Peanut butter cookies are classic, and these are made even better with the addition of peanut butter chips! 

These cookies are slightly softer than the regular peanut butter variety and still have that amazing salty-sweet crunch.  (more…)

When it comes to desserts, it’s how well you make the simple things that show your mastery. There are no crazy flavors or fancy sprinkles to mask your mistakes. Your pastry stands on its own.

Simplicity is a form of honesty. (more…)

I had a 10am meeting the other day and I woke up craving something sweet, but knew we didn’t have anything good already made (actually, this is a constant problem and, honestly, it’s the only reason I bake). So I sat for a minute on our living room couch, thinking about what I could make that might satisfy my sweet tooth but also be fast enough to whip up and enjoy before I had to leave.

Cookies? Muffins? Cake? How about chocolate? We also had those oranges sitting on the counter… (more…)

These are by far the easiest chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. You don’t need a mixer to cream the butter, you don’t need to use two types of sugar — you don’t even need a bowl to mix the dough! All you need is a small saucepan, a spoon, and (optionally) a whisk. 

These cookies take less than 10 minutes to bake, they’re crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They have a soft crumb and marbled chocolate throughout.  (more…)

After many years of French classes, Kings Cakes aren’t a foreign concept to me. These cakes are traditional to New Orleans and they have their own season: from the Epiphany (King’s Day, January 6th) through Mardi Gras. 

The cake is normally made with a rich, buttery dough and topped with a milk glaze. They can be made plain, with a cinnamon filling, or, more recently, with a variety of other fillings like chocolate, cream cheese or fruit.  (more…)

One of my best friend’s birthday was last week so, of course, I offered to bake the cake for her special day. I asked if she had any specific flavors in mind and she told me that she loves strawberries.

With this in mind, I went to brainstorming on recipe ideas. One of my all-time favorite cakes is this cookies and cream cake, layered with an oreo whipped cream. And strawberries taste great with whipped cream… (more…)

This cake tastes like winter. I’m writing this as I look out the window at bright skies and a forecast of 50-plus degrees here in Michigan this weekend, but I made this a couple days ago when there was still snow on the ground and the sun was nowhere to be found. 

But this cake is the ultimate wintertime dessert. It’s cozy, served toasty in a cast iron skillet. Top it with some whipped cream or a rich scoop of ice cream for a supreme comfort-food experience. Use it to warm yourself up on a cold day!

The spices only add to the caramel decadence: cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves…  (more…)

Happy Valentine’s Day! Are you still in need of some Valentine gifts? Look no further! You can have these cookies ready to go in about half an hour


I’ve tried out more chocolate cookie recipes than I can count, and these are some of the best I’ve made in a long time! Baked at a high temperature, these cookies are crisp on the outside and magically rich and fudgy on the inside. (more…)

Brooklyn blackout cake is a chocolate cake characterized by its rich pudding-frosting and its coat of chocolate cake crumbs.

This cake took me a couple tries to get just right, because the pudding has to be thick enough to hold the cake together while the cake has to be light enough to remain soft after being stored in the fridge.

Given the constraints, I’d say this cake is a winner: the chocolate cake is both fluffy and rich, and the pudding is made decadent with the help of whole milk. (more…)

This recipe has been in storage for a while, mostly because it’s the first video I have made for this blog and it took me a while to put it all together. Luckily, I had good footage and an amazing baking assistant (thanks Morgan!!), so hopefully you will enjoy this video! 

This gluten-free cinnamon cake is loosely based off a recipe from Anna Jones’ cookbook A Modern Way to Cook. I improvised a bit, using garbanzo beans instead of cannellini and all-purpose gluten free flour instead of almond flour. The result was great: a hearty, yet tasty and sweet cinnamon cake.

A Modern Way to Cook is a thick, 300+ page cookbook filled with tons of inventive recipes and vibrant pictures. The book is mostly not desserts, but is filled with vegetarian recipes with a focus on wholesome eating. (more…)