Vanilla-Apple Cider Bundt Cake

Every October I’m torn between two existences: my desire to embrace the cooling season, the harvest foods, the upcoming Halloween witchiness, and the slowing down and coziness of the end of the year… But my work life is the complete opposite and pulls me in the other direction by necessity. As a school counselor, it […]

Green Tea Rhubarb Pudding Cake

I think it’s safe to say that St. Patrick’s Day 2020 will go down in history as the saddest/strangest/quietest St. Patrick’s Day in modern times. No parades, no drunken bar crawls, and a sickly feeling that celebration is slightly inappropriate. I had a dinner party with friends planned, ingredients for creative desserts, and my general […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Lemon-Almond Meringue Tarts

Finally– the cover shot. We are so close to the end of baking through BAKED: New Frontiers in Baking, and therefore the end of Baked Sunday Mornings. (So many tears!!) And finally we are making the iconic cover recipe: Lemon-Almond Meringue Tarts! I’ve never made this recipe, as I have a profound disdain for any almond […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Lemon Lime Bars

Sometimes the simplest recipes feel like a triumph. Lemon curd is one of those basic baking things that I just do not have a good handle on; like, sometimes it comes out fine, and other times it more closely resembles lemon soup. So I always hold my breath when making fruit curd, because I just never […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Classic Apple Pie

In the Great Life Debate of cake vs. pie, cake pretty much always wins in my book. (Unless there is chocolate and/or caramel in the pie. Then we might have to discuss further.) I will fuss with cake layers, frosting, crumb coat, the decorating turntable, and any other minute details to make every cake as […]

Fit for a Ballerina: Rhubarb-Vanilla Pavlova

I’m nothing, if not determined. I’ve been working on a number of more complicated recipes recently to stretch my skills, and at some point pavlovas caught my attention. I’ve never made one, nor have I eaten very many in my life, but suddenly I had to figure out this elegant, swirly, marshmallowy dessert. Then I […]

Positano Dreamin’: Amalfi Pear & Ricotta Cake

Imagine, if you will, an Italian beach town paradise with colorful buildings, bright fuschia bougainvilleas, and curly iron balconies cascading down the side of a mountain to meet the perfectly aquamarine Mediterranean Sea. Rows upon rows of orange beach umbrellas carpet the sand in-between, and a few small boats bob in the distance. You are sitting in […]

Strawberry Sidekick: Rhubarb Semifreddo with Pistachio Crumbles

Imagine, if you will, a fluffy, fruity, sweet-tart frozen dessert that is at once easy-peasy and super elegant. Imagine that you can make it without any special equipment, yet it would impress everyone at your upcoming dinner party. Now imagine that you ran out to the store right before said dinner party to buy a […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Chai Spice Trifle with Mixed Berries

God save the Queen!… is what I was thinking while straining my chai spice pastry cream. I never really thought of custard as an area of weakness in my baking repertoire, though now I’m starting to wonder. But let’s back up for a minute to honor a royal birthday! In celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s […]