Once a month, I bake for my co-workers. I let them give me requests and I try to bake something that’s up to their satisfaction.

Not too long ago, the request was Oreo cupcakes. (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…)

When it comes to cake, it really is no question that chocolate wins as the best flavor ever. Plus, there are so many different varieties and options when it comes to chocolate that it is impossible for a person not to find something they love.

For me, just about any well-prepared chocolate recipe will do, but I think this one deserves a special place in my kitchen. To make this recipe, the eggs were whipped an extra amount, leaving the cake super light and spongy. The chocolate ganache adds richness to the cake, and the coconut adds another layer of flavor.

The recipe was adapted from a book called fika by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall. “Fika” is the Swedish coffee break and this book is full of recipes that will go great with an afternoon cup. (more…)

Earlier this summer we gained new neighbors, but our street’s pretty quiet and my family and I hadn’t had a chance to meet the new kids on the block until this past week. Luckily for this family, I’m a baker and every time anyone new moves in nearby, they’re greeted with some kind of fresh pastry delivered to their doorstep.

These neighbors really lucked out with these chocolate crinkle cookies. They’re similar to brownie cookies, with their slightly crunchy exterior and soft and fudgy center, but they’ve also got a coating of powdered sugar baked into them. This amazing concoction is adapted from a recipe from the book Cookie Love.

Though the book is based on one of the most basic things you can bake, cookies are also one of the most versatile and adaptable pastries out there. They can be as simple as a three-ingredient shortbread, or as complex as Cookie Love’s cover photo of spiced double-chocolate cookies (and even more complex if you decide to make the marshmallows from scratch). (more…)

As a kid, I always loved those rare mornings when my parents would bring home a box of Dunkin’ Donuts. My younger siblings loved any donut with sprinkles, but my favorite was always the chocolate glazed with chocolate icing on top. 

Donuts are really quite a hassle to make at home since you have to fry them. Now donut baking pans are becoming more and more popular, but to me there’s no point in buying pans like that as you can place any “donut” recipe in regular muffin tins. That’s what this recipe is: a cakey, donut-like muffin with a chocolate cinnamon glaze. These don’t take long to make and are amazing freshly glazed, while they’re still warm.  (more…)

Some people think that putting frosting on top of brownies is weird. They think that icing is just for cake or maybe sugar cookies, but never for something as sweet and rich as brownies. 

I think that people who say crazy things like that have never tried a good iced brownie (like this one). Sure, no one likes stomach-ache-inducing sugar-bomb sweets, but it is possible to make rich desserts that don’t leave you feeling this way. 

Take this mocha mousse brownie, for example. It is a rich brownie with a mousse icing. But this mousse icing is, well, mousse. It’s creamy and light and fluffy and sweet and chocolatey… the icing itself is like a cloud. It balances the dense chocolate of the brownie. It adds a touch of class, a taste of fancy, to this ubiquitous American dessert.  (more…)

Yes, you read that post title correctly: these are the perfect chocolate chip pancakes. Why? Because they’re fat and fluffy, made with whole wheat flour, and you can whip them up in minutes. 

But, before I give you the recipe, I’d like to announce the opening of my new Etsy shop! Last week I worked on setting up my site (etsy.com/shop/jackiesdelights) where I’ll be selling handmade accessories, purses, pouches, and hopefully some laptop sleeves too. 

Currently, there are scarves, headbands, and zipper pouches and I hope to be adding more summery items. I also enjoy knitting and crocheting but will probably wait until fall to post the bulk of those items.  (more…)

In the past couple of weeks I’ve been experimenting with different kinds of peanut butter cookie recipes. Pretty much all my life I’ve been using the same, classic peanut butter cookie recipe where you refrigerate the dough and smash it with a fork so it has a grid pattern on top. 

I decided that it was time to try something new: how about just a regular drop cookie that doesn’t need to be refrigerated beforehand? I decided to start off my hunt for other peanut butter cookie recipes with this one: it’s a crunchy, chunky cookie made with oatmeal and chopped peanut bits. Optionally, you can drizzle some chocolate on top.

These cookies are just the right amount of salty and sweet and are reminiscent of chocolate-covered peanuts when you add the chocolate drizzle.  (more…)

Maybe some of you have noticed, but I don’t have too many layer cake recipes on this site, and it’s mostly because I don’t make layered cakes all that often at my house. Layered cakes tend to be too big and rich for my family to finish them very quickly, so they’re often saved for special occasions, or for when we have dinner guests. 

A couple weeks ago, I decided to make this cake and it transformed our Sunday night dinner into a special occasion! It is made with a fudgy, perfectly moist cake base, layers of Oreo whipped cream in the center, and coated with a rich, fudge-like frosting. Plus, it’s four layers  

This cake was a huge hit because, even though it was a bit rich, I made sure to cut down on the sugar so that it wouldn’t be overwhelming. A lot of times I feel that when I try store-bought cakes they’re just sugar bombs with tons of icing! Even though this is rich, it’s nothing like that. You can enjoy each of the chocolate components without your mouth burning from sugar overload!  (more…)

Here’s another oatmeal recipe, only this one is a bit more decadent than the ones before it: chocolate brownie oatmeal. 

Reminiscent of a brownie, this oatmeal tastes amazing with some chocolate chips on top. I added white and milk chocolate chips, as well as some slivered almonds, and it was amazing. 

The best part is that this oatmeal is actually HEALTHY! This oatmeal gets its rich flavor with just a little bit of unsweetened cocoa powder. To sweeten, a single banana is added.  (more…)