Baking

When Gingerbread Season Hits (It’s Basically Any Cool Day, Right?) Okay, so, picture this: there’s that classic wintry chill outside, and I’m rooting through my pantry for something—literally anything—other than oatmeal. That’s when my brain says, hey, how about those gingerbread cookies Nana used to make, except, well, less tooth-chipping? Soft gingerbread, that is. With …

Let Me Tell You About Garlic Bread Rolls Okay, so, picture last Saturday night: it's raining, nobody feels like making a proper dinner, and my family is silently hoping I’ll cave and order pizza. But! I started up my favorite playlist, and instead put together these garlic bread rolls (and honestly, there was a brief …

So, You're Curious About Making Stollen? Alright, let’s set the stage: winter, fairy lights on, and someone’s left a trail of powdered sugar across the counter (ahem, guilty as charged). Making German Stollen takes me right back to when my aunt Helga mailed us slightly squished parcels from Dresden—the bread inside was always a bit …

So Here’s Why I Keep Coming Back to These Fig Bars You know, every time I make these oatmeal fig bars, it’s like my kitchen turns into a time machine, zipping right back to when my aunt would send stacks of these bars for school lunch swaps—though hers were always a tad more mysterious (raisins? …

Coffee, Brioche, and a Trip Down Memory Lane Okay, so confession time—whenever I bake this Raspberry Swirl Brioche Loaf, the kitchen gets a bit chaotic and ends up smelling like a proper bakery. Not that I'm complaining, honestly, that's half the fun. This loaf is one of those treats I bake when it’s rainy and …

Let's Get This Dough Rolling – My Cinnamon Roll Story Okay, you know that recipe that just kind of... takes over your weekend in the best way? Cinnamon rolls are absolutely that for me. I truly think I was born to eat (and apparently, make) cinnamon rolls, though my early attempts looked more like lumpy …

Let's Talk About These Apple Butter Pinwheels (And Maybe My Craving for Cozy Treats...) I’ll tell you right up front—apple butter pinwheels are my kitchen comfort blanket. I remember the first time I made them: it was a cold, rainy afternoon, my plan was just to make something warm; but things spiraled and before I …

If You’ve Scrolled TikTok, You’ve Probably Seen This Ok, pause—don’t tell my grandma, but I really think TikTok outdid her with this cinnamon roll hack. Last Sunday, while doomscrolling with my tea (you ever do that?) I landed on what seemed like the millionth viral cinnamon roll clip. But for once, instead of just thinking …

Alright, grab a mug and settle in—here’s my Crumbl chocolate chip cookies copycat recipe, for when you want those hulking bakery-style cookies without putting on pants (or shoes, in my case). The first time I tried making these, my kitchen looked like the aftermath of a toddler’s art project; there was flour in places flour …

Let’s Talk Gingerbread Cookies (or, That Time I Burned a Batch…) I feel like gingerbread Cookies come with a hug baked right in. Every December, without fail, I make a batch—or three. The kitchen smells amazing, a little like a Christmas candle exploded (in the best possible way). Seriously, is there any other cookie that …

The Tale of These Raspberry White Chocolate Beauties You know, I never meant to become That Cookie Person, but here we are. I blame my cousin, who once brought these so-called ‘fancy’ raspberry white chocolate cookies to a family BBQ (probably just to show me up, let's be real). Well, the first bite changed my …

Pull Up a Chair: How I Fell For Honey-Glazed Corn Casserole Alright, friend—imagine it’s mid-November, and it’s so chilly you can see your breath on the window glass. That’s always when my hands seem to just reach for corn (canned, frozen, doesn’t matter, as long as it’s around). I first made this honey-glazed corn casserole …

Cue the Smell: My Favorite Cookie Memory Alright, so you know those days when you walk into a kitchen and it smells like pure buttery heaven? Yeah, that’s what these cookies do. I remember once in college I tried out this wild idea—adding a pinch of sea salt right at the end, and let me …

So I Made These Muffins and Now My Family Thinks I'm a Wizard You know those days when you wander into the kitchen, trip over the dog, and decide you have to bake muffins or you'll lose your mind? That's exactly how these Greek Yogurt Sweet Potato Muffins with Spelt Flour appeared in my house. …

Alright, so picture this: It’s a rainy afternoon, the kitchen’s a mess (flour streaked across my sleeve, again), and these banana cream cheese muffins are baking away, promising to turn the whole house into a bakery. You know those days when you find two sad bananas chilling on the counter, looking more freckled than a …

Let me tell you, if there was ever a cookie that could save a holiday gathering (or just your sanity mid-December), it's the so-called kitchen sink Christmas cookie. I can't even count how many times I've whipped up a batch at the last minute, timer beeping, the kitchen a whirlwind of flour, kids arguing over …

Cake and Coffee? Yes, Please! You ever crave something just sweet enough to make your morning feel like a little party? That’s me most weekends—and honestly, sometimes Tuesday lunch too. I first stumbled onto this cherry coffee cake thing in a whirlwind when my aunt showed up (randomly!) with bags of fresh cherries. She said, …

The Warmest Welcome (and a Little Sticky Story) Okay, let me paint you a picture—imagine it's Sunday morning and, after hearing a crow shriek outside (why are crows so loud, anyway?), I wander into the kitchen in dramatic pajamas. This is pretty much how my pumpkin sticky buns tradition started. I got hooked on the …

Let Me Tell You About This Pumpkin Spice Gooey Cake (Trust Me, You Want This One) Okay, so the first time I made this cake, it was one of those chilly, cloudy Sundays that just begged for something warm and spicy from the oven. My little kitchen light barely cut through the grey, and I'd …

So, About These Almond Sweet Rolls... Can I admit something? I started making these almond sweet rolls by accident. (Literally. I thought I was making cinnamon rolls one sleepy Saturday, realized halfway through I'd run out of cinnamon, and grabbed the almond extract instead. Oops? Turns out, my whole family prefers these now. 🙃 Now, …

Let Me Tell You About My Love Affair With Peppermint Cheesecake So here's the thing—cheesecake and I go way back, but peppermint cheesecake? Oh, that's a tale to tell. The first time I tried a slice was at my Aunt Margie's infamous December get-together (the one where her dog ate the yule log, remember?). Anyway, …

The Story Behind My No Bake Christmas Peppermint Pie So, here's the deal—Christmas Eve is always a little bananas at my house. One year, I was panic-searching for a dessert because my oven was full (ham, casserole; you know the drill). My cousin Jill showed up with this ridiculously pink pie, and everyone, including my …

How Chicken Alfredo Monkey Bread Became My Potluck Party Trick So here's the thing—I'm not some TV chef. I burn toast sometimes. But ever since my cousin dragged this crazy-delicious Chicken Alfredo Monkey Bread to our family reunion (yes, in her old dented Bundt pan), life has never been the same. I mean, who looks …

If you love strawberry crunch ice cream bars and cheesecake and, for some odd but delightful reason, tacos, you are in for a treat, my friend. I still remember the first time I cobbled these Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Tacos together for a sleepover, mostly because I got powdered sugar all over my socks and the …

If You’ve Never Tried Parmesan Chicken Meatloaf—Let Me Tell You a Story I’ll level with you—I used to think meatloaf was one of those stodgy 1950s relics best left in dusty recipe books (no offense to any history buffs!). But one snowy weekend, when my fridge offered little more than chicken mince, Parmesan, and two …

Let Me Tell You 'Bout These Pumpkin Bars Alright, so—true story—I only started making these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting because a friend at work (hi, Jackie!) brought them in ages ago and I totally underestimated how dangerous they were. Next thing you know, I'm eating more bars than I care to admit and …

Let Me Tell You About These Turkey Cranberry Sausage Rolls... Okay, so the first time I made these Turkey Cranberry Sausage Rolls, I was desperately trying to use up some leftover turkey and a half-empty cranberry jar (the one everyone moves but no one eats at Christmas, you know the type). Didn’t have a plan, …

Oh, You Want Gingerbread Truffles? Here’s My Take! Okay, so—let me tell you about the first time I made these Christmas No-Bake Gingerbread Truffles. I was in a mad scramble, trying to juggle wrapping presents (that I'd obviously left till the last minute, classic me), entertain my cousins’ kids, and not burn anything in the …

Catching Up in the Kitchen: Let Me Tell You About This Cheesecake Alright, let me paint you a picture: it was a rainy Sunday (seriously, proper sideways drizzle), and I decided, as you do, that I'd finally combine my two absolute favorite treats—classic crème brûlée and New York cheesecake—into one over-the-top, kind of ridiculous, totally …

If You Can Pour Batter, You Can Totally Make This So, let me just say—if I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me about this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake, I could maybe buy a fancy new mixer (even though I’m kind of attached to my old one—it’s missing that little rubber …

Alright, let’s talk about why this pumpkin cake is a keeper If you’d told me when I was a kid—knees propped up on grandma’s sticky kitchen stool—that I’d someday be baking pumpkin cake for brunch crowds (or, honestly, for dinner because cake is cake), I wouldn't have believed you. Yet here we are. My first …

I Have to Tell You About This Cake You know how some days the only thing that keeps you going is the promise of something sweet at the end? That’s me, usually a Tuesday, typically raining, only three socks found in the laundry. So, let me introduce you to my secret pick-me-up: the Chai Spiced …

You’re About to Meet My Favorite Sugar Cookie Okay, true confession time: The first time I tried making these heart-shaped sugar cookies, I totally got distracted (I think The Great British Bake Off was on) and completely forgot to chill the dough. What a mess. They still tasted okay, but let's just say, the hearts …

Let Me Tell You About This Sour Cream Coffee Cake... Okay, so you know those mornings where you wake up and decide, "Today, I absolutely deserve cake with my coffee"? That's how this Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping recipe landed in my weekend routine. I'm not saying it will fix a bad hair …

Let Me Tell You About This Pumpkin Coffee Cake (and That Time I Forgot the Sugar) I swear, every time pumpkin season rolls around, I start craving this coffee cake like clockwork. It reminds me of chilly mornings in my old apartment, windows foggy with steam as this thing baked away—once, I even forgot to …

Let Me Tell You About This Marbled Banana Bundt Cake Okay, so you know those recipes you keep tucked away for a rainy Saturday? This chocolate marble banana bundt cake recipe is mine. It’s the cake I bake when the kitchen’s got a few too-ripe bananas yelling for attention and I’m itching to play with …

Cake Stories Over Coffee—Why I Keep Coming Back to This One You ever find yourself with a bunch of pears past their prime, sitting next to a jar of ginger you forgot you bought? That’s how my upside down pear gingerbread cake was born (well, sort of). I call it my 'rainy day cake'—a treat …

Let Me Tell You About *the* Banana Cake This cake recipe? Oh, it’s been through a lot—bad ovens, forgotten birthdays, even that time my dog nearly stole the cooling rack (true story, but I’ll get to that). If I could bottle the bittersweet smell of ripening bananas sitting on my windowsill, I would. My family’s …

The Cookie That Saved a Rainy Afternoon Let me tell you, these Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies aren't just a mouthful (though, yeah, you will want a mouthful) – they're kind of the unofficial hero in my fall baking routine. Last autumn, my niece and I got caught inside during that freak thundercloud that …

Let’s Chat About My Shortcut Easy Apple Fritters Recipe Alright, so I’ve made these apple fritters more times than I can count (especially when I’ve found a couple wrinkly apples staring at me from the fruit bowl—don’t judge). This recipe is my trusty sidekick on those mornings when I want to pull off something special, …