Blueberry oat slices. Photograph: Harry Weir Photography Noonan’s predecessor in the BAKE kitchen, Vanessa Greenwood, also inspired us to get the mixing bowl out. Readers loved her blueberry oat slices, a simple but very tasty snack, and her coffee traybake, an easy all-in-one sponge mixture topped with coffee buttercream. Coffee traybake. Photograph: Harry Weir Photography But it wasn’t all sugar and spice this past, difficult year. We needed solid nourishment, and maybe comfort too, to get us through the tough days. Paul Flynn kept us fed, and interested in what we were making, without being too challenging. Baked pasta with chorizo and Parmesan. Photograph: Harry Weir Photography