The Best of Brown Eyed Baker in 2012: 20 of My Favorite Recipes
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Yesterday, I shared my annual roundup of the 10 most popular recipes on Brown Eyed Baker that were made during 2012. While many of those on that list were my favorites, there were also a ton of recipes that I fell in love with this year that didn’t make the cut. I want to share my personal favorites with you that weren’t on the previous list, so I put together this follow-up roundup, which features 20 of my favorites from 2012 – 10 sweet and 10 savory. It was agonizing to pare this list down; there are so many more recipes I want to include! (Please note the three honorable mentions at the end, as well!) These are the recipes that I made over and over, tried to hide from others, and cried when they were gone. Enjoy browsing the list, and feel free to share any recipe requests for 2013 in the comments below!
(The recipes are listed in chronological order, January through December.)
Savory Recipes
3. Bacon and Cheese Easter Bread
5. Chicken Fried Steak with Sawmill Gravy
7. Beer-Battered Zucchini Fries
8. Pretzel Dogs
9. Potato Skins
Sweet Recipes
1. My Dad’s Favorite Chocolate Birthday Cake
2. No-Bake Banana Split Dessert
3. Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
4. Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Sandwiches
6. Banana Split Ice Cream Cake
8. DIY: Homemade Klondike Bars
9. The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
10. Ho Ho Cake
Honorable Mentions:
These recipes all made my short list, but were at the very top of my Chief Culinary Consultant’s favorites from the past year, so I wanted to make sure they were included in the list!
Greek Custard Pie (Galaktoboureko)
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Sweet Apple Glaze
Do you have any recipe requests for Brown Eyed Baker in 2013? Share them below!
I love this list more than the most-popular list among readers because it shows what YOU loved and although I think people will always click on chocolate or cheesy things, they may not click on baklava but knowing that you loved it that much and made it over and over….now THAT is the kind of insider’s info I want and those are the recipes I want to make. And that Greek custard pie, wow!
I loved all your chocolate cake recipes and am glad they made the cut here!
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Galaktoboureko… amazing!
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My dear Great post….so nice to have a compilation of the trend reports in one place!
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Why do not remember you posting the Banana Split Ice Cream Cake? Oh my gosh!!!! All your personal picks look delish!!!
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That Easter bread, my heart be still…
I love this post! Getting to see what you enjoyed the most is so interesting and helpful!
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Will have to give some of these a try. Could you devote one day a week to “healthy” recipes? I would love to see a few good frittata recipes. Thanks for a great blog.
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Kate on December 27th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Skinnytaste is my favorite for healthy recipes-it’s an excellent food blog designed for folks on Weight Watchers, but it has really yummy stuff in addition to the standard salads and whatnot.
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Catherine Daugherty @ www.praycookblog.com on December 30th, 2012 at 9:12 pm
Kate, I am so glad you wrote about Skinnytaste. I am adding one healthy recipe a week on my blog and am looking for websites like this one. Thanks for sharing! http://www.praycookblog.com
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Michelle on December 27th, 2012 at 9:52 pm
Hi Liz, I sprinkle in some of my favorite healthier recipes here and there, but I don’t devote a certain number of posts per week or month to them.
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If I wasn’t feeling so sick right now, I’d be heading for the kitchen…
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I’m still trying to master the perfect beef stew. I’d love a great recipe for that
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Emma on December 27th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
MgMama:Michelle has a great beef stew recipe on here-it makes great broth/gravy. You should give it a try =)
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Michelle on December 27th, 2012 at 9:55 pm
Hi MgMama, I actually have a beef stew recipe on the site. It’s older so the photo isn’t the best, but it is FABULOUS. I highly recommend it! http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2007/10/10/hearty-beef-stew/
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Scones! Or anything with lemon! I love both!
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Michelle on December 27th, 2012 at 9:57 pm
Hi MollyCakes, You can see all of my scone recipes here: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/category/recipes/breakfast-brunch-recipes/scone-recipes/. And anything that includes lemon here: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/tag/lemon-juice/ and here: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/tag/lemon-zest/
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I second the request for some lighter recipes in 2013. I remember once that you mentioned you were a pretty healthy eater yourself most of the time. We love your recipes so much, we’d be nterested to see how you lighten things up.
thanks for sharing!!
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If you have a recipe for a caramel pecan apple pie & dutch apple pie, I would love it. I live in Sacramento and every year we go to apple hill and there is a place called High Hill who makes the best dutch apple pie & caramel crunch apple pie. The caramel crunch apple pie has pecans and caramel and apples. If you have a recipe for these two pies if you can include them in 2013 my family and I would be oh so grateful. Happy New Year!
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Michelle on December 27th, 2012 at 9:58 pm
Hi Tali, I will definitely add the caramel crunch apple pie to my list, that sounds amazing! As for the Dutch apple pie, I already have one on the site that I LOVE, you can find it here: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/09/15/dutch-apple-pie/
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In one of my first bread baking attempts ever, I made your bacon & cheese Easter bread this past year. I can’t wait to try perfecting it again next year!
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I have been seeking a great roasted (or not) butternut squash soup that is vegetarian (gasp!). I have tried many, but haven’t been happy with any yet…
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Michelle on December 27th, 2012 at 9:59 pm
Hi Allison, Here is my favorite Butternut Squash soup! http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/25/butternut-squash-soup-recipe/
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I remember your post with Your Dad’s Favorite Chocolate Cake. It was the sweetest post ever! Love this list – so many of my BEB favorites are here!
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A strange request I know…but what about fortune cookies? I always wanted to make them from scratch…and somehow make them taste better, too!
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Michelle on December 27th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
I love that request! I’m definitely adding it to the list!
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I only recently discovered your site, and LOVE all these recipes! My husband is particularly happy with the hot chocolate mix and marshmallow recipe.
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I would love for you to do a Buche de Noel (Yule Log). I found a recipe this year and made it but I think it could have been a lot better.
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Michelle on December 27th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Hi Patty, A yule log has been on my list for some time, but every year it ends up getting put on the back burner for more cookies
I’m bound and determined to make it next year!
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These are awesome! I would love to see a recipe for a lattice top peach cobbler. I’ve been looking for a while but haven’t found one that I like.
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Michelle on December 27th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Hi Cris, You could definitely combine the filling from my peach cobbler (http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/07/14/peach-cobbler-recipe/) with the lattice-top crust my cherry pie (http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/06/29/cherry-pie-recipe/).
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I love reading your blog and getting new ideas. I am really getting into a salad kick lately and I like the sweeter salads that have dried fruits or sweeter dressings. Could you maybe do a post about good salad dressing recipes that are easy to make at home? That would be great! Have a great 2013!
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Great post. I actually made your spinach artichoke dip, 7 lay dip and red velvet cheesecake recipes for my holiday party this year. Everyone loved them. I actually got the spinach artichoke dip as a request to bring to a Xmas gathering. I’m kinda new but CAN”T wait to try more. I really want to try the Conch fritters, but it’s so expensive and hard to find, any substitutions suggestions? i.e. crab.
I was SUPPOSED to make the Carmalize Onion, Mushroom, Guyerre Cheese Tarlets and the Chili Con Queso but didn’t plan my time well. Had the ingredients but they didn’t make the final cut. :O(
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Michelle on December 27th, 2012 at 9:49 pm
Hi T.R. – I have used shrimp successfully in place of the conch, and I don’t see why you couldn’t use crab as well. They are very tasty, I hope you give them a try!
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Great list! It is surprisingly hard to choose favorites from posts. I loved everything I posted so much.
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Great post! I am always on the look out for a cookie for my next year’s Christmas boxes. Needs to be reasonably priced, interesting, and will travel long distances well.
All the best in 2013!
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I had lunch a few months ago at the Olive Garden restaurant and had a slice of their Black Tie chocolate mousse cake and thought I had died and gone to heaven! It is really really good. I would love to be able to recreate that awesomeness at home, how about giving us your version?
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It was such a great year for your blog Michelle! You have no idea how many of your recipes I have bookmarked
Hope you had a very merry Christmas with your family! Wishing you all the best in 2013!
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Hi Michelle.
Twenty years ago a mennonite friend of mine made creamed peach pies. Since then, we’ve moved away and lost touch but I still remember how delicious her pies were. That would be my request for 2013.
Keep baking/cooking and posting. We will keep following!
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Hi Michelle! I absolutely love your blog and have actually made quite a few of the recipes and they are always a hit! So I have a request for you. The California Pizza Kitchen had this amazing garlic chicken pizza in a garlic white wine sauce. It was my favorite thing on the menu and I got it every time I went there. When I went recently the waiter informed me that it was no longer on the menu and I was completely heartbroken. If you could recreate that I would be forever grateful. I tried to do some research on the net for it and found one recipe but I lost the site. Have a happy new year! <3 Laketia
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I’ve been trying to perfect a recipe for amazing vanilla chai cupcakes. Everything I’ve come up with hasn’t quite grasped the taste of chai tea entirely. Since you’ve managed to cupcakeify car bombs and margaritas, I have no doubt you’d manage to make some wonderful chai cupcakes!!!
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Oh my gosh…I’m glad I don’t have to pick just one! I want to chow down on potatoes and chicken right now
With dessert of course.
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How about Italian cream cake? You are one of two blogs that has by far the most awesomely delicious cake/cupcake recipes that I have come across, and I would love to see what recipe you would find for that!
And I second the chai cupcakes!
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Steph in Lex on January 4th, 2013 at 5:55 pm
p.s. I’ve made the baklava twice and it was AMAZING both times. I never realized that it was so easy to make–just time-consuming. Definitely one of my favorite desserts and now I can make it super-easily thanks to you!
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Thanks for your amazing blog!!
For 2013 recipes:
How about a 7 layer MOIST cake (yellow cake chocolate frosting and chocolate glaze)? And also maybe a few more good chinese recipes? ie beef/ chicken lo mein, sesame chicken???
You do an amazing job!!
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Michelle on January 9th, 2013 at 11:10 am
Hi Nicky, Thanks for the suggestions, I will add them to my list!
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I love your sie, i check it often. For 2013 i want Something sweet with coconut
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I just found your blog and love your recipes. I would love it if you could post a white chocolate cake (with frosting), gluten free if possible, please. Thank you, Michelle!
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This weedend I made your HoHo Cake and the Banana Split Cake. Both were a total hit! Thanks for sharing!
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I’ve been trying to find a recipe that replicates the Starbucks Cinnamon Scone. My boys LOVE them, and I’ll admit they’re spectacular…but $2.25 each? Ouch! I figure you’re genius enough to pull it off
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Love your site. Have not tried the recipe yet, but DEFINITELY going to try the red velvet cheesecake recipe. Two of my favorite things
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Would love to see a recipe for a hazelnut dacquoise . Love you blog, and the pictures are awesome. They make me hungry everytime. Well done
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I liked the recipe very much. Can you tell me recipe of Green Grape Cake.
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i noticed that you don’t have a recipe for Vinegar Pie. sounds & smells weird, mainly while you cook it, but tastes oh so good.
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