A couple weeks ago, I bought a ton of heavy cream so that I could experiment making chocolate ganache (even though chocolate ganache is actually a super easy, two-ingredient operation —it’s just that I don’t think I’ve made ganache since these ganache brownies and I wanted to make sure I had room for mistakes!).

Long story short, I had a lot of heavy cream left over and needed to quickly come up with a good recipe to use it on. Naturally, I turned to crème brûlée. (more…)

Scones seem simple, but they’re actually an extremely delicate treat. If the dough is too warm or too wet, your scones come out like cookies. Too dry, and they come out cakey. 

This matcha scones recipe took a couple takes — not only with texture, but also perfecting the flavor and sweetness level.  (more…)

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…)

Pancakes are a weekend staple in my house, so my list of pancake recipes are endless (peach pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, or my perfect chocolate chip pancakes…). Each pancake recipe is special and unique, and what makes this one amazing is that it’s gluten free without the use of any weird kinds of flours. 

All you do for these pancakes is grind some oats, mix with milk, eggs, oil and a couple other ingredients. Add some chocolate chips to make these just a tad sweeter, and serve with some maple syrup!  (more…)

Cornbread is a special treat. It’s one of the few things that you really can’t buy in stores; sure, there’s a box mix, but you can’t buy fresh, warm home-style cornbread at most grocery stores, and bakeries don’t tend to carry it either. 

Actually, the other day I stopped in at Whole Foods and saw that they had small squares of cornbread wrapped in plastic. It was pretty cheap so I went ahead and bought a piece, but as soon as I opened it I was disappointed: it was too dry, and when I tasted it, it was just too bland. 

Even if the only way to enjoy good cornbread is to make it at home, that’s not at all a problem with this super amazing cornbread recipe! This bread is soft and cakey, with a nice crumb due to the addition of real corn. (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…)

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…)