Baking

So here's the story… You know that one recipe you always come back to, the flop-proof one that's made it through birthday parties, rainy day kitchen disasters, and those I've-got-nothing-in spots? For me, that's this Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Bread. The first time I made it, I misread the salt quantity and basically created a Mediterranean …

Pumpkin Cornbread with Cinnamon Honey Butter: Why It’s My Rainy Day Go-To The first time I baked this pumpkin cornbread, I think it rained for three days straight (you know, the kind of persistent drizzle that soaks through to your socks no matter what shoes you wear). My nephew and I got stuck inside and, …

So, You Want Blueberry Cheesecake Swirl Cookies? I’ve been making these blueberry cheesecake swirl cookies ever since I had a particularly rough week (don’t ask, but it involved three lost socks and, weirdly, a traffic cone). I remember having some leftover cream cheese and a punnet of slightly-sad looking blueberries—maybe fate, maybe just me cleaning …

Let Me Tell You About This Lasagna… Hey there, friend. So—you know how some days you just need to eat something that feels like a warm hug wrapped in cheese? Well, this creamy spinach mushroom lasagna is it. Actually, the first time I made it, I was trying to use up a sad bag of …

Let's Chat Banana Bread (and Why My Socks Love This Recipe) Alright, so do you ever have those bananas sitting there, turning, let's say, aggressively brown—and you just can’t bring yourself to toss them out? That's usually when I grab my battered old loaf pan and go on a baking spree. My cinnamon swirl banana …

Old School Oven Crispy Bread and Crumbs Pork Chops—And Why I’m Still Making Them Let me paint you a quick picture: It’s Tuesday, I’m tired, and all I want is to avoid half an hour of dishes. I grew up eating crumbed pork chops on, well, actually it was usually on Sundays but does that …

Let's Bake: A (Slightly Distracted) Sugar Cookie Chat I should warn you, making these cookies might be as much about nostalgia as it is about sugar. My first attempt at baking them was, well, a glorious disaster—the dough stuck to everything except itself, my cat tried to swipe a piece, and somehow I got flour …

The Cozy Pasta Bake That Became a Weeknight Classic I have this vivid memory of trying to impress my cousin with a pasta bake, and—and you'll laugh—halfway through the sauce, I realized I'd used sweetened pumpkin puree (don't worry, this recipe doesn't make that mistake). Still, it actually turned out edible, and she said it …

Let's Talk Blondies—And a Memory or Two So, funny enough, this recipe for chewy cinnamon apple blondies actually started out as a mistake. Years ago, I was trying to impress my neighbor Barb (she's got this wild collection of apple-themed sweaters; stay with me here) by baking regular blondies, but I grabbed the cinnamon and …

A Little Chat Before We Bake Okay my friend, so let me just spill the beans: this Savory Caprese Bread isn’t what I’d call fancy, but it sort of feels like it is, especially if you bring it out at a potluck (just don’t tell them how stupid-easy it was, right?). The first time I …

Let Me Tell You About These Baklava Cheesecake Phyllo Cookies I have to be honest, the first time I threw together these Baklava Cheesecake Phyllo Cookies with Honey Drizzle, it was kind of an accident. I was going for classic baklava—but the phyllo sheets tore just as I realized I’d also forgotten the walnuts and, …

How These Brownies Became My Go-To, Honestly Alright, gather 'round, chocolate lovers. I have a confession: I'm a serial over-baker. Every time I said I'd make a "healthy treat," it used to end with something that tasted, well – suspiciously like cardboard. Then, one cold rainy Thursday (why is it always Thursdays?), I finally struck …

Weird Little Weekend Rituals (and Pancake Disasters) Honestly, nothing says Saturday morning to me like whipping up these vanilla cinnamon buttermilk pancakes—sometimes still in my pajamas, and usually with at least one spatula accident. The first time I tried this recipe, I didn't have any buttermilk, so I sort of improvised (let's just say it …

Alright, Settle In: The Maple Pumpkin Cookie Tale You know those days where you just need something that tastes like a hug and a fireplace at the same time? Yep, that’s usually when I make these maple pumpkin cookies. First time I baked them, it was a total disaster—left the pumpkin puree on the counter, …

The Story (Or, Why I Keep Coming Back to These Potatoes) I still remember the first time I made these Baked Potatoes with Spinach Cheese and Mushrooms—it was some random Tuesday when I was too tired to think and just tossed stuff I found in my fridge. Honestly, I was half-expecting a mess (did not …

If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I’d hand you a slice and say, okay, listen, this Cast Iron Skillet Pizza saved my Tuesday more than once. The first time I made it was in a tiny apartment with a smoke alarm that thought it was a DJ. I blasted the oven, …

If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I would hand you a spoon and say here, taste this sauce before we tuck it under that golden lid. Chicken Pot Pie Bake is my go to when the weather is being moody or when I promised dinner and then remembered I have exactly …

If you popped by my kitchen on a breezy Saturday, you would probably catch me humming to a lopsided playlist and stirring batter like I mean business. This Pumpkin Coffee Cake is the one I bake when the house feels a little too quiet, or when the neighbors text that they are “just passing by” …

If we were neighbors, I would absolutely show up with a warm plate of these Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies and a goofy grin. The first time I baked them, my niece stole one off the tray and said, this tastes like summer and dessert got married. She is seven, and not wrong. These cookies …

I started making Pumpkin Cheesecake Thumbprints one chilly Sunday when the house smelled like wet leaves and my favorite sweater was still a little damp from the line. You know that muddle of a day. I baked a batch for a neighbor and accidentally kept half, because I tasted one and thought oh no these …

If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I would hand you a warm cookie and say, careful, it is still a little soft in the middle. These Peanut Butter Cookies are the ones I make when I need something sweet that feels like a hug in edible form. The first time I …

If we were neighbors, I would 100 percent show up with a slightly warm slice of German Chocolate Cake and whisper that you should eat it now, fork in hand, because the frosting is still glossy and a little melty. My first memory of this cake is from my aunt's birthday, when I tried to …

If you pop by my place in December, there is a good chance I will hand you a plate of Snowball Cookies and say careful, they shed. I learned these from my aunt who always wore a red sweater that ended up powdered like fresh snow, and honestly I think that is half the fun. …

If we were chatting in my kitchen right now, I would hand you a fork and a slice of this Banana Pudding Cheesecake before I even turned on the kettle. The first time I made it, I swore I would never bother with a water bath again. Then I did, of course I did, because …

So here’s the snack mix I bring when folks show up hungry I started making this Praline Crunch Snack Mix after a noisy fall football game when everyone raided my pantry and we somehow ended up with three half boxes of cereal, a bag of pecans, and questionable raisins. I melted a little butter, went …

If we were neighbors, I’d probably show up on your porch with this pie and two forks. Big Boy’s Fresh Strawberry Pie is the one I pull out when berries are glowing at the market and the sun makes the kitchen feel like a little greenhouse. First time I made it, I forgot to read …

If you were here right now, I’d press a square of these Key Lime Pie Bars with Coconut Crust into your hand before you could even set down your keys. They’re the recipe I make when I need something bright and beachy without, you know, locating an actual beach. First time I baked them, I …

If you came over right now, I would push a plate at you before you could hang up your jacket and say, please try this Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling, because it tastes like a beach party snuck into a bakery. The first time I baked it, my neighbor popped in to return a measuring …

The cozy cookie that tastes like a campfire Okay, here’s the thing. I set out to make a proper batch of s'mores cookies for a backyard movie night and accidentally ate two right off the sheet while they were still lava hot. Oops. They tasted like summer and a cabin weekend and that one time …

If you know, you know. That rectangular, corner cheesy, tray baked school pizza we all traded snacks for in the lunch line. I tried to recreate it once during a snow day and accidentally used bread flour for everything, which was a choice, but the family still devoured it while arguing about which corner piece …

Last October I made this Easy White Chocolate Halloween Oreo Bark while the kids were trying on costumes for the fifteenth time and the doorbell would not stop. I was stirring chocolate with a wooden spoon in one hand and untangling a tiny vampire cape with the other. It still turned out brilliantly crunchy and …

A little bagel story while the kettle hums The first time I made Banana Nut Bagels, I was trying to rescue two bananas that were heading toward fruit fly fame, and also avoid going to the shop in the rain. I mashed them, tossed them into a bagel dough, and honestly expected a weird donut …

If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I’d hand you a mug of warm cider and say, alright friend, we’re making the kind of cinnamon rolls that make the house smell like a gentle orchard hug. I started tinkering with these after a fall market trip where I bought way too much …

If you and I were neighbors, I would absolutely show up at your door with a plate of these Cinnamon Coffee Crinkles and a slightly sheepish grin because I already ate two on the way over. The first time I baked them, I was trying to impress my aunt who swears she can taste the …

If you could smell my kitchen right now, you’d swear the windows were open and there was a little seaside breeze wafting in. I baked this lemon lavender cake for a spring brunch a while back, and my neighbor wandered in “just to return a cup of sugar” and somehow left with two slices tucked …

If we were neighbors, I’d probably show up at your door with a plate of these Lemon Oatmeal Crumble Bars and a slightly sheepish grin because I always snack one corner on the walk over. They’re bright and buttery with that sunshiny lemon thing going on, and the oat crumb tastes like a hug from …

If you walked into my kitchen on any given chilly evening, there is a good chance you would find me split between sipping tea and poking sweet potatoes like a nosy neighbor. These pecan pie twice baked sweet potatoes started as a Thanksgiving side, but then they got upgraded to their own thing because wow. …

If you and I were neighbors, I would absolutely knock on your door with a warm slice of this Chicken Cordon Bleu Stromboli, because it is that kind of friendly food. I started making it after a chaotic Tuesday where I promised dinner to friends and also realized I had exactly 40 minutes before everyone …

Let me tell you about these scones The first time I baked Bacon Cheddar Chive Scones, I ate one too hot and burned the roof of my mouth, and honestly I would do it again. They taste like Saturday mornings feel. My neighbor once popped by while they were cooling, said she was just returning …

If you popped by my kitchen right now, you would probably catch me guarding the cooling rack like a dragon with treasure, because these Maple Bacon Cheddar Biscuits have a habit of disappearing the second I turn my back. I baked a batch for my neighbor after she helped me wrestle a wobbly bookcase up …