From the day I saw this cookbook by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, owners of Baked bakery in Brooklyn, I was infatuated. With photos (by Tina Rupp) that make you want to reach into the page for a taste, the book has recipes for comfort-food faves but with an intriguing twist, such as Red Velvet Cake with a cinnamon-laced frosting, and Malt Ball Cake that mimics the flavor of Whopper’s candy.

I’ve baked several recipes, each a great success: S’mores Nut Bars, Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie, and the Baked Brownie. My most recent effort is shown here: The Lemon-Lime Bars. I’ve always been a fan of lemon squares, which are traditionally lemon curd in a shortbread crust. These up the ante with a graham-cracker-toasted coconut crust, and a mostly-lemon-but-a-hint-of-lime curd filling. It was the perfect ending to a Thursday night dinner of spicy Thai shrimp curry.