Willow Bird Baking’s Best Recipes of 2016

I chose the most popular recipes of the year based on how many times each recipe was visited. You were all about decadent desserts this year, and I completely understand!

5. 4-INGREDIENT BLUEBERRY COBBLER DUMP CAKE.

4. QUICK AND EASY CHERRY PIE BITES.

3. HOT MILK TOAST CAKE.

2. FIVE-INGREDIENT PUMPKIN PROTEIN PANCAKES.

1. VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE.

Now it’s time to share MY vote! I actually would have put the Hot Milk Toast Cake in my top 5 too (good taste, y’all!) but I didn’t want any repeats. Here are my top 5 favorite creations of 2016:

5. BUCKEYE BROWNIES.

4. COCONUT CREAM BROWNIES.

3. HOT GLAZED ALMOND CAKE.

2. LEMON CURD CREAM CAKE.

1. BROWN BUTTER PUMPKIN SNACK CAKE WITH CRACKLE ICING.

I say it all the time, but I’ll say it again: Willow Bird Baking is not a recipe website. Willow Bird is a place for recipes, yes, but also a place for real talk. It’s a place for me to share my stories, my travel writing, my faith musings, my laughter. This section highlights my favorite stories from 2016.

This was a hard year for stories — my move across the country affected me in weird ways and I’m still processing it and finding it hard to put things into words. I know from experience to give myself time and grace about this, but I’m also hoping to find “normal” again in 2017.