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 …
Here's Why I Always Make This Apple Cider Bundt Cake Okay, confession time—most of my best baking happens when fall rolls around and, honestly, there's something about the smell of apples and cinnamon that just makes my old (slightly unreliable) oven seem inviting. Last Thanksgiving, I wanted something kinda nostalgic that wasn’t the usual pumpkin …
Okay, Let’s Talk Crumbl Churro Cookies (And Why I’m Obsessed) Hey friend! Have you ever bitten into a Crumbl Churro Cookie and thought—“Yup, this is basically a cinnamon-sugar hug”? Me too. (Too many times, honestly.) I still remember the first time I tried to replicate it at home—let’s just say, my kitchen looked like a …
The Story: When a Cookie Isn’t Just a Cookie If you’ve ever stumbled onto the Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie hype train and wondered if those cookies really are as life-changing as folks say&mash;let me tell you, *something* magical happens between the brown sugar, giant chocolate wafers, and that irresistible, slightly salty finish. First time …
Oh These Crave Rockstar Cookies... Why I Come Back to Them (and What My Kids Say) Honestly, there are cookies, and then there are these. The first time I made Crave Rockstar Cookies, I thought they sounded a bit dramatic, but, mate, these kids live up to their name. My son called them "the best …
Okay, so this Crumbl birthday cake cookie copycat is an absolute celebration-in-a-cookie, and not just because of the sprinkles. The first time I tried making these, I roped my neighbor into taste-testing and—true story—she took a bite and said it was better than the real deal (which might be blasphemy, but I’ll take the win). …
Let’s Just Jump Into It: Christmas Lofthouse Cookies So, Christmas Lofthouse Cookies. Gosh, these have been a running joke at our house for years—someone (usually me) always hides a couple for later because they basically evaporate once people sniff 'em out. I remember the first time I tried making them—thought, ‘How hard can those pillowy …
Let Me Tell You About the Time I Botched These Cookies (and Got Them Even Better) You ever have a cookie so good you think about it days later? That’s what happened when my cousin brought me a Crumbl Sugar Cookie after I’d tripped (again!) in the garden and was feeling blue. The cookie was …
You know those days when you just need a ridiculously big, chocolatey cookie—preferably one stuffed with Oreos? Well, this Chocolate Oreo Crumbl Cookie recipe is what I make when the sweet tooth hits like a sledgehammer. First time I baked these, it was supposed to be "just one batch," but, right, who was I kidding? …
Baking Cookies While Trying Not To Eat All the Dough Alright, imagine this: it's a chilly December, the sort where your breath fogs up the window and your toes never quite get warm (unless you're lucky enough to have heated floors—I'm not). Anyway, years back, I made a batch of Christmas Hazelnut Sea Salt Cookies …
If you’ve ever had that last-minute panic late on December 23rd, where you realize you promised cookies for the class party or neighborhood cookie swap—welcome to my life. There are legends in my family about the year I made 100 Christmas sugar cookies in one night, powered by way too much coffee and (oddly) a …
Let's Chat About These Bars First Okay, so you know those afternoons when it’s cold outside and you just want to make something sweet, but not the kind of thing that turns your kitchen into a disaster zone? Yup, that’s when I reach for my Peppermint Crunch Chocolate Bars recipe. Honestly, my first go at …
Okay, so I have to tell you—every year without fail, someone in my family (usually my cousin Abby, but who's keeping count?) insists I bring my peppermint bark to the Christmas party. Not the store-bought stuff. Nope. The homemade batch. It’s actually one of those recipes that makes you look way fancier than you are …
So, Cookie Cutter Sprinkle Chocolate Bars, Eh? Alright, friend, let me tell you about the time I tried making these Cookie Cutter Sprinkle Chocolate Bars on a rainy Sunday because, honestly, we were out of biscuits and buying anything just seemed—a bit much? My nephew was over, so I figured, why not make something together …
So, Eggnog Fudge—Let Me Tell You About It You know how some recipes just scream holidays? For me, that's eggnog fudge. Every December, the kitchen gets foggy with powdered sugar, and there's always at least one pan of this sweet stuff magically appearing on the counter (my husband swears it’s elves—personally, I blame midnight cravings). …
So...This Is How I Make Peppermint Pie (Yes, Every Winter) Alright, pull up a chair! If you want the kind of Peppermint Pie that shows up in your dreams—probably next to a mug of hot chocolate—then let me tell you how I do it. First time I made this, I was maybe 22, and honestly, …
Let's Chat About Sugar Cookie Rice Krispie Treats (and Why They're My Go-To) I don't know about you, but there is just something about the combo of marshmallow-y Rice Krispie treats and that unmistakable buttery sugar cookie flavor. The first time I made these, I was honestly just hunting for a way to use up …
Let Me Tell You About The Pumpkin Pie Spice Squares Okay, so picture this—it's a crummy November afternoon, rain pattering on the kitchen window, and my kids have lost all interest in their homework (as usual). I'm tempted to just make that boxed brownie mix I stashed in the back of the cupboard, but the …
Let's Talk About Pumpkin Biscoff Cheesecake, Friend You know those times when you've got the urge to bake something that tastes like autumn wrapped up in a snuggly blanket? That's when I go rummaging for the pumpkin purée and a packet of Biscoff (and, shocker, sometimes the jar of Biscoff spread too—don't judge). This Pumpkin …
Let Me Tell You About Raspberry Chocolate Lasagna Dessert Alright, so the first time I made this Raspberry Chocolate Lasagna Dessert, I was mostly just trying to impress my book club. You know, those friends who say they aren’t judging but then show up with perfect croissants? Anyway, my dog ended up snagging half the …
The Cookies I Crave on Stormy Afternoons Alright, pull up a chair and let me tell you: these Best Ever Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies have ruined me for regular cookies. I first baked these on a grey Saturday when I should've been cleaning the living room (sorry mum, that never happened); instead, I decided cookies …
So, Let's Talk Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies You know those days when only a perfectly pillowy, not-too-crispy sugar cookie will do? Yeah, I've had more of those than I'd care to admit. Once my nephew tried to help and we ended up with flour on the dog (don’t ask!). But honestly, this recipe is …
The Story Behind This Mousse (and Why It Matters to My Sanity) Alright, let me set the scene. It's a Tuesday night. Work's been bonkers (again), fridge is looking a bit sad, and I've got a craving for something chocolaty but the whole "eat more protein" thing is buzzing like a bee in my head. …
If you’d told me a few years ago that Pop Tarts would someday become the foundation for my family’s favourite holiday tradition, I probably would’ve snorted coffee out my nose. But here we are! When the air turns nippy and my counters are scattered with all manner of candy, it’s officially Pop Tart Gingerbread House …
So Here’s the Story Behind My Favorite Christmas Candy Dessert Board You know how some recipes just kinda sneak up and become weirdly special? This one’s like that. The first time I threw together an old-fashioned Christmas candy dessert board, it was mostly out of panic — I’d completely forgotten dessert for my in-laws’ visit, …
Alright, friend—pull up a chair. Let me tell you about these Amish Sugar Cookies. The first time I made them, I actually burned the bottoms (not on purpose!) ’cause my oven runs hotter than a summer fair, but even the crispy ones disappeared quicker than sweet tea on a July day. My grandma used to …
Alright, friend, let me just say up front—these Peanut Crunch Bars have been responsible for more sticky fingers and happy sighs at my kitchen counter than just about anything else I make. The first time I threw them together, it was honestly because I’d run out of patience waiting for cookies to chill (waiting is …
Let Me Tell You About These Cookies (Grab a Cuppa!) I’ve probably made (and eaten!) more batches of whipped shortbread cookies than I should admit, but honestly, it started because I couldn’t get my grandma’s recipe quite right. The first time I tried, I ended up with something more like sugared sand. But one blustery …
So About These Cookies... (A Little Story) You know when you need something chocolatey now but also crave a little bit of magic? That's where these Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies stroll in, clutching a mug of hot cocoa and grinning ear to ear. Honestly, I started baking these after a disastrous attempt at brownies (the …
So, About These Ridiculously Good Cookies… OK, picture this. It’s one of those rainy afternoons when you just can’t for the life of you find your umbrella, the cat’s eyeing your sandwich, and your sweet tooth starts shouting louder than the weather forecast on TV. That’s usually when I remember I’ve got a bag of …
Oh, The Time I Turned My Kitchen Into Who-ville Years ago, I decided on a random Thursday that I’d make Grinch Christmas Cookies, and let me tell you, my kitchen has never quite recovered. There’s just something about bright green cookies, complete with a single red heart, that makes even my grumpy Uncle Pete (he …
So, picture this: it's three days before Christmas, there's icing sugar basically everywhere (even the cat had a light dusting), and my niece is eyeing the candy canes like they're treasure. That was the scene the first time I pulled together a Santa Sweets Board for our family shindig. I'd seen a version online (I'll …
It Sorta Smells Like Autumn in My Kitchen: Here’s Why Alright, confession time: the first cold breeze of the season and I’m knee-deep in cans of pumpkin. One year, I made these Pumpkin Pie Cookies for a potluck, and my cousin tried to hide three of them in her purse (she’s not subtle; she’s got …
Let Me Tell You About This Pumpkin Spice Gooey Cake (Trust Me, You Want This One) Okay, so the first time I made this cake, it was one of those chilly, cloudy Sundays that just begged for something warm and spicy from the oven. My little kitchen light barely cut through the grey, and I'd …