Nothing says I love you like homemade muffins. Warm, perfectly-sized, and a little sweet, they are a great way to surprise someone in the morning (or heck, the afternoon). Happy Valentine’s Day!
Baking
28
Jan 11
BERRY CAKE
We all know it’s important to eat fruits and vegetables. But sometimes, you just need a cake. This recipe is quick and easy, and even a little bit healthier than usual—half whole-wheat flour, reduced sugar, and canola oil instead of butter—but the taste isn’t sacrificed. It is also a great way to get some fruit into your breakfast, if you like eating cake for breakfast, that is.
Continue reading →
19
Jan 11
GRANOLA MUFFINS
I love muffins for breakfast, and my husband loves granola. You do the math.
Continue reading →
17
Dec 10
BOURBON BLONDIES
I love bringing something sweet and bite-sized to parties, and there are times when chocolate chip cookies simply will not do. At a recent Christmas party, I brought a platter of bourbon blondies. They matched the whiskey-drinkers’ cocktails and were the perfect size for a quick bite.
Continue reading →
06
Dec 10
CRANBERRY-PECAN OATMEAL BARS
During Christmastime, it is easy to become overloaded by the flavors of chocolate, peppermint, and gingerbread. While I love each one, I also like a little variety in my holiday baking. Cranberry and pecans provide great flavor to these simple oatmeal cookie bars. I dug up an old standby from my recipe book and decided to make some changes—including adding dried cranberries and chunks of pecans. Made with whole-wheat flour and less sugar than my original recipe, these cookies are a bit more healthy. I also changed it from cookies to bars.
29
Oct 10
GINGERBREAD SQUARES
Fall is a wonderful time for gingerbread, but I have never been crazy about making gingerbread men. They are so much work, and then the cookie is usually rather hard and crunchy. Instead, I love to make a spicy gingerbread cake that can be topped with a glaze, a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or served on its own.
Continue reading →
22
Oct 10
GRANDMA MARGE’S PUMPKIN BREAD
Some of my recipes have sentimental value. Some are really good and foolproof. This one is both—Grandma Marge’s pumpkin bread. I got the recipe from my mom when I moved out on my own, and I make it every fall. A recipe like this makes me feel connected with my family and the past; oh, and it tastes amazing.
Continue reading →
20
Oct 10
IRA’S BIRTHDAY COOKIE CAKE
Every year, Ira gets to choose what kind of birthday cake he wants me to make. The first time I asked, I figured he would say a three-tiered chocolate cake, or maybe a bread pudding. Something classy and complicated. Instead, he said, “A cookie cake. A chocolate-chip cookie cake.”
Continue reading →
04
Oct 10
COCONUT MACAROONS
As a kid, I used to give my dad the Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars out of my Halloween bag. Now, though, I have a more elevated palate (right?), which means I can enjoy the nuances of a macaroon. In other Halloween news, my mom used to pay me five cents for each Butterfinger bar. I thought I was making out like a bandit. Now, I know I was a sucker.
Continue reading →
27
Sep 10
MOM’S DROP BISCUITS
The drop biscuit is straight out of my childhood: I remember so many mornings when I would walk downstairs to a batch of biscuits cooling on a baking sheet. My mom is so great, I thought. She makes me biscuits! (And she is great—I just discovered how darn easy it is to make these biscuits and look like a hero.)
So I stole her recipe.
Continue reading →