Dessert

Let Me Tell You About This Pumpkin Coffee Cake (and That Time I Forgot the Sugar) I swear, every time pumpkin season rolls around, I start craving this coffee cake like clockwork. It reminds me of chilly mornings in my old apartment, windows foggy with steam as this thing baked away—once, I even forgot to …

Let Me Tell You About This Marbled Banana Bundt Cake Okay, so you know those recipes you keep tucked away for a rainy Saturday? This chocolate marble banana bundt cake recipe is mine. It’s the cake I bake when the kitchen’s got a few too-ripe bananas yelling for attention and I’m itching to play with …

Cake Stories Over Coffee—Why I Keep Coming Back to This One You ever find yourself with a bunch of pears past their prime, sitting next to a jar of ginger you forgot you bought? That’s how my upside down pear gingerbread cake was born (well, sort of). I call it my 'rainy day cake'—a treat …

Let Me Tell You About *the* Banana Cake This cake recipe? Oh, it’s been through a lot—bad ovens, forgotten birthdays, even that time my dog nearly stole the cooling rack (true story, but I’ll get to that). If I could bottle the bittersweet smell of ripening bananas sitting on my windowsill, I would. My family’s …

The Cookie That Saved a Rainy Afternoon Let me tell you, these Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies aren't just a mouthful (though, yeah, you will want a mouthful) – they're kind of the unofficial hero in my fall baking routine. Last autumn, my niece and I got caught inside during that freak thundercloud that …

Let’s Chat About My Shortcut Easy Apple Fritters Recipe Alright, so I’ve made these apple fritters more times than I can count (especially when I’ve found a couple wrinkly apples staring at me from the fruit bowl—don’t judge). This recipe is my trusty sidekick on those mornings when I want to pull off something special, …

Cake and Coffee with a Side of Chaos Picture this: it's Sunday afternoon, rain's tapping at the window, and I'm elbows deep in flour, trying (for the third time this month) to replicate that glorious fritter cake my Aunt Peg brought to our last family get-together. Except, as always, I've got apples rolling off the …

Alright, let me tell you straight up—if you haven’t tried making Birthday Cake Fudge yet, you’re missing out on the easiest birthday win imaginable. I still remember the first time I tried it: my niece’s 4th birthday, chaos everywhere, and somehow this fudge stole the show from even the bounce house (I mean, that’s saying …

So, let me tell you how these cinnamon roll French toast bites disappeared in my house… Honestly, I started making these bites one snowy Saturday afternoon last winter, mostly out of sheer desperation for something sweet (and to warm the place up a bit). I had a can of cinnamon rolls staring at me and …

Catching Up Over Gingerbread Truffles Alright, so picture this: It's mid-December. The kitchen smells like Christmas (ginger, cinnamon, maybe a faint whiff of laundry because I'm multitasking here). I used to stress about baking fancy cookies, but last year my oven went on strike. What did I do? No-Bake Gingerbread Truffles! Now they're my thing. …

Okay, friend, let me tell you about the time I turned a tired, boring holiday cheesecake into a proper celebration—using sugar cookie dough. This Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Christmas Dessert is basically what happens when you get a little impatient with fancy baking but still want to bring out a show-stopper for the big family meal. …

So Here’s the Thing About This Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake… I have to start with a confession: the first time I tried making this Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake, I accidentally doubled the apples because I was distracted by my neighbor yelling at her dog; turns out, you can kind of never have too …

Let Me Tell You About This Wacky Christmas Bread Okay, so you know how sometimes you just want your kitchen to smell all warm and holiday-ish, but you have about a gazillion things to do before anyone even arrives? That's totally me every December. My first time making this Christmas Sprinkle Buttermilk Bread, I was …

Okay, friend, you know that feeling when you're suddenly craving apple pie but it's like, who actually has time (or patience) to roll out a whole crust on a weeknight? That was basically me last month, standing in the kitchen while the kids circled like hungry sharks. Enter these Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs. They're …

Candy-Making Memories (Yes, Even the Sticky Ones!) So, picture this: It’s December, my kitchen smells like vanilla and good intentions, Christmas music playing (you know the Mariah song, I can’t help it), and I’m elbow-deep in powdered sugar. Soft Christmas peppermints have been my go-to for years—partly because, honestly, I’m a pushover for anything minty, …

Honestly, every time I make these Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, I think about the one Christmas when my cousin Jay tried to sneak the entire batch into his suitcase. He failed miserably — we heard the clattering of the cookie tin a mile away! But, seriously, these cookies have become a bit of a …

Hey there! So, Cherry Garcia Fudge—let me tell you, the first time I tried to mash up the flavors of that ice cream with a melt-in-your-mouth fudge, I had this grand vision. Picture me, eight years old, sneaking extra cherries form my mom's baking stash and leaving a trail of sticky fingerprints everywhere... yeah, not …

If we’re being totally real, I only started baking Chocolate Mint Cookies because I lost a holiday cookie exchange bet (long story; involves a badly timed sneeze and a plate of gingerbread men). But now—hand on heart—these are my go-to whenever I want to bribe my family or just need a taste of chocolatey, minty …

Alright, let's get into Twix Truffle Brownies. First off: these are the decadent kind you secretly hope your family doesn’t find, so you can stash a few away for later. I started making these after a chaotic bake sale (kids running around, sugar everywhere), where my classic brownies weren’t quite cutting it. Enter the missing …

First, a Little Story—Or Why Truffles Rule My Kitchen Every year around the holidays (or any random rainy Thursday when I need a pick-me-up), I end up making these Date and Nut White Chocolate Truffles. My cousin Tara claims I only bring them because they’re dead simple and I hate doing dishes—she’s not wrong! The …

You’re Gonna Love This—And Here’s Why I swear, this Pecan Praline Buttermilk Loaf Cake is what my kitchen smells like every time we’re headed into fall, or at least any time I want to show off a little (but not make a fuss). I remember my cousin Maddie trying to “help” by nibbling half the …

Pull Up a Chair: My Fudge Memories So listen: every winter, after the mystery tins of store-bought chocolates are all but gone, that's when I finally get around to making buttered rum fudge. It's become a sort of tradition (procrastination is a tradition in my house, I guess?) and there's always this warm, cozy feeling …

A Little Story Before You Bake Okay, confession time: I made these Salted Caramel Apple Mini Pies last Thanksgiving, mostly because I didn't want to fuss with a full-sized pie (the dish was at my mother-in-law's and her oven is a mystery to mortals). Turns out, everyone preferred the minis and the crust ratio just …

Let Me Tell You About These Chocolate Peanut Butter Ruckus Cookies Okay, story time: The first time I made these, it was a rainy Tuesday night, and I was mostly just looking for an excuse to crank the oven on and dodge doing the laundry. You know how that goes, right? Anyway, I called them …

Why I Keep Coming Back to These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars So, hey there, friend. You ever find yourself staring at a can of pumpkin in the cupboard, wondering what on earth to do with it that isn’t just another loaf of bread? That’s totally me every October. Classic Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are my answer to: …

So, This Monster Cookie Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie Happened… I’ll be honest – the first time I made this, it was one of those happy accidents that didn’t look like the picture in my head but sure tasted like magic. My little brother declared it “a party in my mouth.” Pretty sure that’s high praise. …

Okay, so let me set the scene: rainy afternoon, kids are (very) grumpy from being stuck inside, and I needed something sweet to quiet the mutiny. That’s pretty much how my love affair with this Biscoff Banana Pudding with Caramel began. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure it would work the first time—I mean, Biscoff with …

Let’s Chat Pie Bombs: How These Became My Autumn Craving I have to confess, the first time I made these caramel apple pie bombs, it wasn’t out of any gourmet ambition — I was basically trying to use up some wrinkly apples from the bottom of my crisper. Turns out, sometimes laziness (plus sugar and …

So... Why Maple Bourbon Cheesecake? You know those days when you crave something sweet, but the idea of turning on your oven makes you want to pack it all in and order takeout? That's pretty much how this No Bake Maple Bourbon Cheesecake was born. One summer, I accidentally bought maple-flavored bourbon for a BBQ …

Let's Talk About This Carrot Cake Cheesecake (Yes, Really!) Okay, honestly—if you'd told me years ago that I'd be mashing cheesecake into my carrot cake, I'd've probably rolled my eyes so hard they'd knock over my stand mixer. But here we are! The first time I made this was about three Easters back, and (bit …

Catching Up Over No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles Look, I have to admit up front: I first made these No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles because I’d forgotten I’d promised to bring a dessert to a party. You know that cold sweat where you open the cupboard and just sort of pray something speaks …

Let's talk about this caramel corn (and my old oven disaster) Okay, confession time: every time I make this easy caramel corn with sweetened condensed milk, I'm thrown right back to my old college apartment where, honestly, the oven ran hotter than a desert in July. There were a lot of... crispy experiments. But this …

So, Peach Pie Cruffins – Here’s the Story You ever have one of those kitchen days where nothing sounds good but you can’t be bothered to make an actual pie? That’s honestly how I first stumbled on these Peach Pie Cruffins. I’d seen everyone online raving about cruffins (that croissant-meets-muffin business) and got inspired. The …

That Time I Set Dessert on Fire: My Bananas Foster Story You know how some folks have fond stories about cookies or pie from their childhood? Well, the first time I made Southern Bananas Foster, my kitchen almost became a fireworks show. (Luckily, the only thing that got scorched was my dignity.) Truth be told, …

Alright, so let me just tell you: these Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls are a legend in my house (if you can call two kids and a dog a household legend, which I do). I remember the first time I tried making them—spilled flour everywhere, cream cheese on the elbows, the works. But wow, the result? …

You Need To Try This Reese’s Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake—Trust Me So, picture this: it’s raining buckets outside, the house is a mess (story of my life), and I really wanted something kind of ridiculous and fun to bake. Reese’s Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake popped into my brain—no joke—when I noticed the bag of mini …

Let Me Tell You Why I Love These Bites Ok, first things first: if you ask my friends, they'll tell you I'm obsessed with all things peanut butter (which is true, can't even deny it). And one hot July day, after melting while waiting for my old freezer to finally spit out more than three …

Let's Chat About Toffee—And Why This One's The Best Right, so—I probably shouldn't admit this—but I first made this toffee after a disastrous fudge attempt one cold November. Turns out if you cook sugar a bit too far it goes not to caramel, but toffee, and honestly, I wasn’t even mad. Now folks ask me …

Oh Man, You're Gonna Want This Easy Pumpkin Cream Trifle Alright, so let me tell you: last Thanksgiving (which, honestly, feels like it just happened yesterday, time is a flat circle), I found myself staring at half a can of pumpkin puree, leftover Cool Whip, and a pack of those shortbread cookies I bought by …

Honestly, Fudge Like Grandma Used To (Well, Sort Of) Okay, you know that recipe everyone in the family asks you to bring to the potluck—like, every single time? For me, it's Aunt Teen's Creamy Chocolate Fudge. I still remember the first time I tried to make this; I nearly glued myself to the saucepan (long …