Baked Sunday Mornings: Easy Candy Bar Tart

I daresay, there are relatively few problems that cannot be solved by the ever-pleasing combination of chocolate and caramel. (In the first world, anyway.) Whether celebrating a joyous occasion, lamenting heartbreak, seeking an afternoon pick-me-up, or simply craving that timeless sugary duo, it generally seems to serve the desired purpose. As a kid, I liked candy […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Banana Whoopie Pies

Sometimes life places opportunities in your path to help you see things from a different perspective or re-evaluate what’s important; this week’s Baked Sunday Mornings recipe for Banana Whoopie Pies (from the Banana chapter of Baked Elements) forced me to come to terms with a very jarring reality. I needed to face the cold, hard truth that I don’t […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

I *really* wanted these to be perfect. Upon learning that our Baked Sunday Mornings baking schedule was being accelerated ahead of the release of BAKED‘s fourth book, Baked Occasions in October (pre-order it– go now), I was delighted to see that the recipe for Turtle Thumbprint Cookies from the Caramel chapter of Baked Elements was added in for this weekend! I […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this cake, to be honest. On one hand, my indifference towards Bundt cakes has been slowly, but surely, tipping towards enthusiasm; on the other, I am definitely not a fan of poppy seed filling. Everything else sounded great: orange zest in the cake and glaze, cream cheese in the […]

You’ll Scream for this Ice Cream: Lottie’s Creamery

By now, ice cream enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area know about most of the best artisanal ice cream spots, some that are long-time institutions and some that have burst onto the scene more recently: Smitten Ice Cream, Bi-Rite Creamery, Ici, Humphry Slocombe, Mitchell’s, Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous, Three Twins, Tin Pot Creamery, and […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Bananas Cake

Yeahhh… bananas are really not my thing. They creep me out with their mushy texture and their stinky banana stink and their brown spots and their slimy peels… I waxed poetic about my disdain towards bananas when Baked Sunday Mornings made Bananas Foster Fritters last year… but OHMYGODILOVEDTHEM. I slowly came to realize that although I […]

Sweet Cradle of Liberty: My Lovefest with Boston… & Her Pastries

You know when you go somewhere and it immediately feels like that’s where you were meant to be? This place gets in your blood and reaches to your core, your very soul… You need to be there. That’s how I feel about the city of Boston. I attended three semesters of college there a number of […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Lemon & Black Pepper Quiche

Quiche… Really?? I’ve always thought of quick as something relegated to bridal showers or tea parties or other prim occasions. But I’m here to tell you that IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS, people! This week’s Baked Sunday Mornings recipe for Lemon & Black Pepper Quiche from the Cheese chapter of Baked Elements was quite a revelation. Cheesy, eggy, rustic, […]

Love & Chocolate Always Win: Boston(Strong) Cream Cupcakes

BostonStrong: the mantra adopted immediately by the city after the horrific bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing 4 people and injuring 264. I had no words… I spent 3 semesters in college at Boston University and fell madly in love with this spirited, proud, quirky, historic, beautiful, and downright charming city. (The use of ‘wicked’ […]