Cupcake cones
This non-stick, cast-aluminum pan creates six 3-inch tall ice cream-cone shapes. Top each with a swirl of frosting, a la soft serve ice cream, or halve them to create a flat slice, then add a scoop of ice cream at the top. The recipe on the label is recommended for upright “cones”; we had good results with halved cupcakes made with a bundt-cake mix. The pan is $30 at Williams-Sonoma stores or by mail
Dashing dressings
We loved the zippy flavors of three vinaigrettes from Good Seasons: red raspberry with poppyseed, sun-dried tomato with roasted red pepper, and Italian with extra-virgin olive oil–each has just 30 calories per tablespoon. Use them on salads or as marinades. Each 14-ounce bottle is $2.90-$3.60 at Cub Foods, Jewel (Italian), Sunset Foods and peapod.com (Italian and raspberry).
Kisses from Poland
SesaKiss sesame-seed wafers from Poland are just sweet enough, and everyone enjoyed the authentic flavors, which include honey, coconut and orange. Each 1.25-ounce pack contains four wafers and costs 33 to 50 cents at Caputo’s Fresh Markets in Addison, Elmwood Park, Bloomingdale and Hanover Park, Cub Foods, some Jewel-Osco stores and at lowellfoods.com.
