Vegan

Listen up: Maple syrup is chock-full of manganese and zinc (good things!) and to this day it remains one of the world’s most delicious sweeteners. Unfortunately, the stuff will land me in the infirmary with its massive sugar content if I so much as look at it too long. So, without peeking at the name of this recipe again, can you guess what I did to compensate? Did you just whisper under your breath the word agave? I think we’re starting to finally get somewhere, you and I. In between the hours I spent tweaking and refining the pancake and waffle recipes (pages 28 and 37, respectively), I worked tirelessly on formulating this substitute maple elixir I promise you’ll love.

Brace yourself for an unbelievably adorable, moist, and perfectly sweet donut that will leave you breathless and endlessly happy. We're going to bake them, not deep-fry them! If you're OK with sugar, this should be your go-to recipe, as it yields a fantastically crispy outside that secures the light, pillowy inside. The donut here is shown with the cinnamon sugar topping .

I have to give Sabrina, my business partner at BabyCakes NYC, 100 percent of the credit for creating this incredible cake. Normally, pineapple upside-down cake just isn’t my thing, but the texture, spice, and fluffiness of this recipe really won me over. If you’re a beginner, this is a good cake to start with because it’s a snap, it can be ready to eat in just about an hour, and it looks gorgeous. Feeling adventurous? Make some Vanilla Sugar Glaze (page 127) and drizzle it all over.

From cornbread slathered with jam to peanut butter and jelly, there are few things closer to my heart than the combination of salty and sweet. After I’d worked out the pancake recipe, it occurred to me—by way of an Eggo-heavy childhood—that a waffle recipe would be the perfect opportunity to explore salty-sweet in depth. Personally I find that a dollop of coconut oil and a sprinkle of salt on each waffle before the Agave Maple Syrup is perfect. Even more perfect? Making them chocolate-chipped! The next time you’re roaming the grocery store aisles and you happen—accidentally or otherwise—onto that wonderful section stuffed with every known variety of organic and sweetened and unsweetened and flavored chocolate, make sure to attack it full force. Then head immediately for the vegan whipped cream and pick it up. Find some vegan powdered sugar and place it in your basket. Load these groceries into your trunk or into your little go-cart to push home and get on your phone and offer up your waffle-making services to anyone willing to clean up the mess you’re about to make.

Donuts are still new enough to me that I see ideas for toppings in just about everything. Fleshing out odd pairings is one of my favorite pastimes. It’s that type of excitement you can pursue for days and weeks and months and then, right when you think you’re out of ideas, something genius comes along that makes all the effort entirely worth it. Here are several of BabyCakes NYC’s most popular donut toppings. Some require Vanilla Icing to get them to adhere to the donut. In every case, I find it is easiest to put the mixture in a wide bowl so that dunking the cakes isn’t too much of a fuss.

My younger son loves these cupcakes and calls them Strawberry Spongecakes. These pink-flecked pleasers are best made at the height of strawberry season.

My younger son eats this straight out of the bowl!

Beets and apples add filling fiber to each bowl; plus, apples' antioxidants may help prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by excess belly fat.

Tofu is a surprisingly rich source of calcium, which may discourage your body from storing fat, especially in the tummy region. Break out the bikini!

Ladolemono, with its one-to-one acid-to-oil ratio (as opposed to the usual one-to-three), is a classic Greek vinaigrette that gives a flash of brightness to grilled octopus, shrimp, squid, or the smoky, crispy skin of a whole branzino

In Japan today, onigiri are still the go-to food for picnics. It's not surprising that they started being grilled, too, which is what yaki onigiri are—grilled rice balls. Fire crisps up and caramelizes the rice on the outside, creating a delicious crust, which makes them even more irresistible.

Like the striped pops from the ice cream truck—without the artificial flavors and colors.

Yukari shiso salt is powdered dried purple shiso leaves mixed with salt, a tangy and colorful seasoning. It's often available in Japanese markets, but if you have trouble finding it, substitute another flavored Japanese salt like matcha salt (green tea salt) or furikake, seasoning for rice that comes in many varieties.

It's hard to believe that a three ingredient dessert can deliver such a big flavor payoff. Try garnishing with a wedge of watermelon.

The Italian aperitif Campari brings balance to these sweet orange pops.