Baking

Cake and Coffee with a Side of Chaos Picture this: it's Sunday afternoon, rain's tapping at the window, and I'm elbows deep in flour, trying (for the third time this month) to replicate that glorious fritter cake my Aunt Peg brought to our last family get-together. Except, as always, I've got apples rolling off the …

Alright, let me tell you straight up—if you haven’t tried making Birthday Cake Fudge yet, you’re missing out on the easiest birthday win imaginable. I still remember the first time I tried it: my niece’s 4th birthday, chaos everywhere, and somehow this fudge stole the show from even the bounce house (I mean, that’s saying …

So, let me tell you how these cinnamon roll French toast bites disappeared in my house… Honestly, I started making these bites one snowy Saturday afternoon last winter, mostly out of sheer desperation for something sweet (and to warm the place up a bit). I had a can of cinnamon rolls staring at me and …

Scooch Closer, Y'all! My Sweet Potato Casserole Story Alright, friend, gather round the (virtual) kitchen island. I’ve got coffee in one hand, sweet potatoes in the other, and a casserole dish that’s seen more Thanksgivings than family arguments about football. (Okay, maybe not quite that many.) This Southern Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is the one …

Catching Up Over Gingerbread Truffles Alright, so picture this: It's mid-December. The kitchen smells like Christmas (ginger, cinnamon, maybe a faint whiff of laundry because I'm multitasking here). I used to stress about baking fancy cookies, but last year my oven went on strike. What did I do? No-Bake Gingerbread Truffles! Now they're my thing. …

Okay, friend, let me tell you about the time I turned a tired, boring holiday cheesecake into a proper celebration—using sugar cookie dough. This Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Christmas Dessert is basically what happens when you get a little impatient with fancy baking but still want to bring out a show-stopper for the big family meal. …

So Here’s the Thing About This Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake… I have to start with a confession: the first time I tried making this Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake, I accidentally doubled the apples because I was distracted by my neighbor yelling at her dog; turns out, you can kind of never have too …

Let Me Tell You About This Wacky Christmas Bread Okay, so you know how sometimes you just want your kitchen to smell all warm and holiday-ish, but you have about a gazillion things to do before anyone even arrives? That's totally me every December. My first time making this Christmas Sprinkle Buttermilk Bread, I was …

This One’s for the Sunday Snoozers (Like Me) I’ll admit it: I’m not what you’d call a morning person, especially on weekends. Flipping pancakes one by one at the stove? Not happening. One time, I burned three in a row because I was too busy watching cat videos. Then, my friend Rachel texted about her …

Okay, friend, you know that feeling when you're suddenly craving apple pie but it's like, who actually has time (or patience) to roll out a whole crust on a weeknight? That was basically me last month, standing in the kitchen while the kids circled like hungry sharks. Enter these Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs. They're …

Honestly, every time I make these Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, I think about the one Christmas when my cousin Jay tried to sneak the entire batch into his suitcase. He failed miserably — we heard the clattering of the cookie tin a mile away! But, seriously, these cookies have become a bit of a …

Hey there! So, Cherry Garcia Fudge—let me tell you, the first time I tried to mash up the flavors of that ice cream with a melt-in-your-mouth fudge, I had this grand vision. Picture me, eight years old, sneaking extra cherries form my mom's baking stash and leaving a trail of sticky fingerprints everywhere... yeah, not …

If we’re being totally real, I only started baking Chocolate Mint Cookies because I lost a holiday cookie exchange bet (long story; involves a badly timed sneeze and a plate of gingerbread men). But now—hand on heart—these are my go-to whenever I want to bribe my family or just need a taste of chocolatey, minty …

Alright, let's get into Twix Truffle Brownies. First off: these are the decadent kind you secretly hope your family doesn’t find, so you can stash a few away for later. I started making these after a chaotic bake sale (kids running around, sugar everywhere), where my classic brownies weren’t quite cutting it. Enter the missing …

First, a Little Story—Or Why Truffles Rule My Kitchen Every year around the holidays (or any random rainy Thursday when I need a pick-me-up), I end up making these Date and Nut White Chocolate Truffles. My cousin Tara claims I only bring them because they’re dead simple and I hate doing dishes—she’s not wrong! The …

You’re Gonna Love This—And Here’s Why I swear, this Pecan Praline Buttermilk Loaf Cake is what my kitchen smells like every time we’re headed into fall, or at least any time I want to show off a little (but not make a fuss). I remember my cousin Maddie trying to “help” by nibbling half the …

A Little Story Before You Bake Okay, confession time: I made these Salted Caramel Apple Mini Pies last Thanksgiving, mostly because I didn't want to fuss with a full-sized pie (the dish was at my mother-in-law's and her oven is a mystery to mortals). Turns out, everyone preferred the minis and the crust ratio just …

Let Me Tell You About These Chocolate Peanut Butter Ruckus Cookies Okay, story time: The first time I made these, it was a rainy Tuesday night, and I was mostly just looking for an excuse to crank the oven on and dodge doing the laundry. You know how that goes, right? Anyway, I called them …

Why I Keep Coming Back to These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars So, hey there, friend. You ever find yourself staring at a can of pumpkin in the cupboard, wondering what on earth to do with it that isn’t just another loaf of bread? That’s totally me every October. Classic Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are my answer to: …

So, This Monster Cookie Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie Happened… I’ll be honest – the first time I made this, it was one of those happy accidents that didn’t look like the picture in my head but sure tasted like magic. My little brother declared it “a party in my mouth.” Pretty sure that’s high praise. …

Let’s Chat Pie Bombs: How These Became My Autumn Craving I have to confess, the first time I made these caramel apple pie bombs, it wasn’t out of any gourmet ambition — I was basically trying to use up some wrinkly apples from the bottom of my crisper. Turns out, sometimes laziness (plus sugar and …

So... Why Maple Bourbon Cheesecake? You know those days when you crave something sweet, but the idea of turning on your oven makes you want to pack it all in and order takeout? That's pretty much how this No Bake Maple Bourbon Cheesecake was born. One summer, I accidentally bought maple-flavored bourbon for a BBQ …

Let's Talk About This Carrot Cake Cheesecake (Yes, Really!) Okay, honestly—if you'd told me years ago that I'd be mashing cheesecake into my carrot cake, I'd've probably rolled my eyes so hard they'd knock over my stand mixer. But here we are! The first time I made this was about three Easters back, and (bit …

Alright, let me set the scene for you—it's a chilly Sunday, maybe there's a game on, maybe not, but you just want something that feels like a big, cheesy hug. That's exactly when I whip up this Southern Loaded Cornbread Casserole. No lie, this dish is basically what you'd get if cornbread and your wildest …

Let's talk about this caramel corn (and my old oven disaster) Okay, confession time: every time I make this easy caramel corn with sweetened condensed milk, I'm thrown right back to my old college apartment where, honestly, the oven ran hotter than a desert in July. There were a lot of... crispy experiments. But this …

So, Peach Pie Cruffins – Here’s the Story You ever have one of those kitchen days where nothing sounds good but you can’t be bothered to make an actual pie? That’s honestly how I first stumbled on these Peach Pie Cruffins. I’d seen everyone online raving about cruffins (that croissant-meets-muffin business) and got inspired. The …

Alright, so let me just tell you: these Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls are a legend in my house (if you can call two kids and a dog a household legend, which I do). I remember the first time I tried making them—spilled flour everywhere, cream cheese on the elbows, the works. But wow, the result? …

You Need To Try This Reese’s Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake—Trust Me So, picture this: it’s raining buckets outside, the house is a mess (story of my life), and I really wanted something kind of ridiculous and fun to bake. Reese’s Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake popped into my brain—no joke—when I noticed the bag of mini …

Let's Chat About Toffee—And Why This One's The Best Right, so—I probably shouldn't admit this—but I first made this toffee after a disastrous fudge attempt one cold November. Turns out if you cook sugar a bit too far it goes not to caramel, but toffee, and honestly, I wasn’t even mad. Now folks ask me …

Oh Man, You're Gonna Want This Easy Pumpkin Cream Trifle Alright, so let me tell you: last Thanksgiving (which, honestly, feels like it just happened yesterday, time is a flat circle), I found myself staring at half a can of pumpkin puree, leftover Cool Whip, and a pack of those shortbread cookies I bought by …

Honestly, Fudge Like Grandma Used To (Well, Sort Of) Okay, you know that recipe everyone in the family asks you to bring to the potluck—like, every single time? For me, it's Aunt Teen's Creamy Chocolate Fudge. I still remember the first time I tried to make this; I nearly glued myself to the saucepan (long …

Let's Talk Oatmeal (And Why I Keep Making This) Honestly, I never thought I'd be the person who raves about oatmeal—especially on a chilly Monday morning when the only thing standing between me and my bed is a rumbling stomach. But here I am, chatting with you about my favorite Breakfast Baked Oatmeal. I discovered …

Let's Chat About Soft Pumpkin Cookies (Over a Cup of Tea, Maybe?) Look, I know what you're thinking—do we really need another pumpkin cookie recipe floating around the internet? Ha! I asked myself the same thing last October while staring at that half-used can of pumpkin purée wobbling precariously in my fridge. So, these soft …

Let Me Tell You About These Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Rice Krispie Treats... If you’d told me when I was a kid that playing with cereal and marshmallows in the kitchen would someday become my “fancy dessert trick,” I would’ve laughed. (And probably splattered sticky marshmallows in your general direction. Sorry in advance!) But …

So, About This Wisconsin Apple Kringle... Alright, first off—thanks for stopping by! If you’ve ever spent a cold morning in Wisconsin, you know there’s nothing quite like a slab of apple kringle (and sure, maybe a hot cup of coffee too). I remember my first attempt at making one: flour all over my kitchen, apples …

Okay, so here's the story behind these cookies… Years ago, I tried to impress my old neighbor with a batch of "fancy cream cheese cookies" that ended up more like sad little pancakes (seriously, what a mess). But you know what? That disastrous attempt led me to experiment, tweak, occasionally curse under my breath, and—eventually—arrive …

So, Nutella Cookie Pie: Why I Keep Making It (Even When I Shouldn't) Right, pull up a chair. I have to tell you about this Nutella Cookie Pie I’ve been baking on lazy Saturdays—sometimes on not-so-lazy ones, too, honestly. The first time I made it, I’d accidentally doubled the sugar (Math in the kitchen is …

Let Me Tell You About This Cake… Alright, so here’s the scoop: last winter when my cousin Catie came over (unannounced, of course), I was absolutely starving for something chocolatey but not the sugar bomb kind that’d wreck my attempts at keto. So, what do you do when you’ve got ricotta in the fridge, exactly …

So Here’s the Deal with These Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies You know that one recipe that’s been with you for years—sometimes taped on the inside cupboard, sometimes floating around as a crinkled photo on your phone? Well, this is mine. Chewy oatmeal raisin cookies: my study break snack circa university, my most successful peace offering …

Let Me Tell You About Cake Pops (And How Mine Usually Turn Out) Alright, so—cake pops. The dessert I first attempted in my catastrophically tiny London kitchen, and I almost gave up because I dropped the first batch on the floor (don’t worry, I didn't serve those). But honestly, nothing beats the thrill of finally …