Baking

If You Like Bananas and Sweet Swirls, Pull Up a Chair Alright, before we get into the nitty gritty, let me just say: I’ve probably made this banana bread more times than I’ve lost my keys (which is a lot, if you know me), and every single time, someone asks for the recipe. The first …

Let Me Tell You About These Cheesy Garlic Butter Bombs Alright, so picture this: it’s Friday night, everyone’s a bit peckish, and you really don’t fancy making a full dinner (who does, honestly?). That’s when I always think, “Ah, cheesy garlic butter bombs!” True story, these little flavor grenades first happened in my kitchen on …

Let Me Tell You About These Cruffins (And My Slightly Floury Kitchen Floor) Okay, so let’s just say the first time I made Cinnamon Sugar Cruffins, I wasn’t exactly trying to impress anyone. It was a rainy afternoon – you know the kind where you suddenly crave something warm and sweet, but you also don’t …

Let's Talk About Mini Muffin Pancake Bites (and Why I Can't Stop Making Them) Okay, so you know those mornings when you want pancakes but, honestly, standing by the stove flipping them for half an hour just isn't happening—for me, that's like, every Saturday. That's how I stumbled into making these Mini Muffin Pancake Bites. …

Alright, so here’s why you should try this cinnamon donut bread (other than, well, the obvious) Honestly, I started making this cinnamon donut bread years ago after a cold, drizzly Saturday where my grand plan to go out fell apart (classic British weather, right?). The first loaf was, let's just say, more like a brick …

Let Me Tell You About These Oatmeal Cream Pies Okay, so you know those packaged oatmeal cream pies you used to sneak into your lunchbox (or maybe that was just me)? Well, I finally figured out how to make ‘em at home, and honestly, it’s a game-changer. The first time I tried these, I had …

Oh boy, It's Bread Day: My Italian Herb and Cheese Bread Story All right, so here’s the scoop: I started making this Italian Herb and Cheese Bread back when I wildly overestimated how much bread one person (me) could eat. I’d seen those golden loaves at my local bakery—so fluffy, so fragrant with that herby-cheesy …

Alright, Let’s Talk About Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels So here’s the thing—nothing, and I mean nothing, fills my kitchen with that "snuggled up on a rainy day" feeling quite like making Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels. I remember the first time I tried baking these—my kitchen looked like a flour bomb had gone off, but wow, …

Honestly, These Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes Are a Hug in a Pan You ever wake up on a Saturday morning and just feel like baking something that smells so good the neighbors look over the fence? That's me with these cinnamon roll cupcakes. The first time I tried these, I was actually aiming for classic cinnamon …

Okay, Let’s Talk: Why Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats? So, you know how Halloween sneaks up on you? Somehow, every year, I swear I've got all the time in the world—then suddenly it's the night before the school party and I'm elbow-deep in marshmallows. (True story: last year, I had green food coloring stains on my …

Let's Make Halloween Eyeball Brownies (You Know You Want To) The first time I made these Halloween Eyeball Brownies, my nephew walked in, took one look, and said, "Um, are those looking at me?"—which honestly still cracks me up. Halloween baking in my house is less about perfection and more about giggles, sugar highs, and …

The Story Behind These Spooky Cupcakes Okay, so you know how every year Halloween creeps up and suddenly you’re the designated treat-bringer? That’s basically how I stumbled into making these Halloween Eyeball Cupcakes. My nephew, who has a serious sweet tooth (he once tried to convince me ketchup counts as a vegetable), begged for something …

Let Me Tell You About This Cheesecake… I swear, the first time I made this Witches’ Brew Swirl Cheesecake, I was convinced I'd invented magic—or at least a kitchen mess that tasted magical. Picture me, elbows-deep in cream cheese, trying to swirl spooky colors while my cat watched with that look that says, "Again with …

Alright, Let’s Talk Halloween Whoopie Pies So, every October, my kitchen gets a little wild—and a little orange—and it’s all in the name of Halloween Whoopie Pies. I started making these as an excuse to eat dessert before dinner (don’t tell my kids that’s why!), but honestly, now it’s just pure tradition. Last year, I …

My Accidental Obsession With Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies So, I never really planned to become the person who always has a tin of homemade cookies on hand. Yet here we are. The first time I baked these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, I was just trying to use up some leftover canned pumpkin (from a failed …

Let’s Chat: Why I Love Making Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Hand Pies Okay, confession time: I started making these Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Hand Pies a few years ago after my youngest niece, Alice, insisted our pumpkin carving needed a snack break (she was right, obviously). I was aiming for something easy, festive, and portable—since no one in my …

Let’s Talk About These Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones Okay, you know those recipes that look fancy but, honestly, they’re just a sneaky way to get cheese and carbs into your mouth? That’s exactly what these Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones with Marinara Blood for Dipping are all about. I started making them a few years ago …

So, there’s this one time I tried to make spooky cookies for my niece’s Halloween party—wanted to impress her gang, right? Instead, my first batch ended up looking more like sad, deflated blobs than magical treats. But hey, the kids still gobbled them up (I think the sugar rush distracted them). Eventually, after several floury …

Making These Marshmallow Rice Krispies Halloween Brains – Trust Me, They're a Hit Oh, these are a total riot. The first time I made these Marshmallow Rice Krispies Halloween Brains, I actually thought they'd end up looking more like sad blobs than spooky brains—turns out, the messier, the better. My nephew, who's obsessed with all …

Let Me Tell You About This Apple Crisp (and That One Time with the Oven...) Alright, so picture this: it's raining outside, the kind of drizzle that makes your hair frizz, and I've got a bag of Granny Smith apples staring me down on the kitchen table. I think about making something fancy, but honestly? …

Well, Here's the Story (And Why I Keep Making This Cake) So, this pumpkin spice cake with brown sugar is basically my answer to a chilly Sunday where you want the house to smell like autumn and you really don’t feel like leaving the couch (or maybe that’s just me). I first made this after …

Honestly, These Pumpkin Muffins with Oat Crumble Are My Autumn Therapy You know those days when everything feels a bit upside down and you just need something warm (and a little sweet) to pull it all together? Yeah, that's when I make these Pumpkin Muffins with Oat Crumble. Actually, last fall I made a double …

Let Me Tell You About These Soft Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies Alright, so here’s the deal: I only started making these particular cookies after I tried (and failed, spectacularly, I might add) to impress my neighbor with a Pinterest-perfect pumpkin dessert. Ended up with pumpkin goo all over the counter and a very confused dog. But …

So Here’s the Deal With My Pumpkin Banana Bread with Walnuts If you’ve ever been halfway through baking and realized your bananas were basically walking away on their own, you’ll understand why I started making this pumpkin banana bread ages ago (and by ages, I mean before my cousin told me pumpkin was only for …

So, I've Got a Pumpkin Bar Story... You know those recipes you sort of stumble into by accident? That's these gluten free pumpkin bars for me. I was trying to make something vaguely autumnal for a friend's potluck (because, honestly, who isn't obsessed with pumpkin once September hits?) but I was low on flour, and, …

Catching Up Over Persimmon Bread (With Cinnamon, Of Course!) Hey there! So, funny story—I first made this Persimmon Bread with Cinnamon Spice after a neighbor left a bag of squishy, very orange persimmons on my porch. No note, just fruit. I stared at them for a good ten minutes (wondering, 'Is there a secret persimmon …

Honestly, These Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins Are a Fall Mood So here’s the deal. The first time I made these Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins Easy Bake style, my cousin Dave tried one and immediately asked me why I’d never made them before. (He’s not usually effusive about baked goods, so I took it as a win!) I …

How I Ended Up Baking Apple Pumpkin Streusel Muffins (Again) Alright, so let me set the scene: it’s a blustery Saturday, the sort of morning where the dog refuses to go outside and you’re in fuzzy socks debating that third cup of coffee. The apples on my counter were giving me the side-eye, and I …

Let's Talk About Slow Cooker Apple Butter with Cinnamon (and Why My Kitchen Always Smells Like Autumn) Oh boy, if you’ve never woken up to your whole house smelling like apples and cinnamon, you’re missing out. I remember the first time I tried making apple butter in my slow cooker—I was probably more excited than …

So, Here’s the Story Behind My Pumpkin S’mores Cookies Oh man, these pumpkin s’mores cookies. I have to laugh, because the first time I made them, I forgot to add the chocolate chunks until after I’d scooped the dough—so there were random pockets of surprise chocolate in the baked cookies. My kids thought it was …

Let's Talk Pumpkin Muffins (and Why I Make These Way Too Often) Okay, so picture this: crisp fall morning, leaves crunching outside, my slippers are on the wrong feet again (don’t ask, it’s just a habit), and the kitchen smells like cinnamon and pumpkin. That’s how most of my autumn weekends start, honestly. I can’t …

Let Me Tell You Why I Love Making These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (And Why My Dog Is Always Watching Hopefully) Alright, story time: the first time I made pumpkin cinnamon rolls from scratch, it was a rainy Sunday and I was supposed to be tidying up. Instead, I found myself elbow-deep in flour while the …

Let Me Tell You About the Time I Tried to Outsmart Crumbl… You know those days when you walk by a bakery (or, let's be real, Crumbl) and you're suddenly hit with that caramel-apple-cookie smell and, whoosh, you’re in autumn heaven? Well, that's how this recipe started: me, standing there, thinking, "I could totally bake …

Let Me Tell You About These Cupcakes… You know how some recipes just feel like fall? That’s exactly what these gluten-free apple cider cupcakes with frosting do for me. The first time I made these, I basically spilled half the cider on the counter (was distracted listening to my neighbor rant about squirrels) but the …

Let's Talk About These French Silk Pie Brownies (Yes, With Whipped Cream!) Alright, friend, I have to tell you about the time I decided to combine two of my all-time favorite desserts—rich, chocolatey brownies and the silky, decadent filling from French silk pie. It started because I couldn't make up my mind what to bring …

So, You Want to Make Apple Pie Bites? Let Me Tell You... Alright, pull up a chair because I honestly never thought I'd be one of those people who craves apple pie on a Tuesday night—yet here we are. I remember the first time I made these apple pie bites with crescent dough, it was …

So, Let Me Tell You About These Brownies... Alright, picture this: It's one of those rainy autumn Saturdays, the leaves are everywhere (seriously, I swear they multiply), and I’m in the kitchen with my favorite mug and a playlist that's mostly embarrassing 90s tracks. That's when I always end up making these Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies …

Let Me Tell You About These Pumpkin Bars Okay, story time—so last October, when the leaves were doing their whole crunchy, golden carpet thing and I was feeling a bit restless, I decided to bake something that actually tastes like autumn. I’m talking about these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, which, by the way, …

The Story Behind My Pumpkin Bread Obsession Okay, so I have to admit: pumpkin bread is my culinary comfort blanket. I still remember the first time I tried Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling—my friend Jill brought it to a book club and, honestly, I was more interested in the bread than the plot twist. …

The Day My Kitchen Smelled Like a Blueberry Orchard I’ll tell you straight up: these blueberry cinnamon rolls with glaze are what happened after I mixed up my grocery list and ended up with way too many blueberries one summer. Picture me staring at a mountain of berries, thinking, “Well, I guess we’re making something …