No Campfire Required: Salted S’mores Cookies

Gooey, toasty marshmallow… rich, melty chocolate… crunchy, sweet graham crackers… That’s right– s’mores are not just for camping, people. I go camping at most once a year, but obviously I need s’mores in my life much more frequently to maintain a base level of sanity. (Anyone else with me on that??) I happily look for […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Antique Caramel Cake

Good gracious, I’ve been waiting patiently like a good little girl for this one. Caramel, especially of the salted persuasion, is one of the great pleasures of my life. I’ve not been shy about my love affair with chocolate on this blog, but if I’m honest… caramel is a pretty close second. (If you combine […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Good Morning Sunshine Bars

People, if you don’t already know, it’s a good thing you’re reading this: CEREAL IS NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST. You’re welcome. The pinnacle of cereal-based delights, Rice Krispie Treats, was certainly the first such phenomenon of this nature that I’d ever had as a child, and it’s always held a special place in my heart. […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Oopsy Daisy Cake (aka Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake)

I finally did it. Good god. After a number of failed, frustrated, and expletive-filled efforts, I finally made BAKED‘s buttercream frosting right on the first try! This frosting has inspired rage in my soul and a near-attempt to throw my beloved mixer over the balcony, but it is SO. DAMN. GOOD… I just couldn’t give up. […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Sunrise Key Lime Tarts

This has been a very busy week of pastry research for me– simultaneously glorious and oh-so-gluttonous… As I was on Spring Break from work, I had the opportunity to play in San Francisco to my heart’s content, and play I did. I’m working on a separate blog post about my “Pastry Crawl“, so why do […]

Tastes Like Luck: Chocolate Shamrock Sandwich Cookies

Got luck? I love shamrocks. They make me happy– any time of year, really. The symbol of the shamrock is of course associated with Ireland today, and has come to be synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day. The word comes from the Irish-Gaelic seamróg, meaning “little clover”. Legend has it that St. Patrick used this 3-leaf […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Toasted Pumpkin Seed Brittle

An ode to that magnificent scoundrel named SUGAR: *clears throat* Oh lovely Sugar, how you captivate and inspire me, with your endless incarnations and magical properties. You can be woven into cakes, stretched into taffy, whipped into frosting, and sprinkled on cookies, just to name a few of your beloved virtues. You are granulated, powdered, […]

Sweet, Salty & a Little Malty: Chocolate Stout Pretzel Cupcakes

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is create mash-ups of my best-loved baking recipes. I am immensely enjoying experiments of the “sweet & salty” variety at the moment, with particular affinity for the pairing of chocolate and pretzels. [Note to self: Next time I make Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels, drizzle with […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

I’m so excited to be participating in Baked Sunday Mornings because it’s challenging me to try recipes that a) I might overlook, b) I plan to make at some point, but haven’t materialized yet, or c) I have avoided because they seem intimidating. In this case, it’s the latter; I’ve never tried making homemade soft […]