudge a naturally deep quality that was not overwhelming earthy against the sweetness of the sugar.

This dessert is perfect for the chocoholic with a sweet tooth, and I know we all fall under that category at one point or another :).

Key Ingredient has a plethora of Easter-related recipes available, thanks to all of you who’ve shared your special recipes with us. So whether you’re preparing a huge feast for your family or a small, quick meal with friends, your Easter menu can be delicious and memorable.

Deviled eggs are festive and simple, they can be served with fruit during brunch or be presented as hors devours before dinner. stephaniekim has an easy-to-follow recipe for deviled eggs posted. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry, so you won’t have to make an extra visit to the grocery store if you follow her recipe.

If you’d like a more traditional main course, then imanicat has what you’re looking for. She even says this Roast Leg of Lamb meal is well-worth the prep-time; your taste buds will definitely reap the rewards of your labor! That’s not the only dish that will have your guests asking for the recipe, though. Teesmith has a recipe for Lamb Meatball Gyros with Yogurt and Mint that sounds so fresh and wonderfully foreign, it’s making my mouth water just thinking about it.

As far as delicious carbs are concerned, wpolumbo claims to have “the best Easter bread” recipe. I definitely want to know what the best of anything tastes like, which is why I’ll be making this hearty Italian bread to go along with the rest of my Easter feast this coming weekend.

I’ve been having a lot of firsts lately: First time having a pressure cooker explode in my kitchen a couple weeks ago, first time making fudge this past weekend, and a first time baking a pie just the other day! That last “first” was probably the most surprisingly fun and simple. Thankfully, I had a few good recipes to follow.

I do think it’d be a little more challenging to tweak a recipe like krl10106’s gingerbread pumpkin pie, which already sounds like the quintessential Fall dessert. A pumpkin-filled pie topped with gingerbread cookies sounds like what I’d want on my Thanksgiving table. Even though that holiday is months away, it’s never too early to start planning a menu ahead of time. But Easter is fast approaching, and it’s coming two weeks earlier than it did last year! If you want a dessert that tastes like you spent forever slaving away in the kitchen, even though you didn’t because you were too busy improving your basket-stuffing skills, then you should try Smoked_Salmon2’s recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Both strawberries and rhubarb are in season during the Spring months, so they’ll be sure to make your pie shine despite the March and April showers.