Dessert

So, You're Thinking of Baking Chocolate Cake with Raspberries? Alright, you want to impress a room full of hungry party-goers with a chocolate cake crowned in juicy raspberries? Grab a chair for a second, because I’ve been at the heart of too many family gatherings where this cake—this exact chocolate-and-raspberry wonder—stole the show, even when …

Gather Around—The Best Kind of Mess: Ginger Bread House Decorating If you’ve ever tried to keep royal icing off your elbows, welcome to the club. Ginger bread house decorating in my family? Let’s just say there’s frosting in places it shouldn’t be, sprinkles underfoot, and last year someone’s dog ate a gumdrop chimney (he survived; …

So, soft & chewy gingerbread men cookies... has there ever been a more nostalgic bake? I mean, my kitchen practically smells like a childhood winter every time I make these. Honestly, when December rolls in (and, okay, sometimes in July if I'm feeling rebellious), out comes my old, slightly dented gingerbread man cutter. It's the …

Let Me Tell You About My (Slightly Messy) First Try I’ll never forget the first time I attempted the Cracker Barrel Coca Cola Cake. I’d been craving that ooey, gooey, unmistakably Southern chocolate cake—part nostalgia, part sugar rush. The thing is, I’d just moved into a new apartment and apparently thought my oven doubled as …

If You’ve Ever Wanted Cannoli, But Didn’t Want the Fuss… I’ve gotta tell you, these cannoli cookies are kind of a love letter to my big, slightly chaotic holiday kitchen. The first time I baked a batch, I thought, ‘Oh, I’m just making regular cookies with a fancy hat.’ Nope – little did I know …

So, This Mango Float Story… Alright, if you’ve ever poked around my kitchen during the sticky height of summer, you’ve probably heard me mumbling something about the wonders of Mango Float. True story: I made it for my cousins once and they inhaled it before I’d even managed to snap a photo. (I wanted a …

Some Ramblings Before We Get Baking Alright, confession—I never thought I'd be the sort of person carefully assembling teeny tiny cakes like some dessert architect. But one rainy Saturday, my niece (she’s obsessed with Pinterest bento cakes) demanded we try them, and well, let’s just say my kitchen’s never recovered (in the best way). There’s …

Let Me Tell You About These Bourbon Pecan Balls… Alright, friend, here’s the truth: the first time I made these bourbon pecan balls, it was during one of those restless December afternoons—too cold to be outside, too antsy to just binge-watch reruns (again). I thought, “Why not make a boozy treat?” Next thing I know, …

So, Strawberry Kiss Cookies—What’s the Story? I can’t even count how many times I’ve made these Strawberry Kiss Cookies, but I always remember the first time—smack-dab in the middle of a heatwave when running the oven was pure madness (what was I thinking?). I’d just found a bag of strawberry cake mix wedged behind the …

Let Me Tell You About Chex Christmas Mix... Okay, friend, we've got to talk about this Chex Christmas Mix recipe. I swear, every year I tell myself I'm going to try some new fancy treat (peppermint bark never quite wins me over though), and then I end up right back here—mixing up a giant bowl …

A Lemon Lover's Dream (and My Go-To Lazy Weekend Bake) Alright, let me just get this off my chest before we properly begin: I am not the world's tidiest baker. My countertops are basically a flour crime scene whenever I'm in the kitchen. But that's exactly why I adore a good dump cake—zero fuss, zero …

Let Me Tell You About These Ridiculous Cookies… Okay, so picture this: it’s one of those chilly evenings after a not-so-great day, and I’m rifling through the pantry hunting for some comfort. I see a half-empty bag of toffee bits, a chunk of butter, and suddenly I remember that epic batch of brown butter toffee …

Before We Dive In, a Little Cookie Confession So, full disclosure: the first time I made these salted caramel cheesecake cookies (whew, that's a mouthful and so are the cookies), I accidentally doubled the caramel and ended up with a sticky but glorious mess. Still, my neighbor Tina dropped by "just to borrow a cup …

The Story Behind My Banana Split Dump Cake Obsession Alright, let me set the scene. It's a Sunday afternoon, I'm knee-deep in laundry (sock mountain, let's be honest), and there's this slightly overripe bunch of bananas just staring at me from the kitchen. And out of nowhere, I get that urge—the one that can only …

Let's Talk Dump Cakes (I Promise It's Not a Bad Thing!) There’s something about the name "dump cake" that used to make me snicker as a kid—sorry, I never claimed to be mature! But honestly, this Chocolate Caramel Dump Cake has bailed me out on more occasions than I can count. Whether you’re scrambling before …

Let Me Tell You About These Little Beauties… Alright, friend, settle in for a wild (okay, not that wild) ride through my kitchen. I first tried making these chocolate chip cookie dough cups after a particularly disastrous attempt at regular cookies, and honestly? I haven't looked back. I mean, why bake when you can eat …

Bake These Brownies When You Just Can't Stomach Another Box Mix So, brownies. I swear, I've tried more boxed mixes than I'd care to admit (Betty Crocker, I'm looking at you), usually while fending off small children who want to help (e.g. leave floury handprints everywhere). But these—these are the brownies my family basically arm-wrestles …

The Sweetest Kind of Kitchen Chaos Alright, let me set the scene for you. It’s Christmas Eve (or maybe it was the day before... time loses all meaning during the holidays, right?), and I’m knee-deep in flour and cocoa powder, trying to stop my cat from licking powdered sugar off the table. That's what making …

Why These Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies Are My December Lifeline Listen, friend: if Christmas had a smell, in my kitchen it'd be that weirdly intoxicating combo of vanilla, butter, and powdered sugar floating in the air (plus sometimes a hint of burnt toast, honestly, if the breakfast isn't quite right). These cookies—they're like, well, the …

So… Let's Talk About These Christmas Grinch Sugar Cookies You know, every December when the house starts to smell like peppermint candles and maybe a bit of last week's baking mishap, I can't help but crave something ridiculously cheerful. That's where these Christmas Grinch Sugar Cookies waltz in, green as envy and way easier to …

Let Me Tell You About These Cookies… You ever bake something new, and suddenly you’re everyone’s favorite person at the Christmas party? Yeah, that happened to me with these Eggnog Snickerdoodle Thumbprint Cookies. There was a time (not too long ago, mind you) when the only thumbprint I cared about was the one I left …

The Cookie I Can’t Stop Making at Christmas (Even When I Swear I Will!) Alright, friend, let me just admit something up front: I have tried (and failed—spectacularly, mind you) to make these Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms only once or twice during December. But every year someone in my house—looking at you, Mum—drops hints as soon …

Baking Linzers: My Slightly Messy, Joyful Christmas Ritual Oh! These Raspberry Linzer Christmas Cookies. Okay, story time—every year, when the temps finally decide to stop yo-yoing, I get the itch (literally and figuratively) to bake. These cookies? Total classics. My aunt started making them before I was tall enough to reach the counter (good thing …

So, picture this: it's December, the house is half chaos, I'm already covered in flour for a reason I can't quite remember, and I've got a handful of half-used bags of everything from M&Ms to dried cranberries rattling around my pantry. That's when—almost every year—I decide it's officially "Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookie" time. I mean, …

Catching Up Over These Peppermint Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies Okay, so imagine it’s a blustery December evening, and you’ve got those twinkle lights flickering (mine are barely hanging on, honestly) and suddenly there’s this craving—for something nostalgic, minty, and chocolatey, all at once. That’s pretty much how these Peppermint Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies entered my …

Hey, Let Me Tell You About These Cookies You know those holiday recipes you've made so many times you could honestly do them blindfolded? (Don’t try that at home, though.) These Chocolate Thumbprint Christmas Cookies are the ones for me. I started making them when my daughter was just tall enough to reach the counter …

If You Love Spiced Holiday Bakes, This One's for You Alright, settle in, because I’ve been meaning to share my gingerbread crinkle cookie obsession for ages. There’s something about these little gems—soft, crackly, full of spice and cozy vibes—that just makes a dreary winter afternoon feel brighter. My first batch nearly glued itself to the …

Let's Chat: Why These Cranberry Orange Cookies Are a Holiday Must Alright, picture this: It's two days before Christmas, my kitchen's a bit of a disaster (we're talking flour in my hair and a suspicious sticky patch on the counter), and I'm knee-deep in cookie dough. But honestly, making these cranberry orange cookies is one …

The Smell of Fall (Or Tuesday): Why This Apple Pie Is My Go-To So, let me tell you — there’s something about the smell of apples and cinnamon floating out of the oven that makes my dog sit by the stove. He’s not even supposed to like pie, but that pie-baking smell? Irresistible. I remember …

Let's Make Gingerbread Cheesecake—Holiday Vibes Guaranteed You know that feeling when you walk into a house and it just smells like December? Well, that's what this gingerbread Cheesecake does—turns your kitchen into a slice of holiday heaven. I remember the first time I made it was on a freezing afternoon while my neighbor's dog would …

So, Gingerbread Brownies—What's Not to Love? Let me tell you: the first time I made Gingerbread brownies, I was probably 10, and I thought it was pure wizardry to mash my two favorite winter treats together. Actually, on second thought, maybe it was just my boredom with regular old brownies (delicious, obviously, but sometimes you …

The Cookie That Feels Like a Warm Hug (Yes, Italian Ricotta!) Alright, let me set the scene—imagine a Sunday afternoon, snow dancing outside or maybe just the neighbor's leaf blower in the distance, and the house smelling like a bakery thanks to a big ol’ batch of Italian Ricotta Cookies. The first time I tried …

If You Haven't Tried These, Buckle Up! Alright, picture this: it was a chilly December evening, the kind where you can't quite get warm no matter how many sweaters you pile on, and I was frantically trying to bring a little magic into our kitchen (or at least distract everyone from the fact that our …

The Story (and Mishaps) Behind My Peppermint Eggnog Cheesecake Listen, I never set out to be someone who brings a Peppermint Eggnog Cheesecake to the family party. I swear. But one year (don’t ask me which, all those holiday seasons blur after a while), I had half a carton of eggnog and a bag of …

Let's Talk About White Chocolate Raspberry Cake (and the Time I Made a Huge Mess) Okay, so you know that feeling when you decide to bake something fancy, and suddenly your kitchen looks like a flour explosion met a jam tornado? Yeah, that was me the first time I made this White Chocolate Raspberry Cake. …

I Swear These White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies Saved My Christmas Right—so, let me tell you about the year my nephew ‘helped’ break up 20 candy canes just to eat half of them, and we still managed to pull off these White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies anyway. Actually, I think they turned out better for …

That One Time I Fell in Love With Eggnog Poke Cake… You know how some recipes kinda sneak up on you and steal the show? That was Eggnog Poke Cake for me. I tried it one December (no idea how I survived so many winters without it), basically on a whim, mostly because eggnog was …

If you've never had your kitchen smell like a holiday market in Bavaria, buddy, you owe it to yourself to make these Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies. I think I first tried baking these on a whim one snowy afternoon when the internet kept telling me to make banana bread (as if!). Instead, I managed to dust …

Let Me Tell You About This Pie—And My Aversion To Holiday Predictability So, first things first—I love pie. I mean, who doesn't, right? But traditional holiday bakes? Meh. Been there, ate that. One fall, I stumbled onto the combo of pears and cranberries at a roadside farm stand (you know those tables with the hand-painted …

So About These Ridiculously Festive Cookies... Alright, gather 'round—I've got a baking story for ya. A couple years back (during a legendary late-night Christmas movie marathon) I got this wild urge to, well, throw everything into a cookie dough. When I say everything, I’m talking half-opened bags of Christmas M&Ms, some pretzels going stale, and …