Judy O., Recipe Tester

These uncannily crisp, seemingly shortbreadish cookies from San Francisco’s Miette are–and we mean this–unlike any you’ve ever encountered.

One part oatmeal cookie, one part peanut butter cookie, one part chocolate chip cookie, and all parts irresistibly awesome.

When you want the taste of cinnamon rolls but don’t have the time (or yeast!), enter these shortcut lovelies laced with spice and lavished with cream cheese icing.

These little lovelies contain sugar and spice and everything nice–including an oh-so-buttery oat streusel and a batter so enticing you’d never, ever guess it’s good for you.

These sweetly savory scones take the traditional sweet and savory intermingling of apple pie and Cheddar and make it portable and pastry perfect.

This roasted pork is so tender, so rich with cumin, garlic, cilantro, and smoked paprika, it’s hard not to shout, “Come to mamacita.”

What’s even more stunning about this soup than its vibrant hue and soulful taste is just how magnificently it serves as a vehicle for leftover roast chicken.

These butter-and-cream-cheese pastries are filled with cinnamon-sugared nuts, a slick of jam, currants, and a handful of chopped chocolate.