Sugar cookies, when made right, are amazing and beautiful and colorful, but they take foreverrrrr to make. Especially if you are making a big batch and you want to decorate each one individually.

These, at least, were my thoughts Thursday night at 10 when I realized that I hadn’t made the cookies that I promised for my brother’s Valentine’s Day party at school the next day.

I had to quickly think of something else I could make that was equally as amazing, beautiful, colorful (and delicious) as my regular sugar cookie recipe, so I jumped on making sugar cookie bars.  (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…)

During the year, breakfasts at my house are normally pretty rushed with everyone either heading off to work or school, but during the summer we have much more time to relax and the result is some pretty good food. 

This Mango Raspberry Cobbler is one such example. It’s not hard at all to make, but it does require 30 minutes in the oven and it needs to cool down a bit afterwards, so it’s not something that can be made in a hurry. 

But the mango and raspberries just complement each other perfectly, both tangy and sweet. And the crumble topping is light and almost granola-like, adding a wonderful crunch into the mix. (more…)

I’m a huge fan of lemon meringue pie, but it seems like it’s very difficult to buy it well-made. I’ve tried freezer-section versions and “fresher” grocery store versions, but nothing out there that I’ve tried seems to come even close to a homemade version.

But this isn’t quite lemon meringue pie. Instead, it’s a lemon curd tart. It’s a lot like a lemon meringue pie, but the filling is much more flavorful and rich. It’s creamy and sweet and smooth and tart and sour all at the same time. It isn’t topped with a mountain of meringue, like most of the pies normally are, but just a light dollop. Instead of a pie crust, you’ve got two options with this tart: shortbread crust or almond crust.

I made this a couple weeks ago when we had some guests over for dinner, and I’m often a bit apprehensive about making something new when we have guests, but this recipe did not disappoint! I was glad I made two tarts because everyone asked for seconds and the dessert was gone in no time. (more…)

Maybe you’ve had a lemon pudding cake before. If you have, you already know how amazing they are: baked in a cute little ramekin with a water bath like crème brulee, tangy and creamy like lemon curd, and topped with a delicious and light lemon cake. I guess you could call this the original trifle, given its layers and depth (only that the preparation is a whole lot simpler for lemon pudding cakes). And maybe the comparisons that I’ve written makes it sound like this is a super rich, calorie-ridden dessert, but don’t worry, this is definitely not the case!

Some versions of lemon pudding cake are made needlessly rich and loaded with sugar, but this recipe limits unhealthy ingredients to a minimum while taste and flavor are kept to a max!

This recipe is from Lighten Up, Y’all by Virginia Willis, where all the recipes are made with both taste and health in mind. It features classic Southern recipes that most people consider too unhealthy for everyday consumption (like macaroni and cheese, potato gratin, or grits) and spins them around to make them lighter. (more…)

Cheesecakes in our house are always a special treat. Because they’re so rich and dense, they’re not really the type of dessert that you can have every night — they’re something that should be savored and eaten slowly. When made well, the cream practically melts in your mouth. And the graham cracker crust adds a nice crunchy contrast of texture. And, with this recipe, a light and milky topping perfectly completes the dessert.

Cheesecakes are commitments. Not only does making one require some patience, but eating one does too. Even when you just buy one, you’re committing you and your family to eating the whole thing (not that that’s a scary commitment to make ;).  (more…)

Do you love crème brûlée? Need a faster way to create that delicious flavor? Then crème anglaise is just the thing for you! 

It taste great as a topping for any and all fruits (pictured here are some roasted plums!). The cream can also be used as a light dipping sauce, such as for cakes (angel food) or even at breakfast with french toast or pancakes. Or just have a spoonful straight (I mean, is it really that different than eating a half cup of crème brûlée? I don’t think so). Really, the options are endless. 

In this post I will also be reviewing Sugar Rush, an amazing cookbook by Johnny Iuzzini with Wes Martin. Continue reading for the review and the recipe the crème anglaise recipe adapted from the book!  (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…)

Peanut butter cookies are the classic American cookie, but there are so many different varieties out there. Just on my blog I have GF Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies, Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies, and Peanut Butter Blossoms. Each type of cookie is different, in its ingredients and texture, and this is another variety of peanut butter cookies to add to the list: Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies. 

These cookies spread quite a bit, allowing the outer edge to cook more than the inside, giving the cookie its distinctive texture: crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside.  (more…)

As you may recall me mentioning in my Chocoflan post, I used to not be a fan at all of flan. It was, of course, the chocoflan that allowed me to change my mind about the dessert. I soon also realized that flan is a whole lot like crème brûlée (which is a must-try for anyone who was wondering). 

For those who aren’t even sure what flan is, it’s a light custard-like dessert. It’s different than probably what most people think of when they think of custard since it’s a bit stiff; you can eat it with a spoon of a fork. The taste is very similar to any other vanilla custard: creamy, sweet, and delicious!  (more…)