In the past year, I’ve posted 89 recipes here on ‘Cooking with Karen’. I love each and every one of these recipes, but there are some that do stand out above the rest. Here are my top 20 favorite recipes from 2010. I have listed the desserts first, followed by everything else. Enjoy! And have a very Happy New Year!
Top 10 Desserts of 2010:
Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream – These are the perfect chocolate cupcakes – they are rich, moist, and sweet. And the espresso buttercream is one of the best frostings I’ve ever had – it’s creamy and silky and has just the right amount of coffee flavor.
Gingerbread Cookies – I adore these cookies. The chewy texture and flavor of molasses and spices is irresistible.
Oreo Cookie Cupcakes with Oreo Whipped Cream – These oreo cupcakes are so fluffy and light, and I love the oreo chunks throughout the batter. Oreo cookie whipped cream is the perfect complement to these cupcakes – it’s cookies ‘n’ cream at its finest!
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting – The frosting for these cupcakes is amazing. It’s super rich, thick, creamy, and so chocolaty! I could eat this by the spoonful.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars –These peanut butter bars are so enticing. You can never go wrong when the main ingredients in a recipe are peanut butter, chocolate, and sugar!
Dark Chocolate Espresso cookies – These cookies are chewy, chocolaty, and have a nice espresso flavor. If you are a coffee and chocolate lover like me, then these cookies are for you.
Mississippi Mud Pie – This mud pie is a very easy-to-make, yet impressive dessert. The crunchy oreo cookie crumb crust plus ice cream and chocolate ganache is an incredible flavor combination.
Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing – Decorating cookies with royal icing is one of my hobbies. I make these cookies at least once a month. In 2010 I made so many fun shapes: presents, peppermints, candy canes, trees & holly for Christmas; turkeys for Thanksgiving; ghosts, candy corn, bats & spider webs for Halloween; footballs; cupcakes; onesies and rattles for a baby shower; beach balls; watermelons; Mother’s Day cookies; butterflies; Easter cookies; fruit-shaped cookies for a ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’ birthday party; and Valentine’s Day cookies.
Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes – If you like pumpkin puree, then you will love these cupcakes. They are very fluffy and have a nice pumpkin pie spice flavor. The pecan chunks and cinnamon scented whipped cream make these cupcakes extra tasty.
Snickerdoodles – Snickerdoodles are such a classic variety of cookies and this is by far the best recipe for them that I’ve ever tried. They are chewy, buttery, and irresistibly cinnamon and sugar flavored.
Top 10 Main Dishes, Breakfast Foods & Appetizers of 2010:
Italian Sausage Skewers – These cute and tasty little appetizers are perfect for a dinner party because they are super easy to make, can be prepared in advance, and they are healthy.
Monkey Bread – Monkey bread is something I dream about. The cinnamon sugar dough balls that comprise this bread are so decadent, and the glaze takes this bread over the top.
Beef Bourguignon – Of all the recipes I made in 2010, this one definitely stands out among the rest. It is full of flavor, and smells amazing as it is simmering away on the stove. It’s hearty, healthy, and pure comfort food. If you’ve never made beef bourguignon before, I highly recommend you try this recipe asap.
Shrimp Scampi with Linguine – This is one of the dishes that Eric and I first made together, way back in 2004, and it’s still one of our favorites. I make this several times every year, and it’s always so satisfying. I just love the garlic butter wine sauce, parsley, lemon, shrimp, and pasta together.
Italian Sausage Ragu – This is a delicious, easy, and fairly quick pasta recipe. I make it all the time and it never disappoints. I love the flavors of bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, & sausage in it.
Lemony Couscous with Peas and Chicken – This is the perfect weeknight meal because it’s really easy to make, and it’s also very healthy and flavorful.
Italian Sausage, Red Pepper, & Mushroom Risotto – This risotto has such a wonderful and complex flavor from the sausage, peppers, mushrooms, onions, and parmesan. I make it all the time and always enjoy every last bite of it.
Meatballs – I’ve tried several meatball recipes over the years, and this is the one I keep coming back to. These meatballs are perfect in every way.
Stuffed Peppers – These stuffed peppers are easy to make, can be prepared in advance, healthy, colorful, well balanced, and so delicious!
Tomato, Mozzarella, & Basil Tart – This tart is essentially just an elegant version of margherita pizza. It’s comprised of a delicious garlic and basil flavored crust topped with lots of cheese, tomatoes, and more basil. It makes for an excellent appetizer or main course.
Cooking with Karen 
I really need to make that Italian Sausage Ragu! It looks delicious. I also want to try the Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting and the Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream. They look so good!