Photo by Joanna O'Leary

The world's smallest cupcakes.

Having recently achieved a major life goal, I decided to buy myself a present. The latest Apple invention? A designer handbag? A well-aged Merlot? Not for this 31-year-old woman. A used Easy-Bake Oven off of Amazon was my reward.

I didn't own an Easy-Bake Oven as a kid, but my best pal Ashley did and sometimes she'd let me come over and watch her use it. And sometimes she would even let me taste some of the tiny treats that emerged from this apparatus, which, to my recollection, used only one low-watt lightbulb for power.

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Photo by Brooke Viggiano

The "RVP" in all its glory

If you've never been to brunch at Max's Wine Dive and you enjoy lovely things like hot cakes, wings and fresh mimosas, I urge you to check it out (they even do brunch on Fridays). Until then, I'm sharing a copycat recipe for one my favorite MWD brunch dishes -- The "RVP." That's a stack of fluffy and decadent red velvet pancakes served with a dollop of sweet and tangy lemon cream cheese frosting -- simply genius.

I love the pancakes dearly...and I'm willing to bet your mama will love them too (that's not some sort of weird yo' mama joke -- I'm just thinking they'd make the perfect Mother's Day treat).

Here's how to recreate The "RVP" at home:

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Photos by Molly Dunn

Get your kolaches to go and enjoy while you drive down I-35.

Now that the world knows of West, Texas -- and that it is not in fact in the western region of Texas -- everyone should also know about the Czech Stop and Little Czech Bakery, the famous combination deli/bakery that serves over 600 hungry customers a day.

One of my favorite things to do as a student at Baylor University in nearby Waco was to head to West, Texas, for a midnight road trip to Czech Stop and the Little Czech Bakery. Kolaches, pastries, brownies, cookies and pies are ideal treats for midnight cravings, and being only 15 minutes away makes it super easy to jump in the car and drive down I-35 to enjoy West's famous sweet and savory kolaches.

After the recent devastating fertilizer plant explosion in West, neither the Czech Stop nor the Little Czech Bakery closed their doors.

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Courtesy of rosebengal

Cupcakes are on their way out, so what other treats are in?

Cupcakes have been the rage in America for several years now. After stores were opened exclusively to sell cupcakes, television shows were centered on the little individual desserts and the public went crazy over different cupcake presentations and decorations, it seemed as if cupcakes were the end-all-be-all desserts.

However, after recent results showing that Crumbs Bake Shop's stock has fallen by 22 percent. What once was being sold for more than $13 a share, is now going for a measly $1.30. In addition, Sprinkles has delayed its much-ballyhooed cupcake ATM.

The cupcake industry just isn't what it was a few years ago, when everyone and his mother wanted to get a cupcake -- cupcakes are elegant and have interesting designs and sweet flavors. Personally, I have always loved cupcakes; they're like your own personal cakes. But there's the problem. Everyone knows how to make them, causing the public's demand to diminish for something so homemade and simple to put together, as noted in a Wall Street Journal article about the crash of the cupcake market. Why would you pay nearly $4 for one when you can make a dozen or two at home for less than that?

One of the biggest draws with cupcakes, however, was the fact that they're little; they are easy to package to go or to eat in a shop. Their size makes them the perfect treat for individuals. But there are also other small treats we should keep our eyes out for -- they could be the next big, or little, things.

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Photo by Mariam

It's that time of year again; time for cold treats and sweets that will cool you down in the summer heat and satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.

Ice cream is definitely one of the best cold treats. It's smooth, creamy and always hits the spot. If you want to kick things up a notch, take two of the best sweets -- cookies and ice cream -- and make homemade ice cream sandwiches.

Although it may seem simple to stuff ice cream between two cookies, not every cookie works best in an ice cream sandwich. Here is how you can make the perfect ice cream sandwich just in time for summer.

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Photo by Katharine Shilcutt

Nutella and banana bao at Fat Bao.

I'm willing to bet any American who's tasted Nutella can tell you all about the first time he or she encountered the addictive product. Most of us didn't grow up on the sweet hazelnut spread as so many of my European friends did -- including a girlfriend from England who received at least two Nutella "butties" (Nutella and butter sandwiches on white bread) a week in her lunchbox -- making that first taste as a teenager or adult that much more memorable.

My own first taste of Nutella was in Austria at age 14, where I was convinced that the creamy brown spread was actually chocolate -- albeit the best chocolate I'd ever had. I had no idea roasted hazelnuts mimicked the flavor of chocolate so closely, but quickly learned to discern its differences in the slightly gritty texture and warmly nutty scent.

To this day, I still can't pass up Nutella or hazelnut-flavored anything, let alone Nutella paired with what I see as its natural counterpart: bananas. Peanut butter has jelly; peaches have cream; Nutella has bananas.

Fat Bao, the subject of this week's cafe review, offers a dessert bao filled with Nutella and sliced bananas. Lightly dusted with confectioner's sugar, it's very nearly my favorite thing on the short menu (edged out by the simple Memphis-style pork belly bao with coleslaw). Here are a few more Nutella-and-banana favorites around town:

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Photo by Joanna O'Leary

Flummery! (The edible kind)

Part of my motivation for wanting to work my way through Felicity's Cookbook was the chance to make, but more important, to say, the word flummery, multiple times.

A few weeks ago, I tried my hand at making a flummery at the end of one unusually hot afternoon and quickly learned that a goofy name can belie a most delicate, refreshing dish.

Before I divulge more details of my flummery experiment, let it be known that there isn't, actually, a flummery, but many flummeries since multiple versions from colonial America, Wales, England and Ireland exist. Some are quite different from others; the flummery in Felicity's Cookbook, for example, is of a more fluid consistency and contains no dairy. The majority of recipes I found on the interwebs, however, used cream and/or milk plus gelatin and therefore required several hours to set.

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Photo by Joanna O'Leary.

Fruitcake from Collin Street Bakery.

I had an epiphany recently. Fruitcake doesn't always have to suck, especially when it comes from Collin Street Bakery.

I nearly missed out on this revelation because I didn't know where I had landed when I stopped for a quick cup of tea and a bathroom en route to Dallas for a conference. I was about 50 miles outside the city and any establishment with the word "bakery" in its title sounded infinitely more appealing than a fast-food restaurant.

Inside shiny white Collin Street Bakery was a cafe serving sandwiches, a full bakery case with shelves of cookies and cupcakes, and a large display of tinned fruitcakes. "Meh," I said -- I think out loud -- to the last item. At an early age, I learned that certain foods were by definition laughable and gross, and high on that list was fruitcake. Pee-wee Herman reinforced this fact during the Christmas Special in which he nearly lost it after receiving only fruitcakes as presents.

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Winter. Is. Coming.

If you are confused by that statement, stop reading now. We are no longer friends. (Jk, you can keep reading.)

This Sunday is a special day. Yes, I know it's Easter Sunday and that is a very special day to many, but that is not what I'm talking about here.

I'm talking about the battle for the Iron Throne...A Storm of Swords...the season 3 premiere of Game of Thrones. If you haven't seen HBO's hit show based on George R.R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, that's okay -- there's still time! Just On Demand or Netflix the shit out of seasons 1 and 2 right now.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm freaking pumped. Pumped enough to borrow my sister's Daenerys costume and throw myself a party full of GoT-inspired snacks and libations.

Join me in my Feast of Ice and Fire, but beware: There are spoilers ahead for those who haven't enjoyed the books or seasons 1 and 2 of the TV show quite yet.

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Photo courtesy of walmart.com

White Chocolate Carrot Cake M&Ms.

Like candy? Easter should be your second favorite day of the year (after Halloween) given the plethora of special and/or limited-edition confections that emerge in celebration of the holiday. Last October I scoured the shelves for the best varieties for All Hallow's Eve; I've done the same this March. Here are my top five special edition Easter candies to buy for that special someone (including yourself).

5. Jelly Belly Dips. Though technically issued year-round, Jelly Belly Dips are nevertheless so festive you'll want to sprinkle at least a few in your Easter basket or on some pastel cupcakes. The coconut flavor pairs especially well with the dark chocolate coating, and unlike traditional coconut eggs, you can eat 'em (literally) by the handful.

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