My mother hates anything that isn’t chocolate (a story I’ve told here again and again). So we never really had Rice Krispie treats in the house when we were growing up. “Vanilla?” she’d ask. “What’s the point in that?” Well here’s the point: those treats are the perfect canvas for other flavors. I pulverized lots of freeze dried fruit and baked up many colorful batches of these and I can’t pick a favorite! I guess you’ll just have to weigh in ;)
I’ve been hunting for a good gluten free tart crust for ages, so I decided to just develop the recipe myself! This one is quick and easy to make, and can be used for any kind of tart or bar (including cheesecake, or caramel bars, etc.). I love using fresh berries in this tart, and you’ll see here that I baked with raspberries recently, but you can use any fresh fruit you like here.
I’m not gonna say these are healthy peanut butter cups, but I will double down on this: these peanut butter and jelly cups are 10x better than store-bought Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It’s a great recipe to work on with kids since there’s really no cooking involved and the chocolate sets up quickly!
is this shame that I feel right now? Is that what happens when I delve into the cutesy territory too often? Yeah. That’s it. But you know what? I’m an equal opportunity recipe developer. I know that these are just going to tickle some of you pink. And I love you for that ;)
Isn’t it marvelous that we, as a collective generation, were able to convince our parents that Kudos were some sort of granola bar (a healthy option, natch) when in actuality we were just unwrapping candy everyday after school? I, for one, am impressed at the wool pulled over so many eyes.
These bars have proven to be so popular that I’ve baked them up for all sorts of different crowds. My latest batch? Gluten free and dairy free, totally vegan, and unbearably tasty. Just like the first batch, these are studded with candied ginger, though this time I opted to use dark chocolate chips instead of white chocolate.
Ginger and butter are secret best friends. Like, we all know ginger hangs out with cardamom, and coconut, and yeah, garlic, but ginger’s got this secret side-bestie. Butter. Just straight up butter. These blondies are the public realization of their friendship and I couldn’t love them any more for it.
Santa’s snacks get all the attention this time of year. Cookies and milk, cookies and milk, it’s all we care about! But I think you should put out some naughty nibbles for the elves who worked to hard building toys all year long!
Somewhere there’s a forest made of cakes and candies, and from that fair copse we can harvest gorgeous yule logs year-round. But until we find that magical wonderland, we’ll have to make the damn cakes ourselves!
I am aggressively resisting the cultural expectation to use gendered language with these cookies. Will it cost me in SEO ranking? SURE. Do I care more about crushing the patriarchy than my page rank on Google? DUH.
I know you know this is totally not me, but accept it: I’ve made something cute. I don’t usually care for the adorable side of the baking equation, I’m far too practical to paint faces on my desserts. Until now. I was pondering the crisp autumnal air and started imagining a forest scene: hedgehogs, owls, and squirrels partying together amidst burnished leaves on the woodland floor. And once the image took hold in my head, I thought it might be fun to make a cookie inspired by that fever dream.
I’m like a magpie sometimes, my eyes caught on anything bright and shiny. A candied apple will always turn my head and this Fall I’m making batch after batch to serve guests at my home (who doesn’t squeal in delight at the shiny shell?).
I’m not normally the sort of person who thinks an apple needs much adornment. But every once in a while, I do love an apple dipped in buttery caramel. And this caramel is the best. It’s thick and luscious, it’ll coat the apple without pulling out your teeth, and it’s easy to make.
Another delectable puff pastry treat, this time twisted into a spiraling straw! Any flavor of jam will work perfectly here, just make sure not to overfill the cookies! Though you think it will make them better, all that extra jam will just leak out and burn!
Don't be ashamed of buying puff pastry from the freezer instead of making your own, just make sure you buy the good stuff (all butter)! These cookies come together quickly and look as good as they taste!
Have a wedding coming up? These make great guest-favors and can be made in large batches quickly! Package them up in paper cones or cellophane bags and you're all set!
Skip the store-bought pastries this week and make these pop hearts! They're my delicious take on the institutional PopTart, but since they're made with fabulous jam and puff pastry, they're easily 100% better.
Looking for a new way to amp up your whipped cream? Beat in some mascarpone cheese and caramel. You'll never look back. I serve these with my red velvet chocolate cookies, dip or schmear, just start eating!
If you're a fan of Hallmark Channel's Home & Family show you'll recognize this recipe from one of Ali Fedotowsky-Manno's segments. I love writing recipes for television, but sometimes we don't get to show all of the steps involved!
My dear friend Debbie swears by warm rice pudding, but I'll never agree. For me, rice pudding is best served straight from the fridge. I want it cold. I want it thick. I want it creamy.
