My Favorite Recipes from 2012
January – White Chocolate Frito Popcorn This stuff is seriously addictive. The combination of sweetness from the M&Ms and white chocolate and the salty crunchiness from the popcorn and fritos is indescribable. I took this to a Super Bowl Party and it was a huge success.
February – Roasted Garlic and Chicken Soup Hubby absolutely adores garlic. This soup has a rich garlicy flavor. I served this with freshly baked bread multiple times last winter.
March – Browned Butter Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies This has become my go-to chocolate chip cookies recipe. I’ve made it more times than I can count with a variety of mix-in options.
April – Purple Ombre Cake This is quite an impressive cake. But don’t let it intimidate you. You can break up the process and do a lot of it ahead of time. It’s perfect for any special occasion. And even if you don’t make this overly impressive cake, be sure to make the passion fruit curd that I used for filling. It’s divine.
May – Giant M&M Cookies I love M&M Cookies. These cookies are the size of your hand and perfectly gooey on the inside with a crisp outer edge.
June – Patriotic Quake Cake I really got in to cakes in 2012 apparently. This one was so fun to make and I can’t make it again for another holiday.
July – Roasted Cherry Brownie Cheesecake This recipe warmed me up to the idea of cherries. I’m really not a fan at all. But when you roast them, then pour them between and over a layer of brownie and a layer of cheesecake, how can you go wrong?
August – Peach, Bacon, Avocado Sandwich Peaches are my all-time favorite fruit. This sandwich was very unique and delicious.
September – Banana Coconut Bread A coworker of mine called this exquisite. Enough said.
October – Apple 7 Layer Magic Bars This twist on a classic recipe had a combination of amazing fall flavors – homemade applesauce, apples, coconut, white chocolate, and cinnamon.
November – Boston Cream Pie Cheesecake Cake This was the only cheesecake cake I made last year. That’s sad because I love them. It had all the flavors of the a Boston Cream Pie without the pastry cream.
December – Pecan Pie Brownies These brownies are the stuff of dreams. A fudgey brownie topped with a layer of pecan pie baked right on top. Amazing.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Oh, Jen. Wow, I am so sorry to hear this. My heart breaks just looking at these photos. I can’t even imagine the emotions you and your family have felt this past year. I’m glad you decided to write and post your thoughts. It’s so important to get those feelings out—and it always helps knowing you’re not alone.
Tornadoes are horribly scary. We have our fair share here in Nebraska, and I work in disaster education and preparedness. Even so, they can occur so quickly and can cause so much devastation in such a short amount of time. And the recovery process certainly takes time. Sending a virtual hug your way!
What a strong and resilient community, so much has been done in only a year. God Bless to all who have toughed it out and rebuilt. So happy for you and your family for surviving this.
Wow! Thank you for sharing. My prayers are with you and all involved.