Baking

Let’s Talk Pie (Or: Why My Kitchen Smells Like Autumn) So, picture this: it’s a slightly rainy Saturday afternoon, I’ve got jazz on the radio (or sometimes, embarrassingly, 90s pop), and a bag of apples from the farmer’s market is eyeing me from the counter. I start peeling, and suddenly I’m ten years old again, …

Let Me Tell You About These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars… Honestly, if autumn had an official scent, it’d be the smell wafting out of my oven every time I bake these Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars with Glaze. The first time I made them was actually because I’d totally botched a batch of cookies (don’t ask), and I …

So, You're Craving Buttery Garlic Breadsticks? Alright, pull up a chair—let me tell you about the first time I made these breadsticks. It was a rainy Tuesday; my kitchen looked like a flour bomb had gone off, and I accidentally used twice as much butter (which, honestly, turned out to be a happy accident). The …

If You’ve Ever Wanted the Softest Pumpkin Pancakes... Hey there, fellow pancake enthusiast! So, I have to tell you, every October there’s this switch that flips in my brain—I want pumpkin in everything. And fluffy pumpkin pancakes with syrup? That’s my breakfast love language. Actually, funny story—one year, I made these with my niece, and …

Let Me Tell You About These Apple Oatmeal Bars… Okay, so picture this: it's raining, the cat's perched on the windowsill (judging me), and I've got a bowl of apples that are a bit past their prime. What do I do? I make these Apple Oatmeal Bars with Crumb Topping—partly because they're the only thing …

Let Me Tell You About This Cozy Gnocchi Bake Hey, so you know those crisp fall evenings when you just want something ridiculously comforting and basically want dinner to taste like a warm hug? That’s exactly why I started making this Cheesy Gnocchi Bake with Fall Veggies—after a rainy October walk years ago, my hands …

Let's Talk Pumpkin Rice Pudding—My Favorite Cozy Dessert Okay, so you know how some dishes just wrap you up like an old cardigan? Pumpkin Rice Pudding with cinnamon spice does exactly that for me. I started making this back when I lived in a wonky old apartment that always smelled a little bit like cinnamon …

So Here's the Story Behind This Cake... You know those days when your kitchen just smells like autumn, even if it's actually July? That's me every time I bake this ginger apple cake with brown sugar frosting. The first time I made it was kind of a disaster (flour on the cat, apples everywhere, the …

Let Me Tell You About This Pumpkin French Toast Bake Alright, so here's the thing—if you ever find yourself staring into your fridge thinking "what's for breakfast that won't make me want to crawl back into bed?" this is my go-to. The first time I made Pumpkin French Toast Bake with Cream Cheese, it was …

Let Me Tell You About These Pumpkin Muffins Okay, so can I be honest? The first time I made these pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling, I accidentally doubled the cinnamon and, let me tell you, it was like eating autumn itself (in a good way, mostly). These muffins are now my go-to when the …

Let’s Talk About Mini Apple Hand Pies (and a Tangent or Two) I swear, there’s something about mini apple hand pies with puff pastry that just gets me. Maybe it’s the flakey layers, or the way the apple filling gets all gooey and cozy in the middle. Anyway, I started making these little pies back …

Let's Get Cozy: Why I Can't Resist These Donut Holes So here's the thing. You know those fall weekends when it's damp outside and you just want something sweet, warm, and a little bit nostalgic? That's when I reach for this cinnamon sugar donut holes with apple recipe. The first time I made these, my …

Okay, Let Me Tell You About This Caramel Apple Monkey Bread... Honestly, every time fall rolls around, I get this itch to bake something that smells like a fairground and my grandma’s kitchen had a baby. Caramel Apple Monkey Bread Pull-Apart is what happens when you want apple pie but can’t be bothered with a …

Let Me Tell You About These Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes... Alright, pull up a chair—I've got a good one for you. So, the first time I made these mini pumpkin cheesecakes with gingersnap crust was for a last-minute Friendsgiving. I panicked, because who brings mini cheesecakes to an event dominated by pies? Well, I did! And …

Let's Talk About S'mores Cheesecake Bites (And My Soft Spot for Anything Mini) Okay, so picture this: it’s a rainy Saturday, I have a serious sweet tooth, and the urge to bake something that’s not banana bread for the hundredth time. Enter S'mores Cheesecake Bites with Graham Crust. Honestly, the first time I made these …

Let Me Tell You About These Pumpkin Donuts Alright, friend, settle in. I have to gush for a second. These baked pumpkin donuts with maple glaze were born from a cold Saturday morning and, honestly, a little bit of laziness (deep frying before noon? Not in this house). I mean, who wants to wrangle a …

Let Me Tell You About These Pancake Bites... You know those lazy Sunday mornings where you’re not quite sure if you want a full breakfast or just snack your way through the day? That’s exactly when I first threw together these low carb pancake bites with berries. My youngest had just declared war on anything …

Let Me Tell You About These Fluffy Cottage Cheese Rolls So, I first stumbled into this recipe on a rainy Sunday when I had a cottage cheese tub begging for attention in the fridge and, honestly, not much else. It's funny—I'd always thought cottage cheese was just for salads or maybe for that one weird …

So, About This Cottage Cheese Hashbrown Casserole… Hey there, pull up a chair and let me tell you—this Cottage Cheese Hashbrown Casserole has been my saving grace on more groggy mornings than I care to admit. I remember making it for the first time after a sleepover (kids everywhere, cereal gone, chaos as usual). I …

Listen, About These S’mores Cookies… Okay, so you know those nights when you’re just craving something that's a little bit over-the-top but also feels like childhood? That’s where these S’mores Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling come in. The first time I tried making these, it was a total mess—melted marshmallow everywhere, chocolate chips running wild, …

Let's Talk Pancake Casserole (My Most-Loved Brunch Trick) Okay, so you know those mornings when you want pancakes but the idea of flipping them one by one makes you long for a second cup of coffee instead? Yeah, same here. That's actually how I landed on this pancake casserole—it was pure, glorious laziness. I remember …

How I Fell for Keto Cake Pops (and Made a Mess) So, a quick confession: I never even liked cake pops. I always thought they were just cake wearing a party hat—until I tried making keto cake pops, and let me tell you, it was chaos. The first time was, well, imagine a sticky kitchen, …

Let’s Talk Keto Cheesecake: My Late-Night Savior If you’ve ever craved something sweet at 10pm, but the last thing you want is to run the oven or fuss over water baths (seriously, who invented those?), you’re in good company. The first time I stumbled into making this Keto Cheesecake – No Bake, Rich & Creamy, …

Let Me Tell You About These Cinnamon Cream Cheese Keto Roll Ups (Crispy!) Okay, so the first time I made these keto roll ups was actually by accident while I was half-watching an old baking show rerun and wrangling a particularly grumpy cat off my counter (where else do they love to be, honestly?). I …

Hey, Ready for the Softest Sugar Cookies Ever? Okay, so here's the deal: this Sugar Cookie Recipe with Soft Centers is basically my secret weapon when I want to make friends at bake sales. I mean, my aunt has been making these for holidays since I was a kid, and now it's kind of become …

Just Wait Till You Try This Berry Croissant Bake If you’ve ever woken up on a Saturday morning and thought, “I just want something buttery and sweet, but also—please, not too much effort,” then, friend, this Berry Croissant Bake is basically my love letter to mornings like that. I’ve been making it since my friend …

Let’s Get Gooey: Why I Keep Making This Chocolate Dump Cake Okay, so picture this: it’s a rainy Saturday, my hair’s a mess, wearing socks that don’t match. The oven’s on and I’m rummaging for something chocolatey, and boom—here comes my trusty Chocolate Dump Cake with Gooey Center. It’s not fancy, but it’s like a …

Let Me Tell You About My Parmesan Chicken Obsession You know those weeknights when you wander into the kitchen, open the fridge, and just slightly sigh at the pack of chicken breast staring back at you? That’s basically how this baked chicken breast with parmesan crust became a regular in my house. It’s quick, and …

Let Me Tell You About Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles I’ll be honest: these peanut butter cookie dough truffles are the dessert I make when I want people to think I’ve fussed, but really, I’m just craving something sweet and not in the mood for a marathon bake-a-thon. The first time I tried these (somewhere …

Let Me Tell You, These Brownies Fix Just About Any Day There’s something about turtle brownies that just makes people smile. Maybe it’s the gooey caramel, the crunchy pecans, or the way the chocolate sort of hugs everything together. Anyway, the first time I made these, it was a total improvisation after a stressful Tuesday; …

Alright, Let's Talk About These Brownies (and My Messy Kitchen) You know those days when you just need something chocolatey and you don't want to fuss with weird ingredients or get all fancy? That's when I reach for this fudgy brownies recipe with a crackly top; it's a lifesaver and also my undoing because, honestly, …

Let's Talk Brownies (And Why I Can't Stop Making These) I’m almost embarrassed to say how many pans of these brownies I’ve made over the years. It's gotten to the point my cousin’s kids will message me (in all caps) if I show up to a family thing without them. The first time I made …

So, About These Baked Peaches… You know that feeling when you just want something sweet, but not the kind of sweet that comes wrapped in plastic? That's exactly how I ended up baking peaches one lazy Sunday evening after I realized (with mild horror) I was out of ice cream. I remembered my grandma used …

Okay, Let's Talk About Baklava (And Why I Love Making This) So, the first time I made baklava, I was convinced I’d ruined the whole thing because the phyllo dough was tearing like it was auditioning for a role in a tragic play. My aunt walked in, laughed, and said, “It’s supposed to look messy …

Let's Bake Irish Soda Bread (Or: Why My Kitchen Smells Like Home) Alright, so here’s the thing—I never really planned on becoming the unofficial soda bread person in my friend group. It happened after I brought a loaf to a brunch potluck (mostly because I forgot the eggs for a frittata and just gave up). …

Hey There, Let’s Bake Some Bread (That’s Actually Fluffy) So, here’s the deal: I don’t always bake bread, but when I do, it’s usually because it’s raining, I’ve run out of patience for store-bought loaves, or my kids ask (very loudly) for “the soft bread, not the crusty one, Mom!” One time, I got distracted …

Let’s Talk About These Sugar Cookies Okay, so you know how there are those recipes you go back to again and again, like an old pair of slippers that just fit right? This is mine for sugar cookies—soft, chewy, never hard as a brick (though I’ve been there, trust me!). I remember making these with …

Let Me Tell You About These Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls I’ll never forget the first time I made these caramel apple cinnamon rolls. It was a drizzly Sunday in October; leaves were crunching underfoot, and I was feeling a little too big for my britches because I’d just bought a stand mixer on sale. (On …

Let Me Tell You About These Cheesy Garlic Waffles Okay, so I have to start with a confession: I never really planned to become the “waffle person” in my family. But one Sunday, when I was out of bread and too lazy to run to the shop (who isn’t on a Sunday?), I threw together …

Let Me Tell You About These Tea Cakes… If you’ve ever wandered into my kitchen on a Sunday afternoon, there’s a pretty good chance you’d catch me humming (badly, sorry) and making a batch of these Tea Cakes with Vanilla Glaze and Almond Extract. They’re the kind of thing my grandma used to make, except …