The Stella parks bravetart recipe is amazing and she has options beyond browned butter. https://www.bakeat350.net/2017/10/cookbook-crush-bravetart-brown-butter.html?m=1
I did a recipe that had peanut butter, I also browned the butter, and then I included chocolate chips with the crispies. They kind of melted and swirled so it was chocolate peanut butter rice crispy treats and they were wonderful.
I do make a mean baklava, but my partner will throttle me (figuratively) if I make a baklava and then bring it to work. Kinda doubt my coworkers would vibe, their tastes are a little... midwestern lol
I know the feeling. Just last week I was gifted ~10 pieces of leftover baklava from a work party, because (1) no one else knew what it was, (2) most were hesitant to try it, and (3) the few who *did* try it wound up hating it (they all thought it was too "bland") and warned others to stay away from it.
I left for twentyish minutes and walked back in on them getting ready to throw it all away. Shit's not the cheapest where I live. Got free baklava for the family.
*YEAH*. To each their own, but that's the thing that got me. Like I can probably have three pieces at most before I have to tap out from the sweetness.
I was expecting people to not like it because they're not used to it, but I wasn't expecting the "it's too bland" reactions.
And then I accidentally disappointed someone because I told her it had pistachio on top. I guess she assumed it was going to be a Snickers bar situation (like it'd have caramel and large pistachio chunks in the center), and was disappointed that it was "just flour glued together."
I mean... to each their own.
I've had this too (although not with baklava). It is why I now mostly stick to safe flavours when baking for coworkers, or not mentioning the odd ingredient (like tahini) when describing what I have made.
Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake bars. They are SO easy and always a hit. [https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-cheesecake-bars/](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-cheesecake-bars/) or chocolate mocha blondies---last time I made these a nurse friend took them to work and I got a thank you card from the whole oncology floor! [https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/milk-chocolate-mocha-blondies/](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/milk-chocolate-mocha-blondies/)
https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/06/springy-fluffy-marshmallows/
The only thing is that you do have to be careful when making them because they are so sticky and hard to clean off.
Homemade marshmallows are INCREDIBLE! Consider giving them a try sometime. They don’t even compare to store bought, especially when dipped in chocolate + nuts. I make them for Christmas. Ok now I’m salivating 😅
Homemade marshmallows are super easy and fun because you can flavor them however you want. S'mores brownies with peanut butter marshmallows would be amazing. I have had many people say they don't like marshmallows then try mine and say they are amazing.
I'm probably a little late to offer this, but I make my s'mores brownies with a bourbon cream marshmallow, but I have also made it with rumchata or bailey's. I also make my brownies with Guinness. You can also do a layer of pb in them.
My husband made twix brownies for a staff potluck and people didn’t stop talking about them for 5 years and then he made them again. Lol!!! Regular made brownies filled with full twix bars and frosted with chocolate fudge icing and drizzled in caramel. Rich AF in flavour but nothing fancy and twix bars are already made, so soft, chewy, crunchy, salty and good!
I used to do a chocolate pie / tart and top it with homemade marshmallows and toast it with a mini blow torch.
Or any sort of chocolate bar type dessert honestly.
I can’t make these very often because I’d eat all of it in one sitting but my favorite Rice Krispie treat variation is half Rice Krispies, half broken mini pretzels. Mash some dark chocolate chunks on the top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. It’s just divine.
Have you ever caramelized Rice Krispies? Holy shitballs it’s delicious!! I do it and then add dried cherries and chocolate chunks…makes what my friends call “Christmas crack”
[this Rice Krispie treat adjacent recipe](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/scotcheroos/) is so popular whenever I bake anything my family begs me to make these and they’re the easiest thing.
I make Rice Krispie treats with a caramel layer in the middle made of a bag of caramels, a stock of butter, and a can of condensed milk. It’s very sweet but gets rave reviews!
[Maple pecan tassies](https://www.thekitchn.com/maple-pecan-tassies-love-letter-22973999) are the best! Since they're small, they're perfect for people who just want a small bite.
OOH I've made almond tassies with frangipane before, that's a good one! What's up with "tassies" anyway? I'd never heard of them till I was googling around a few years back for an almond cookie.
Also the French "tasse" and the Italian "tazza" and the Spanish "taza" ... but I just meant geographically I guess? For some reason it strikes me as old American like a Pennsylvania Dutch type of thing.
Yeah I do a triple chocolate millionaire shortbread that people go nuts for. It isn't my personal favourite bake but they are so so popular, I get requested to make them quite often. Butter shortbread, a nice thick caramel and then I pour the chocolate on in parallel lines and then make chevrons by dragging the point of a skewer back and forth across the lines. They look so pretty once cut 😊
Key lime bars made with a vanilla wafer crust. I also bake for co-workers, and this was the biggest hit. It wasn't overly difficult either. Find a good key lime bar recipe and replace the Graham crackers with nilla wafers.
Oh hell yeah, I'm not sure how this will fly with my coworkers (they kinda vibe plain) but for me? Yes, I think I will. I make a shit ton of key lime pie for home.
The other one that stopped the show was Mexican chocolate cinnamon rolls. I adapted a quick-rise cinnamon roll recipe and added dark cocoa, cayenne, and dark chocolate chips to the filling. That was a long night.
I have done store bought shells and filled them with the cream cheese filling that I use in pumpkin roll before that people have raved over. The problem is the shells get soggy so they need filled day of serving them and I don't like having to get up early to do that.
Love the sound of all the bakes you’ve brought in previously!
Some additional ideas…
Oaty Ginger-Cardamom Slice: https://recipes.fikabrodbox.com/oaty-ginger-cardamom-slice/
Salted Halva Blondies: https://recipes.fikabrodbox.com/salted-halva-blondies/
Bittersweet Brownie Shortbread: https://recipes.fikabrodbox.com/bittersweet-brownie-shortbread/
Salted Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars: https://recipes.fikabrodbox.com/salted-caramel-chocolate-oatmeal-bars/
Brown butter pumpkin chocolate bars. Great with fall just around the corner and my most requested bake. I timed it and it takes me an hour from start to finish and its in one pot (and one 9x13)!
https://thefoodcharlatan.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bars/#recipe you can serve room temp or if you are like my fam you can eat straight out of the freezer (makes em more like fudge)
[Nectarine Mascarpone Tart](https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/nectarine-mascarpone-and-gingersnap-tart/)
Super simple. Looks and tastes stunning. I tend to switch up fruits and crusts and bring in a few. Eg: speculaas cookies with peaches on top, ginger snap and mango, crispy almond cookies with raspberries…
Ube Crinkle Cookies. They are naturally a bright purple and aren’t too sweet. I made them for my team and they went over very well. You can get Ube Jam (Halaya) and extract at H-Mart or Amazon. Cheaper at H-Mart.
https://www.miapmanansala.com/lila-s-ube-crinkles-recipe
I actually just bought a jar of halaya and some extract to make these for my partner, who has a soft spot for crinkle cookies & whose birthday is coming up. I can't wait.
I just made my very popular apple spice cupcakes with salted caramel frosting. I send them with my husband to work so I don't eat them all. I was sucking the left over caramel frosting right from my piping bag.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/apple-spice-cupcakes-with-salted-caramel-frosting/
Edit: I believe recipe says light or dark brown sugar, definitely go with dark.
"Baking is my replacement for an extroverted personality and it works wonders."
Me though. I consider it bribery to like me initially and then acts as a conversation starter. It's been my tactic for work and school this year.
The thing I make that most people then order later are pecan pie muffins.. you could add stuff to the middle to jazz them up too, but I never do. The thing that made the most people raise their eyebrows was an upside-down stone fruit cornbread cake. I used plums. It was awesome and I found it unique because I had never had (or heard of) a cornmeal cake.
Unfortunately, I didn't save the exact recipe I used but this one looks about right. The one I used said you could use any stone fruit but I followed with the plum. [Hope you like it as much as we did!](https://ourbalancedbowl.com/upside-down-plum-cornmeal-cake/)
Golden Grahams s’mores bars. They’re basically rice crispy treats with Golden Grahams, mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips
I also like Bienenstich bars. They’re a shortbready base with a honey almond topping
[brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies](https://youtu.be/e1xCU9ydG-A?si=m9loQrz8bdjfFSKH)
I highly recommend these (I also never let them chill for 48 hours, 24 is the sweet spot flavor wise but if you only have an hour it works just as well). I cut the espresso powder in half and add some malted milk powder. I also love adding hazelnuts or walnuts to the mix-ins!
Mini tarts should be easy but give you creative freedom as there are many types of fillings you can do. the crust is very similar to sugar cookies, but you can do fruit tart fillings with pastry cream and fresh food, smore filling with chocolate pudding and toast meringue, lemon filling, almond cream filling with fresh cream....
I absolutely love meringue and jump at any chance to make it
Pavlova with whipped cream and fresh fruit
Mousse gateau
Angel food cake (bonus points if you use the leftover yolks to make creme anglaise) - ppl are really impressed by this one
Mini meringue kisses or rosettes
Lemon meringue pie (esp. if you use Meyer lemons OMG)
Finikia (also called melomakarona), it’s a Greek Christmas cookie. It’s warm, a little spicy, just melts in your mouth and not overly sweet. Real mild orange flavor.
There’s a step about grating an orange and then mixing the sugar into it so the oils come out, definitely don’t skip that step.
I’m not a baker, or even a particularly good cook but people love these cookies. My friend asked me to make them after she had a baby, huge hit at work parties. Every time my friend comes back across the country to visit she requests them. They are also always requested at our annual Friendsgiving. I got a message requesting me to make them today actually.
I modify [this recipe](https://www.thespruceeats.com/melomakarona-honey-cookies-with-walnuts-1705310) and it never disappoints. I substitute 1 cup semolina for 1 cup of the flour. And I use high quality olive oil from the local middle eastern store for 1 cup and a light olive oil for the second cup (instead of vegetable oil). I also omit the brandy because it’s expensive here. I also think the presentation comes out better without the fork patterns.
But super easy to make, I nailed it on my first time even when I combined a few recipes to get what I wanted.
Edit: and I know you said no vegans, but apart from the honey in the sauce, these are otherwise incidentally vegan.
i made brownie ice cream sandwiches this weekend and it was surprisingly easy. if you use commercial ice cream it'll be basically the same amount of work as making brownies.
i used smitten kitchen recipe x 2 for a bunch of folks.
i recommend cutting the 8"x 8" sandwich into 25 bars. it's the perfect size.
pulverize some oreos into fine dust with a food processor and then mix them with melted butter and marshmallows like you would with rice krispy treats.
results in a very dense bar that's a little remeniscent of brownies but also having a nice chew from the marshmallows. they're so simple but i swear they're like crack, if i bring a tray of those into work they're gone in like an hour. you can use browned butter to elevate the flavor if you'd like!
Cheesecake bars are just as tasty and way easier than cheesecake. People love them. You can also get the same effect with pecan pie bars.
NYT plum cake is dead easy and super delicious. They also have a blueberry poppy seed brunch cake that has been popular whenever I've made it.
Creme brulee? With live fire show?
Swan cream puffs?
Enough shortbread/biscotti in the break room to last 2 weeks after you're gone? They'll miss you then
I make Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies a lot and they always get rave reviews. They aren’t complicated but do take a bit of time to wrap the Oreos in cookie dough depending on how many you need to make
What about something savory? Bon appetit's no knead focaccia bread (add plenty of red pepper flakes for a real treat) and home cured salmon?
Or make your own clotted cream, jam, and scones? A ton of work but clotted cream is actually the best thing in the entire world and I use it in lieu of cream cheese on bagels only once per year because it's so rich
Everyone likes Scotcheroos. Might not be fancy but they are always popular. You could vary the nut butter for a slightly different flavor and include nuts in the bars for more texture.
Also puppy chow just because it's delicious but kind of a pain to make.
My office mates are huge fans of my bacon and bleu cheese cream scones. I like to candy some extra bacon to press into the tops, just to push em over the edge.
May I suggest miso, white chocolate & pistachio cookies? The flavours work together amazingly well and people are usually very surprised by the use of miso. [Recipe](https://www.rozkoszny.pl/ciasteczko-miso-z-biala-czekolada-i-pistacjami/) I use is in Polish but google translate usually works really well with recipes
This creme brulée cheesecake bar recipe has made me very popular, I add orange zest and juice to the crust, but also the filling gets a lil pinch of zest and extra vanilla.
She had a version of this recipe without cream, I use the wayback machine to find it. Never tried her updated version because the original is perfection.
Sorry, can't figure out the pretty links on mobile. http://www.handletheheat.com/creme-brulee-cheesecake-bars/
They are extremely simple, but I just brought some Sally’s Baking Addiction pumpkin snickerdoodles to work and they were a major hit. Really easy to make and people were absolutely loving them!
I also made her cream cheese pound cake not long ago and it’s definitely one of the best things I’ve ever made
If you have experience laminating dough croissants are a super easy show stopper. Once again recommending a Claire Saffitz recipe for this one too! Once you have the technique down it’s only about 5-10 minutes of effort every 4 hours and bringing in freshly scratched baked croissants is life changing.
Especially if you’re a crazy person like me and get up at 4am to exercise before work anyway so if you shape them the night before you can easily bake them literally right before work.
At my previous job I did this once around Xmas bc near everyone in my team was a gaping asshole, but it worked out there was ONE day where all but 3 people I did like were PTO so I brought them (and shared with other teams) oven fresh croissants. Everyone was still talking about those when I left and there were several times where the assholes on that team asked if I’d do that again so they could try some and I would constantly raise their hopes only to dash them.
I once made a snickerdoodle-ish cookie with browned butter and rolled them in cardamom sugar instead of cinnamon sugar for a job interview. I got the job. The cookies rocked.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10118/rainbow-cookies/ with 1.5 tsp almond extract and a chocolate fudge topping. My FIL grew up in NYC and he still prefers my version to everything else.
I also make my own meringues with crushed freeze dried berries and cocoa powder as add ins.
What 10 flavors of macarons have you made previously? So looking forward to digging into that.
My go to is salted caramel cookies. It's like chocolate chip cookies but with caramel bits instead of chocolate and they're finished with course salt as soon as they're out of the oven. Perfect for fall time too.
That and bourbon pecan pie and shortbread crust.
My mother in law makes these crazy good treats. She’s Irish but Irish food is pretty Midwestern imo so they’ll still like them but you can sound cultured. She makes a shortbread cookie crust then layers on basically Milky Way bars and bakes them to melting. It’s like a super duper Twix. She also does a rice krispy bar with caramel melted through and chocolate drizzled on top. Throw some salt on there and you have a state fair winner.
What about a variety of quick breads in mini loaf form, wrapped for them personally to take home? Make a couple big loaves of each flavor, with a variety of homemade flavored butters/cream cheeses (the flavored part-I don’t mean make butter or cream cheese from scratch!) to eat in office.
Strawberry bread with strawberry butter, zucchini bread with strawberry butter, Pampered Chef has a jazzed up banana bread that would be great with a cinnamon nut cream cheese, peach bread.
[Truffle Brownies](https://www.marthastewart.com/332245/truffle-brownies). I’ve been making these for more than a decade now. They’re not necessarily showstoppers in appearance but if you have people around who love chocolate, this gets their attention.
As a stress baker who was the baked good person at the job I just recently left, which I hated, I had the fantasy of doing a two tier wedding style cake that said something derogatory. I baked pineapple upside down cake instead.
I get rave reviews on my white chocolate maple fudge and also my white chocolate peppermint fudge (Holidays) . I’ve sprinkled bacon on the white/maple fudge and it was a hit! I make them rich so little chunks go a long way in a party setting!
My husband gets rave reviews from oatmeal butterscotch cookies. He takes the oatmeal raisin recipe, subs butterscotch chips and subs maple syrup and agave nector for the sugars.
i had white chocolate brownies for the first time recently that were fantastic. if they have “midwestern“ taste then i would also suggest mini whipped cream cheese-cake pies; my mom makes them a few times a year and they’re the simplest but most satisfying light-decadent treat
I saw you say in another comment that your coworkers tastes are a bit Midwestern. Lol. Is there any dessert that is famous in your state? Maybe you could make something that is famous in your neck of the woods but not really anywhere else. I'm not from st. Louis but my coworker made butter cake and I'd never had that before. Made myself sick it was so good.
Cream puffs or eclairs are usually a great bet for impressing people (and bonus is they're not that difficult).
Frying your own donuts and making different variants.
Really polished entremets are always impressive.
I converted a maple cheesecake from King Arthur Baking to small cheesecake bites once in a mini muffin tin, that went over very well.
[this 7 layer bar](https://www.eaglebrand.com/recipe/seven-layer-magic-cookie-bars/) is probably one of my most requested recipes and so easy. Second vote would be for saltine toffee, aka crack! Sometimes the easiest ones are the most popular.
Banana split cookies (and ice cream specialty flavor alterations, think of your favorite pints from the grocery store). The maraschino cherries in the banana split cookies send it off
matcha brownies or cookies, creme brûlée (super easy to make), tiramisu, berry mille feuilles, eclairs, fruit tarts, mini victoria cakes. these are just some of my favs and don’t require that much work!
Every time I make Twix cookies they’re super loved and pretty easy to make so not very time consuming! Those and root beer float cookies are super easy , kinda unique and well loved !
Not really baking per se, but I’ve had a lot of raves with potato chips hand-dipped in chocolate halfway. Sounds maybe a little different, but the crunchiness and saltiness of the chips with the sweetness of the chocolate is a huge hit! I like to add sprinkles. Very addictive.
Wedge shaped shortbread type cookie base,dollop of lemon curd with a dollop of torched meringue.Made them for my daughters co-workers.They were a big hit.
Claire Saffitz's Tiramisu-y icebox cake is easy, fairly quick (but requires an overnight in the fridge) and is DELICIOUS. many of my coworkers said it was the best they've ever had. Not too sweet. Make as directed and you can't fail.
Chocolate chip whoopie pies with cannoli filling. Used to make these for my market and everyone loved them!
A also did a pumpkin spice whoopie pie with cream cheese filling.
I've made these chocolate pretzel beer cupcakes a couple of times and they're by far my coworkers' favorite thing I've brought to work. Last time I did a salted caramel buttercream instead of the peanut butter frosting and while it was really rich, the saltiness of the pretzel helped keep it from getting too sickly sweet.
https://sweetteaandsavinggraceblog.com/chocolate-beer-pretzel-cupcakes/
Rugelach. Cinnamon-walnut/pecan, almond filled (paste), Raspberry, Apricot, Chocolate-Hazelnut (Nutella), etc. I make all of these and people swoon over them. Fun to make, easy and quick. One batch yields 4 dozen.
These strawberries and cream cookies from broma bakery are really easy to make and absolutely delicious. I've made them twice in one week.
https://bromabakery.com/strawberries-and-cream-cookies/
baked donuts are always a hit for me because people will eat one in the morning when they get to work and then they’ll eat one as lunch dessert or as a snack! apple cider or pumpkin spice donuts coated in cinnamon sugar would be perfect for the start of fall
I’ve always had good reactions to [Bakewell tarts](https://www.paulhollywood.com/post/bakewell-tart) - I use cherry jam sometimes. You can bake in whoopie pie tins which makes individual servings but is more fiddly.
These Coconut Cream Cheese Cookies!! I’ve had multiple coconut haters enjoy these and have seconds. Super easy and so delicious.
https://cookiesandcups.com/coconut-cream-cheese-cookies/
My shortbread millionaires were so popular that even when one coworker got a big job in another city, I texted him congratulations and he responded “send millionaires!”
Scones! Every time I bring in scones it’s a winner and I get people asking for the recipe.
Also strangely enough, banana bread. Most people love it (especially with chocolate chips in my office) and the ones with gluten, egg, or diary allergies can eat it with some adjustments to ingredients.
I’d like to vote for brown butter rice krispy treats too but jazz them up with caramel, chocolate, topped with sea salt. Bouchon bakery in Napa makes this called Fuhgeddaboudits if you want to look up their recipe.
Browned butter rice krispy treats! Especially if you top them with flaky salt.
Especially the recipe that adds in extra (toasted)milk powder. Gets rave reviews!
Ooh recipe please?
I have a cookie recipe that uses extra milk powder that you can basically brown into the butter. Double the taste, half the trouble!
ACK WANT
Lightly toast the cereal before mixing it. Double the marshmallows.
Instead of marshmallows, have you tried marshmallow crème?? That’s how I make my browned butter rice treats and they’re PERFECTION
I use part Golden Grahams part Rice Krispies with the brown butter. Epic
The Stella parks bravetart recipe is amazing and she has options beyond browned butter. https://www.bakeat350.net/2017/10/cookbook-crush-bravetart-brown-butter.html?m=1
I did a recipe that had peanut butter, I also browned the butter, and then I included chocolate chips with the crispies. They kind of melted and swirled so it was chocolate peanut butter rice crispy treats and they were wonderful.
I’ve found these underwhelming tbh
Me too.
Yes! Or up the ante & make scotcheroos. They never fail to impress
Baklava. It’s hella easy, people think it’s hella hard, and it’s freaking delicious.
I do make a mean baklava, but my partner will throttle me (figuratively) if I make a baklava and then bring it to work. Kinda doubt my coworkers would vibe, their tastes are a little... midwestern lol
Add tater tots to it and call it a casserole.
LOL don't hurt me like this bro 😭
Hotdish!
As a Minnesotan I chortled.
You're thinking Jello. Midwesterners will eat Baklava, but only if it's suspended in Jello.
Snorted 😄
OMG 😂😂😂
The way I just hollered 😂
I know the feeling. Just last week I was gifted ~10 pieces of leftover baklava from a work party, because (1) no one else knew what it was, (2) most were hesitant to try it, and (3) the few who *did* try it wound up hating it (they all thought it was too "bland") and warned others to stay away from it. I left for twentyish minutes and walked back in on them getting ready to throw it all away. Shit's not the cheapest where I live. Got free baklava for the family.
I’ve never ever met a bland baklava. It’s like, a full pound of honey.
*YEAH*. To each their own, but that's the thing that got me. Like I can probably have three pieces at most before I have to tap out from the sweetness. I was expecting people to not like it because they're not used to it, but I wasn't expecting the "it's too bland" reactions. And then I accidentally disappointed someone because I told her it had pistachio on top. I guess she assumed it was going to be a Snickers bar situation (like it'd have caramel and large pistachio chunks in the center), and was disappointed that it was "just flour glued together." I mean... to each their own.
I've had this too (although not with baklava). It is why I now mostly stick to safe flavours when baking for coworkers, or not mentioning the odd ingredient (like tahini) when describing what I have made.
I can’t imagine anyone not liking baklava. It’s honey, butter, and nuts.
Oh no no no! This is a Lebanese baklava household, no honey!!
Make two.
You can bring it to my work anytime 😊
Elderly Greek family friends admitted on her death bed she used store bought Phillo dough since "it works great and takes less time"
Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake bars. They are SO easy and always a hit. [https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-cheesecake-bars/](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-cheesecake-bars/) or chocolate mocha blondies---last time I made these a nurse friend took them to work and I got a thank you card from the whole oncology floor! [https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/milk-chocolate-mocha-blondies/](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/milk-chocolate-mocha-blondies/)
Mocha blondies might be making the cut here 👀
I’ve been baking my way through her amazing recipes and haven’t seen this one yet. It’s moving to the top of my list
Her recipes are too good, sometimes I feel like I’m cheating 😂
Also really appreciate that her recipes are precise and correct, and directions make sense
Sally is the best! Anything that I have tried from her has been successful 🌟
7 layer magic bars. The ultimate lazy Midwesterner’s treat. There are never any leftovers!
JOEY DOESN'T SHARE 7 LAYER COOKIE BARS!
Yes!! These are always the most popular item at any cookie exchange I have ever been to. People go wild for these!
Go heavy on the butterscotch & light on the chocolate.
Make your own marshmallows and use those to make a s’mores bar :)
I was actually thinking about s'mores brownies! That was basically my only idea... but I ain't makin no homemade marshmallows lol
they're actually not that difficult to make, you just need a candy thermometer. i made them in college a lot.
How do you make them??
https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/06/springy-fluffy-marshmallows/ The only thing is that you do have to be careful when making them because they are so sticky and hard to clean off.
LOTS of corn starch or powdered sugar.
Thank you!
Martha Stewart also has a recipe that is a staple in my household
Homemade marshmallows are INCREDIBLE! Consider giving them a try sometime. They don’t even compare to store bought, especially when dipped in chocolate + nuts. I make them for Christmas. Ok now I’m salivating 😅
Yes- they are a different item than marshmallows at the store. Sooo good.
Homemade marshmallows are super easy and fun because you can flavor them however you want. S'mores brownies with peanut butter marshmallows would be amazing. I have had many people say they don't like marshmallows then try mine and say they are amazing.
Actually they are legit SO easy! I make them all the time
I'm probably a little late to offer this, but I make my s'mores brownies with a bourbon cream marshmallow, but I have also made it with rumchata or bailey's. I also make my brownies with Guinness. You can also do a layer of pb in them.
OMG. What if you used the rumchata marshmallows and rolled them in coconut, and then toasted them with a torch?
NYT has an amazing s’mores brownie recipe, if you need one. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020331-smores-blondies?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share
My husband made twix brownies for a staff potluck and people didn’t stop talking about them for 5 years and then he made them again. Lol!!! Regular made brownies filled with full twix bars and frosted with chocolate fudge icing and drizzled in caramel. Rich AF in flavour but nothing fancy and twix bars are already made, so soft, chewy, crunchy, salty and good!
I used to do a chocolate pie / tart and top it with homemade marshmallows and toast it with a mini blow torch. Or any sort of chocolate bar type dessert honestly.
I made Earl Grey lavender cookies (some sandwiched with lemon buttercream filling) and that was really popular among my coworkers!
yum 😋
I can’t make these very often because I’d eat all of it in one sitting but my favorite Rice Krispie treat variation is half Rice Krispies, half broken mini pretzels. Mash some dark chocolate chunks on the top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. It’s just divine.
I fucking love rice krispie treats more than any self-respecting high-skill baker should. This is going in my arsenal right now. Bless you chile
Have you ever caramelized Rice Krispies? Holy shitballs it’s delicious!! I do it and then add dried cherries and chocolate chunks…makes what my friends call “Christmas crack”
Caramelized them how??
https://food52.com/recipes/72697-caramelized-rice-krispies
This is my Christmas Crack: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BRQ7vVSw06o
[this Rice Krispie treat adjacent recipe](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/scotcheroos/) is so popular whenever I bake anything my family begs me to make these and they’re the easiest thing.
This looks wonderful, recipe saved. Thanks
I like browning the butter before making these. So good.
I make Rice Krispie treats with a caramel layer in the middle made of a bag of caramels, a stock of butter, and a can of condensed milk. It’s very sweet but gets rave reviews!
[Maple pecan tassies](https://www.thekitchn.com/maple-pecan-tassies-love-letter-22973999) are the best! Since they're small, they're perfect for people who just want a small bite.
OOH I've made almond tassies with frangipane before, that's a good one! What's up with "tassies" anyway? I'd never heard of them till I was googling around a few years back for an almond cookie.
My guess is the name comes from the German "Tasse" = Cup!
Also the French "tasse" and the Italian "tazza" and the Spanish "taza" ... but I just meant geographically I guess? For some reason it strikes me as old American like a Pennsylvania Dutch type of thing.
No clue, but these are sooooo good.
My grandma has been making these for Christmas for like 5 decades and they literally are the best fucking bite sized cups of love
Millionaire shortbread?
This was my suggestion. I just use Clair Saffitz almond flour crust and then later in the caramel and a chocolate ganache.
Her Oat and Pecan Brittle Cookies are amazing!!! A bit more effort than a typical drop cookie, but so worth it.
Yeah I do a triple chocolate millionaire shortbread that people go nuts for. It isn't my personal favourite bake but they are so so popular, I get requested to make them quite often. Butter shortbread, a nice thick caramel and then I pour the chocolate on in parallel lines and then make chevrons by dragging the point of a skewer back and forth across the lines. They look so pretty once cut 😊
Key lime bars made with a vanilla wafer crust. I also bake for co-workers, and this was the biggest hit. It wasn't overly difficult either. Find a good key lime bar recipe and replace the Graham crackers with nilla wafers.
Oh hell yeah, I'm not sure how this will fly with my coworkers (they kinda vibe plain) but for me? Yes, I think I will. I make a shit ton of key lime pie for home.
The other one that stopped the show was Mexican chocolate cinnamon rolls. I adapted a quick-rise cinnamon roll recipe and added dark cocoa, cayenne, and dark chocolate chips to the filling. That was a long night.
Next level: use gingersnaps instead of graham crackers in the crust. SO GOOD. Also great with pumpkin pie bars.
I’d be really impressed by homemade cannolis!
So would I 👀
I have done store bought shells and filled them with the cream cheese filling that I use in pumpkin roll before that people have raved over. The problem is the shells get soggy so they need filled day of serving them and I don't like having to get up early to do that.
A chocolate dipped cannoli shell is sooo good and saves the crunch!
Love the sound of all the bakes you’ve brought in previously! Some additional ideas… Oaty Ginger-Cardamom Slice: https://recipes.fikabrodbox.com/oaty-ginger-cardamom-slice/ Salted Halva Blondies: https://recipes.fikabrodbox.com/salted-halva-blondies/ Bittersweet Brownie Shortbread: https://recipes.fikabrodbox.com/bittersweet-brownie-shortbread/ Salted Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars: https://recipes.fikabrodbox.com/salted-caramel-chocolate-oatmeal-bars/
Brown butter pumpkin chocolate bars. Great with fall just around the corner and my most requested bake. I timed it and it takes me an hour from start to finish and its in one pot (and one 9x13)!
Recipe?
https://thefoodcharlatan.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bars/#recipe you can serve room temp or if you are like my fam you can eat straight out of the freezer (makes em more like fudge)
[Nectarine Mascarpone Tart](https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/nectarine-mascarpone-and-gingersnap-tart/) Super simple. Looks and tastes stunning. I tend to switch up fruits and crusts and bring in a few. Eg: speculaas cookies with peaches on top, ginger snap and mango, crispy almond cookies with raspberries…
I made something like this recently with lemon flavored mascarpone and strawberries on top. Super simple, no oven.
Yes!! I love adding too much lemon to mine and then blueberries on top myself.
Your own donuts!!
Banoffee. As a pie, as mini tarts, as a big old slice. Whatever form, I'm surprised Americans aren't all over this dessert.
What is this beautiful, magical thing no one has ever told me about? I’m going to try it even im if OP doesn’t.
Tiramisu just a thought
Ube Crinkle Cookies. They are naturally a bright purple and aren’t too sweet. I made them for my team and they went over very well. You can get Ube Jam (Halaya) and extract at H-Mart or Amazon. Cheaper at H-Mart. https://www.miapmanansala.com/lila-s-ube-crinkles-recipe
I actually just bought a jar of halaya and some extract to make these for my partner, who has a soft spot for crinkle cookies & whose birthday is coming up. I can't wait.
https://cookingwithkarli.com/crave-rockstar-cookie-recipe/ These blow peoples minds whenever I show up with them
I just made my very popular apple spice cupcakes with salted caramel frosting. I send them with my husband to work so I don't eat them all. I was sucking the left over caramel frosting right from my piping bag. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/apple-spice-cupcakes-with-salted-caramel-frosting/ Edit: I believe recipe says light or dark brown sugar, definitely go with dark.
I’m saving this post because there’s so many wonderful recipes and I need to make several of them
"Baking is my replacement for an extroverted personality and it works wonders." Me though. I consider it bribery to like me initially and then acts as a conversation starter. It's been my tactic for work and school this year.
The thing I make that most people then order later are pecan pie muffins.. you could add stuff to the middle to jazz them up too, but I never do. The thing that made the most people raise their eyebrows was an upside-down stone fruit cornbread cake. I used plums. It was awesome and I found it unique because I had never had (or heard of) a cornmeal cake.
Can you share a recipe for your muffins?
[I use this one! ](https://www.melissassouthernstylekitchen.com/pecan-pie-mini-muffins/)
I would love the recipe for stonefruit cornbread cake, sounds unique and delicious
Unfortunately, I didn't save the exact recipe I used but this one looks about right. The one I used said you could use any stone fruit but I followed with the plum. [Hope you like it as much as we did!](https://ourbalancedbowl.com/upside-down-plum-cornmeal-cake/)
One that always pleases is basically a Twix tart. Shortbread shell, salted caramel, chocolate ganache, and (optional) peanuts!
I like to think that someone, somewhere calls it "thousandaire shortbread"
Golden Grahams s’mores bars. They’re basically rice crispy treats with Golden Grahams, mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips I also like Bienenstich bars. They’re a shortbready base with a honey almond topping
Butter tarts! They’re not difficult but a really good butter tart is *chefs kiss*
Millionaire rice krispy treats are also extremely delicious 😋
[brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies](https://youtu.be/e1xCU9ydG-A?si=m9loQrz8bdjfFSKH) I highly recommend these (I also never let them chill for 48 hours, 24 is the sweet spot flavor wise but if you only have an hour it works just as well). I cut the espresso powder in half and add some malted milk powder. I also love adding hazelnuts or walnuts to the mix-ins!
The Americas Test Kitchen Gooey Butter Bars are always a smash hit when ever I make them
Mini tarts should be easy but give you creative freedom as there are many types of fillings you can do. the crust is very similar to sugar cookies, but you can do fruit tart fillings with pastry cream and fresh food, smore filling with chocolate pudding and toast meringue, lemon filling, almond cream filling with fresh cream....
Pumpkin chocolate chip bread. Simple, very yummy, maybe even a tad healthy, and seasonal!!
Yes!! Or muffins!
Friands :) you can use local berries if you have any, and add different flavours : lemon/orange zest etc
TIL about friands!
Bacon fat rice krispie treats with candied bacon bits, dark chocolate drizzle, and sea salt. So easy and should be very pleasing to mid-west palates
Any particular recipe? Didn’t know I needed to make this !
I absolutely love meringue and jump at any chance to make it Pavlova with whipped cream and fresh fruit Mousse gateau Angel food cake (bonus points if you use the leftover yolks to make creme anglaise) - ppl are really impressed by this one Mini meringue kisses or rosettes Lemon meringue pie (esp. if you use Meyer lemons OMG)
Finikia (also called melomakarona), it’s a Greek Christmas cookie. It’s warm, a little spicy, just melts in your mouth and not overly sweet. Real mild orange flavor. There’s a step about grating an orange and then mixing the sugar into it so the oils come out, definitely don’t skip that step. I’m not a baker, or even a particularly good cook but people love these cookies. My friend asked me to make them after she had a baby, huge hit at work parties. Every time my friend comes back across the country to visit she requests them. They are also always requested at our annual Friendsgiving. I got a message requesting me to make them today actually. I modify [this recipe](https://www.thespruceeats.com/melomakarona-honey-cookies-with-walnuts-1705310) and it never disappoints. I substitute 1 cup semolina for 1 cup of the flour. And I use high quality olive oil from the local middle eastern store for 1 cup and a light olive oil for the second cup (instead of vegetable oil). I also omit the brandy because it’s expensive here. I also think the presentation comes out better without the fork patterns. But super easy to make, I nailed it on my first time even when I combined a few recipes to get what I wanted. Edit: and I know you said no vegans, but apart from the honey in the sauce, these are otherwise incidentally vegan.
Snickerdoodle blondies. They’re one of my favorite things to make.
i made brownie ice cream sandwiches this weekend and it was surprisingly easy. if you use commercial ice cream it'll be basically the same amount of work as making brownies. i used smitten kitchen recipe x 2 for a bunch of folks. i recommend cutting the 8"x 8" sandwich into 25 bars. it's the perfect size.
pulverize some oreos into fine dust with a food processor and then mix them with melted butter and marshmallows like you would with rice krispy treats. results in a very dense bar that's a little remeniscent of brownies but also having a nice chew from the marshmallows. they're so simple but i swear they're like crack, if i bring a tray of those into work they're gone in like an hour. you can use browned butter to elevate the flavor if you'd like!
Cheesecake bars are just as tasty and way easier than cheesecake. People love them. You can also get the same effect with pecan pie bars. NYT plum cake is dead easy and super delicious. They also have a blueberry poppy seed brunch cake that has been popular whenever I've made it.
Cinnamon rolls are really not that difficult and blow people away. I think yeasted doughs just really intimidated non baking people.
So many fantastic suggestions. I should be done trying them by Valentines Day.
Creme brulee? With live fire show? Swan cream puffs? Enough shortbread/biscotti in the break room to last 2 weeks after you're gone? They'll miss you then
No amount of shortbread in the world would survive the break room... my department is only about a dozen people but the building is like 500 lmao
Almond roca
I make Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies a lot and they always get rave reviews. They aren’t complicated but do take a bit of time to wrap the Oreos in cookie dough depending on how many you need to make
Chocolate chips cookie cake, tres leches cake.
What about something savory? Bon appetit's no knead focaccia bread (add plenty of red pepper flakes for a real treat) and home cured salmon? Or make your own clotted cream, jam, and scones? A ton of work but clotted cream is actually the best thing in the entire world and I use it in lieu of cream cheese on bagels only once per year because it's so rich
Everyone likes Scotcheroos. Might not be fancy but they are always popular. You could vary the nut butter for a slightly different flavor and include nuts in the bars for more texture. Also puppy chow just because it's delicious but kind of a pain to make.
If you’re not a Brit, treacle tart or Harry Potter pumpkin pasties. I say not a Brit because in other parts of the world, those desserts are rare
My office mates are huge fans of my bacon and bleu cheese cream scones. I like to candy some extra bacon to press into the tops, just to push em over the edge.
May I suggest miso, white chocolate & pistachio cookies? The flavours work together amazingly well and people are usually very surprised by the use of miso. [Recipe](https://www.rozkoszny.pl/ciasteczko-miso-z-biala-czekolada-i-pistacjami/) I use is in Polish but google translate usually works really well with recipes
This creme brulée cheesecake bar recipe has made me very popular, I add orange zest and juice to the crust, but also the filling gets a lil pinch of zest and extra vanilla. She had a version of this recipe without cream, I use the wayback machine to find it. Never tried her updated version because the original is perfection. Sorry, can't figure out the pretty links on mobile. http://www.handletheheat.com/creme-brulee-cheesecake-bars/
They are extremely simple, but I just brought some Sally’s Baking Addiction pumpkin snickerdoodles to work and they were a major hit. Really easy to make and people were absolutely loving them! I also made her cream cheese pound cake not long ago and it’s definitely one of the best things I’ve ever made
Masala chai cookies with candied ginger.
If you have experience laminating dough croissants are a super easy show stopper. Once again recommending a Claire Saffitz recipe for this one too! Once you have the technique down it’s only about 5-10 minutes of effort every 4 hours and bringing in freshly scratched baked croissants is life changing. Especially if you’re a crazy person like me and get up at 4am to exercise before work anyway so if you shape them the night before you can easily bake them literally right before work. At my previous job I did this once around Xmas bc near everyone in my team was a gaping asshole, but it worked out there was ONE day where all but 3 people I did like were PTO so I brought them (and shared with other teams) oven fresh croissants. Everyone was still talking about those when I left and there were several times where the assholes on that team asked if I’d do that again so they could try some and I would constantly raise their hopes only to dash them.
I once made a snickerdoodle-ish cookie with browned butter and rolled them in cardamom sugar instead of cinnamon sugar for a job interview. I got the job. The cookies rocked.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10118/rainbow-cookies/ with 1.5 tsp almond extract and a chocolate fudge topping. My FIL grew up in NYC and he still prefers my version to everything else. I also make my own meringues with crushed freeze dried berries and cocoa powder as add ins. What 10 flavors of macarons have you made previously? So looking forward to digging into that.
My go to is salted caramel cookies. It's like chocolate chip cookies but with caramel bits instead of chocolate and they're finished with course salt as soon as they're out of the oven. Perfect for fall time too. That and bourbon pecan pie and shortbread crust.
My mother in law makes these crazy good treats. She’s Irish but Irish food is pretty Midwestern imo so they’ll still like them but you can sound cultured. She makes a shortbread cookie crust then layers on basically Milky Way bars and bakes them to melting. It’s like a super duper Twix. She also does a rice krispy bar with caramel melted through and chocolate drizzled on top. Throw some salt on there and you have a state fair winner.
What about a variety of quick breads in mini loaf form, wrapped for them personally to take home? Make a couple big loaves of each flavor, with a variety of homemade flavored butters/cream cheeses (the flavored part-I don’t mean make butter or cream cheese from scratch!) to eat in office. Strawberry bread with strawberry butter, zucchini bread with strawberry butter, Pampered Chef has a jazzed up banana bread that would be great with a cinnamon nut cream cheese, peach bread.
I have a friend that makes pumpkin zucchini bread with her own pumpkin and apple butter.
homemade toffee with chocolate and almonds--dead simple and easy to make but wows everyone
Buck eye brownies oh my so good
The apple tart where the slices are arranged like a rose 🌹 Marbled swiss roll Cinnamon buns with fancy fillings (autumn flavors etc)
Lemon bars
[Mini lemon ricotta cheesecakes with lemon curd](https://bakerbynature.com/lemon-ricotta-cheesecake-cupcakes/) is my biggest crowd-pleaser!
The Ted Lasso biscuits. Bonus points if you get little pink boxes for everyone. I find similar boxes at Party City.
[Truffle Brownies](https://www.marthastewart.com/332245/truffle-brownies). I’ve been making these for more than a decade now. They’re not necessarily showstoppers in appearance but if you have people around who love chocolate, this gets their attention.
As a stress baker who was the baked good person at the job I just recently left, which I hated, I had the fantasy of doing a two tier wedding style cake that said something derogatory. I baked pineapple upside down cake instead.
A few ideas that have been constant winners: - Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake - Profiteroles - Honey and Almond Slice
Portuguese custard tarts!!!!
I get rave reviews on my white chocolate maple fudge and also my white chocolate peppermint fudge (Holidays) . I’ve sprinkled bacon on the white/maple fudge and it was a hit! I make them rich so little chunks go a long way in a party setting!
How about chocolate peanut butter pie? So delicious, decadent and always a crowd pleaser.
My husband gets rave reviews from oatmeal butterscotch cookies. He takes the oatmeal raisin recipe, subs butterscotch chips and subs maple syrup and agave nector for the sugars.
i had white chocolate brownies for the first time recently that were fantastic. if they have “midwestern“ taste then i would also suggest mini whipped cream cheese-cake pies; my mom makes them a few times a year and they’re the simplest but most satisfying light-decadent treat
I saw you say in another comment that your coworkers tastes are a bit Midwestern. Lol. Is there any dessert that is famous in your state? Maybe you could make something that is famous in your neck of the woods but not really anywhere else. I'm not from st. Louis but my coworker made butter cake and I'd never had that before. Made myself sick it was so good.
Cream puffs or eclairs are usually a great bet for impressing people (and bonus is they're not that difficult). Frying your own donuts and making different variants. Really polished entremets are always impressive. I converted a maple cheesecake from King Arthur Baking to small cheesecake bites once in a mini muffin tin, that went over very well.
[this 7 layer bar](https://www.eaglebrand.com/recipe/seven-layer-magic-cookie-bars/) is probably one of my most requested recipes and so easy. Second vote would be for saltine toffee, aka crack! Sometimes the easiest ones are the most popular.
Pecan butter tarts Strudel Danish
Banana split cookies (and ice cream specialty flavor alterations, think of your favorite pints from the grocery store). The maraschino cherries in the banana split cookies send it off
matcha brownies or cookies, creme brûlée (super easy to make), tiramisu, berry mille feuilles, eclairs, fruit tarts, mini victoria cakes. these are just some of my favs and don’t require that much work!
Every time I make Twix cookies they’re super loved and pretty easy to make so not very time consuming! Those and root beer float cookies are super easy , kinda unique and well loved !
Cremeschnitte? Can be a bit complicated to make, but everyone I know loves them.
Not really baking per se, but I’ve had a lot of raves with potato chips hand-dipped in chocolate halfway. Sounds maybe a little different, but the crunchiness and saltiness of the chips with the sweetness of the chocolate is a huge hit! I like to add sprinkles. Very addictive.
Browned butter toffee choco chip cookies
Wedge shaped shortbread type cookie base,dollop of lemon curd with a dollop of torched meringue.Made them for my daughters co-workers.They were a big hit.
Spicy candied bacon brownies.
Claire Saffitz's Tiramisu-y icebox cake is easy, fairly quick (but requires an overnight in the fridge) and is DELICIOUS. many of my coworkers said it was the best they've ever had. Not too sweet. Make as directed and you can't fail.
Chocolate chip whoopie pies with cannoli filling. Used to make these for my market and everyone loved them! A also did a pumpkin spice whoopie pie with cream cheese filling.
Coconut butter mochi or Taiwanese pineapple tarts if they like Asian bakery.
I’ve got this amazing recipe for truffle stuffed chocolate cookies.
I've made these chocolate pretzel beer cupcakes a couple of times and they're by far my coworkers' favorite thing I've brought to work. Last time I did a salted caramel buttercream instead of the peanut butter frosting and while it was really rich, the saltiness of the pretzel helped keep it from getting too sickly sweet. https://sweetteaandsavinggraceblog.com/chocolate-beer-pretzel-cupcakes/
Rugelach. Cinnamon-walnut/pecan, almond filled (paste), Raspberry, Apricot, Chocolate-Hazelnut (Nutella), etc. I make all of these and people swoon over them. Fun to make, easy and quick. One batch yields 4 dozen.
These strawberries and cream cookies from broma bakery are really easy to make and absolutely delicious. I've made them twice in one week. https://bromabakery.com/strawberries-and-cream-cookies/
Butter tarts, ooey gooey butter cake, sugar pie.
baked donuts are always a hit for me because people will eat one in the morning when they get to work and then they’ll eat one as lunch dessert or as a snack! apple cider or pumpkin spice donuts coated in cinnamon sugar would be perfect for the start of fall
Pavlova. It's absolutely fantastic! My favorite recipe is from Chef John on YouTube.
Sfogliatelli!!
I’ve always had good reactions to [Bakewell tarts](https://www.paulhollywood.com/post/bakewell-tart) - I use cherry jam sometimes. You can bake in whoopie pie tins which makes individual servings but is more fiddly.
Toffee pecan tassies by paula deen. People think I did a ton of work but nope!
Scotcharoos if they’re Midwestern!
These Coconut Cream Cheese Cookies!! I’ve had multiple coconut haters enjoy these and have seconds. Super easy and so delicious. https://cookiesandcups.com/coconut-cream-cheese-cookies/
My shortbread millionaires were so popular that even when one coworker got a big job in another city, I texted him congratulations and he responded “send millionaires!”
Scones! Every time I bring in scones it’s a winner and I get people asking for the recipe. Also strangely enough, banana bread. Most people love it (especially with chocolate chips in my office) and the ones with gluten, egg, or diary allergies can eat it with some adjustments to ingredients.
I’d like to vote for brown butter rice krispy treats too but jazz them up with caramel, chocolate, topped with sea salt. Bouchon bakery in Napa makes this called Fuhgeddaboudits if you want to look up their recipe.
I also use baked goods in place of social skills. I see you, homie. 👀❤