This was my birthday cake. Twice. On Wednesday, my friend Brenna and her family surprised me with it. It was so good that I called Brenna yesterday morning — my birthday morning, the day I turned 37 (just when did I begin to approach 40? I feel like I should be edging toward 30). I asked her for the recipe so I could make it again for myself. “It was so good and I want more of it.” That about sums it up.

Looking for something healthy-er to serve your loved ones on Valentine’s Day? While delicious, these 17 desserts are just healthy-er because they are still sweet. (Upgrading the grains and fats and adding secret ingredients only goes so far.) I’m all for infrequent indulgences, as long as we greatly reduce our day to day sweetening. You’ll find something to love here!

My kids think I’m the best mom in the world. Not just because of this clementine ice cream — though that helps. My husband, on the other hand, is not a fan. Don’t let that scare you, unless you — like he — do not favor fruity desserts. He much prefers something chocolate-y instead. To each his own. More for the rest of us!

I’m excited to share a recipe that’s been in the works for several months – marbled fudge. Since before Christmas 2009, in fact. This fudge makes good use of my new favorite ingredient, coconut butter and is very similar to my basic frosting. Either layer can be made alone – for plain vanilla fudge or plain chocolate fudge. Or add other extracts (mint, hazelnut, almond, lemon, orange) for flavor tweaks! Be sure to let me know how you like it, or what improvements you’d make.

Please welcome Claudia Vasquez, who is today sharing a beautiful photo tutorial of making the Coconut Macaroons from Nourishing Traditions. Thank you, Claudia, for your inspiration and lovely photos!