Dessert

Let Me Tell You About These Little Gems Alright, so you know those days when you want something sweet but the idea of turning on the oven feels about as appealing as cleaning out the garage? That was me last Wednesday. My cousin Katie was coming over—she's got a sweet tooth the size of Texas—and …

Let Me Tell You About the Time I Fell for Cinnamon Roll Cookies Okay, so you know how some recipes just sneak up and become your secret weapon? Cinnamon roll cookies—yeah, those did that to me one rainy Sunday when I was craving something cinnamony but didn’t have the patience for yeasted dough (no shade …

Let Me Tell You About These Peanut Butter Cookies… Alright, pull up a chair (or just lean on the counter with a cup of tea—no judgment). So, these Gourmet Thick Peanut Butter Cookies have a bit of a reputation in my circle. I started making them after a rainy weekend years ago, when the only …

So Here's the Deal With This Cake... You know that feeling when you're rummaging through the kitchen late at night and suddenly remember you promised to bring dessert to a potluck tomorrow? Yeah, that's pretty much how I discovered this easy double chocolate Coca Cola cake recipe. My aunt June used to make it at …

Honestly, Panna Cotta Saved Me at a Dinner Party (and Might Save You Too) Let me tell you, the first time I tried making a vanilla bean panna cotta, I was honestly just trying to impress my in-laws. No pressure, right? Well, I slightly panicked when my cream almost boiled over because I got distracted …

So, You Want Cake in Five Minutes Flat? Alright, real talk—sometimes you just need chocolate now. Like, actual cake, not a sad handful of chocolate chips you found at the back of the pantry (I've done it, no shame). My first time making this 5-minute chocolate mug cake was after a long, rainy Tuesday; I'd …

Let Me Tell You About This Cheesecake (And That One Time...) Okay, first off, let me just say: if you’d told younger me that one day I’d be voluntarily baking a New York cheesecake (and not, you know, just eating it at diners at 2am), I’d have laughed you out of my kitchen. But here …

Let Me Tell You About These Hand Pies… Okay, so picture this: It’s a Saturday afternoon, there’s this chill in the air (the kind that makes you want to bake something, but also, you don’t wanna do dishes for an hour). That’s usually when I get the itch for these air fryer apple hand pies. …

Let Me Tell You About My Choc Coconut Slice Obsession Okay, imagine this: It’s 3pm, the school bell’s just rung, my hands are covered in dirt (from the garden, not detention — this time!), and I burst through the kitchen door to the smell of melted chocolate and toasted coconut. Mum’s already got the kettle …

Just Pull Up a Chair: Let's Talk Dumplings Alright, so here's the thing about golden syrup dumplings—they remind me of sticky-fingered evenings at my Nan's, where someone invariably forgot to buy cream, and we all pretended not to mind (but we really did). I've made these when it’s pouring outside and the only thing to …

Let's Talk About My Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls Obsession So, you know those days when you can't decide between banana bread and cinnamon rolls? Well, this is what happens when you throw caution (and maybe a few overripe bananas) to the wind and just mash both together. Honestly, the first time I made these was …

Let Me Tell You About Cherry Cheesecake Bars (And My Slight Obsession) So here’s the thing: I make these Cherry Cheesecake Bars more than I probably should. Last time I showed up to my cousin’s barbecue with a tray, my aunt nearly wrestled me for the last piece (she’s 72, but honestly, don’t cross her …

Let Me Tell You About These Brownies (and That One Time...) Okay, so I have to confess—I've baked these brownies more times than I can count, and they've snuck into almost every family event, school bake sale (where my nephew, Tom, actually tried to pass them off as his own), and the occasional rainy Thursday …

Let Me Tell You About My Mars Bar Slice Obsession Alright, so here’s the thing: I’ve been making this Mars Bar slice since before I could reach the top shelf (and believe me, I’m still not exactly winning any height records). My mum used to whip this up for every birthday, bake sale, or any …

Okay, hear me out—throwing apples in the air fryer sounded a bit bonkers the first time I tried it. Honestly, I was probably just too lazy to preheat the oven. But then, I got this whiff of warm cinnamon drifting through the kitchen, and suddenly I’m 8 years old again, watching my aunt Mary burn …

Let Me Tell You About My Strawberry Shortcake Trifle Honestly, strawberry shortcake trifle is one of those knock-out desserts I make when I want people to think I’m fancier than I really am (spoiler: I’m eating this in sweatpants). First time I made it was for my cousin’s birthday, and the kitchen looked like a …

So, Let Me Tell You About These Red Velvet Cupcakes Oh, red velvet. Just saying it makes me think of that time I tried to impress my in-laws and dripped batter all over my brand-new jeans (spoiler: it stains). But honestly, these red velvet cupcakes with vanilla swirl buttercream are my go-to when I want …

Let's Chat About Strawberry Cupcakes (and How My Kitchen Ended Up Sticky... Again) Alright, friend, let me tell you about the time my niece tried to help me make these strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream and we somehow managed to get pink frosting in her hair, the dog's fur, and, mysteriously, the inside of my …

Let Me Tell You About This Cheesecake… So here's the deal. Every summer, when strawberries are cheap and sun-warmed, I get this itch for something sweet but, honestly, I can't be bothered to turn the oven on (who wants more sweat?). The first time I made this no-bake strawberry cheesecake, I was supposed to be …

Let's Talk Blueberry & Vanilla Swirl Ice Cream Parfait Alright, friend—if you’ve ever found yourself standing in front of the freezer on a summer evening, spoon in hand, debating whether to eat ice cream straight up or try to make it look a little bit fancy, this one’s for you. Honestly, the first time I …

Okay, so let me tell you about the time I first made these summer mini key lime cheesecakes. It was one of those sticky-hot afternoons when you just want to stick your head in the fridge (or freezer, honestly). My neighbor had invited herself over—bless her—and I needed something fast, impressive, and, most importantly, oven-optional. …

Let Me Tell You About These Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes I’ll be honest: the first time I made these, I was a total mess. You could practically hear the panic in my kitchen. Picture me, standing in front of the oven, wondering if I’d just invented some kind of caramel-flavored disaster. But hey, that’s …

Let Me Tell You About Banana Pudding Cheesecake Cones So, I sort of stumbled on this idea one lazy Saturday when I was craving banana pudding and something with a little crunch. (Yeah, indecision is my superpower.) I remembered the way my aunt used to serve banana pudding in giant bowls at family picnics—layers of …

Let Me Tell You About These Samoas Cookies So, you know those days when you’re just craving something sweet and a bit nostalgic? That’s me with Samoas cookies. I grew up fighting my siblings for the last one in the box (I mean, who doesn’t love that chewy-caramel-coconut combo?). Anyway, one rainy weekend I thought, …

So, This Hot Fudge Pie Story Starts in My Mom's Kitchen... I have to admit, the first time I made this hot fudge pie, I thought it was going to be a disaster. I think I was about 14, and convinced that melting chocolate meant nuking it in the microwave until it looked like tar. …

Let Me Tell You About This Banana Bread Cake (and Why My Sock Drawer Smells Like Bananas) So here’s the thing: I didn’t actually mean to invent this banana bread cake with cream cheese frosting. One summer afternoon, my son left half a banana in his backpack (you can imagine the aroma). Instead of tossing …

Let's Talk Brownies—The Chocolate Mousse Kind Alright, so you know those days where you just need chocolate—like, must have it or else? Well, that's how these Easy Chocolate Mousse Brownies became a fixture in my kitchen. I started making this recipe after a disastrous attempt at a "fancy" mousse cake that literally flopped (as in, …

Let's Talk: Cookies And Cream Ice Cream at Home Okay, confession time—I made this cookies and cream ice cream the first time for my cousin's birthday, mostly because I forgot to buy a cake and panicked at the last second. It turned out better than any fancy bakery cake anyway. (Still, don't tell my cousin... …

Let Me Tell You About These Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes Hey there — so listen, I’ve baked a lot of cupcakes in my day (probably way more than I should admit). But these raspberry lemon cupcakes? Oh boy. The first time I made them was for my niece’s seventh birthday, and let’s just say the kids …

Let Me Tell You About Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars Okay, so here’s the deal: I make these chocolate chip cheesecake bars whenever I need something a bit special but don’t want to fuss about with all the springform pan drama. The first time I tried these, I was actually attempting to replicate the cheesecake squares …

So, Here's Why I Love Making Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Roll You know those recipes you keep in your back pocket for the days when you need to impress but you've also got a pile of laundry the size of Everest? This Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Roll is my secret weapon. I first made it for my …

Let's Talk About Easy Cool Whip Candy (and Why I Keep Making It) Oh boy, if you’d told me a few years ago I’d have a recipe so simple it practically makes itself... I probably would’ve rolled my eyes. But, Easy Cool Whip Candy is that one recipe I bust out when I need a …

Pull Up a Chair: Let's Talk Tea Cakes Okay y’all, so here’s the deal—if you’ve never had an old fashioned southern tea cake, you’re in for a memory-lane sort of treat. My first memory of these is honestly not even baking them myself but sneaking (okay, outright stealing) the soft middles off the cooling rack …

Let Me Tell You About the Day I Discovered Gooey Brownies So, here’s the thing: I did not grow up baking. Actually, my first attempt at brownies was more like chocolate-flavored bricks (my brother still teases me about it at every family get together). But one rainy afternoon, I decided to try again—armed with too …

Alright, pull up a chair! I have to tell you about the time I first tried making cookies chocolat in the airfryer. It was a rainy afternoon, my kids were bouncing off the walls, and I was out of patience for waiting on the oven. So I figured, why not give the airfryer a whirl? …

Let Me Tell You About These Rhubarb Cookies… You ever try rhubarb cookies? Oh man, the first time I made these was a total accident—honestly, I meant to bake a pie, but I sort of ran out of patience (and, uh, flour). So, out came the cookie sheet, in went the chopped rhubarb, and the …

If you love nostalgia with your sugar rush, you’ll love this Let me tell you, cornflake candy is basically my answer to those days when you want to whip up something sweet but also be lying on the couch in, oh, ten minutes. I first made this candy with my aunt on a rainy Saturday; …

Let's Talk Popsicles (And My Freezer Fiasco) So, here's the thing—I never really planned on making Kiwi Watermelon Fruit Popsicles until one blazing hot afternoon last July. My niece, who was basically melting into a puddle on my couch, begged for something 'cold, fruity, and not just boring old ice cream.' (Her words, not mine, …

Let Me Tell You About Mango Float (And Why I Can’t Stop Making It) You know those recipes you just fall into making over and over—like, you mean to try something new but, next thing you know, you’re reaching for the same can of condensed milk? Well, that’s Mango Float for me. The first time …

Let Me Tell You About Cinnamon Roll Bars... Alright, before we get into the nitty gritty, let me just say: these cinnamon roll bars are the reason my kitchen smells like a tiny, happy bakery at least once a month. The first time I whipped these up was on a rainy Sunday when I was …