I might be a brownie snob, there’s just no getting around it. In my very humble opinion, brownies need to be chewy, fudgy bites of chocolate bliss, with absolutely no trace of cakeyness to be found. If I wanted chocolate cake, I’d go ahead and bake that instead. The best brownie recipe has no leavening agents, to eliminate airiness, and must observe the best unkept secret of all: just barely stirring in the flour. I’ve been using this recipe for years without deviating from it, and it’s the base for every brownie creation I’ve ever made. The other secret to amazing brownies? Underbake them slightly. You will achieve chewy brownie nirvana.

I associate glazed ham with Easter after years of my family ordering honey hams wrapped in gold tinfoil that we picked up from the local store. If your family usually enjoys ham on Thanksgiving or Christmas, this recipe will work wonderfully for those holidays, as well. My favorite part about a large glazed ham is using it for leftovers throughout the rest of the week, so this recipe intentionally yields more than 8 servings.

When I was developing this recipe, I started with my mom’s “one-bowl vanilla cake,” which she baked often on the farm. I remember it being really good, but when I tested it for the store, it seemed heavy—at which point I remembered that Mom usually used it as the base for strawberry short- cake, in which all sins are drenched in cream and juice! Luckily, the baking team figured out a less “eggy” variation, and we were off to the races.

My favorite chocolate cake is the one my mom used to make from her old Robin Hood Cookbook, so I used that for inspiration when we created our chocolate cupcake at the bakery. Both Mom’s recipe and the one we now use at Prairie Girl are dark and delicious. And did I mention this recipe is easy?! When we’re having an unexpectedly busy day at the bakery, the bakers can whip up 10 dozen minis in under an hour, but don’t try that at home!

These coffee glazed cookies can be paired perfectly with your afternoon tea.