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Tiramisu Brownies
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Whether you like this particular holiday or not, you have to admit it’s a great excuse to eat chocolate. And although we don’t actually need an excuse to eat chocolate, it’s still a great reason to make — and eat — an over-the-top chocolate dessert. Our assignment for Valentine’s Day 2022: Tiramisu Brownies. Brownies…But Sexier Yep, these beauties are a mashup of brownies and tiramisu. Think deeply fudgy brownies with pieces of ladyfingers mixed in, then covered in a thick, creamy mascarpone-whipped-cream-Kahlua topping and a hearty dusting of cocoa powder. A decidedly sexier version of brownies…perfect for Valentine’s Day. The Fudgiest Brownies This…
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Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie
My living room is lit with twinkling lights, there are Christmas carols playing through the speakers of my record player, and my freezer is full to the brim with Christmas cookies. All sure signs that Christmas is coming soon. Now all that’s left is to plan my holiday meal, and maybe an extra-special treat for dessert. This Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie will fit the bill nicely. Chocolate and Peppermint: A Match Made in Winter Somewhere around the beginning of November, or the first snowfall, or whichever arrives first, my tastebuds undergo a drastic change. They shift from craving pumpkin and cinnamon to a flavor combination that I’ve come to associate…
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Mini Apple Crumble Pies
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It’s my favorite holiday, because the only purpose of it is to gather with loved ones and eat. No presents, no pressure…just good food and good company. When I was growing up, my grandma made the pies (well, she made almost everything really). Every year there was her famous Pumpkin Pie, of course, and usually some kind of apple pie as well. As an adult, I now make my own pies for Thanksgiving. And while I always opt for my grandma’s pumpkin pie for the big day, sometimes I’ll make a second option — either this Maple Pecan Pie or some kind of apple…
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Holiday Gift Guide: My Favorite Pie-Baking Tools
Friends, if you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, it’s time to get on it! Last November I put together a gift guide of my top 12 cookbooks. You all seemed to enjoy it, so this year I’ve got another one for you — my favorite pie-baking tools! Pie Pans First up, pie pans. There are a lot of opinions out there about which material makes the best pie pan. And do you know what? I think they all work great. Here are the ones I use the most. Glass Pie Dishes I have this glass pie dish from Pyrex (top left) and another one from Anchor Hocking (bottom right).…
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Chai Spice Pound Cake Cupcakes
Harvest season is in full swing. Farmer’s market counters overflow with pumpkins and squash, orchards are bursting with apples and pears, and all I want to drink is warmly spiced cider, mulled wine, and chai. (And, yes, the occasional pumpkin spice latte…I’m not immune to its charms.) Two years ago I created my Chai Spice Snickerdoodles, and with it my own chai spice mix. From there, I added that same spice mix to apple pie, and have used the leftover mix in my coffee as well. Spoiler alert: it’s delicious. Then the following spring, a friend asked for chai-flavored pound cake for her birthday, so I added that chai spice…
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Blueberry Hand Pies
I just got back from a few days away in Grand Marais, MN. I spent most of my time next to Lake Superior, walking, reading, writing, eating delicious food, and sipping wine, coffee, and locally-brewed beer. It was glorious. The entire small town hugs the lakeshore, making for the most incredible lake views. It is, hands down, my favorite place in the world. I mean, just look at all of this beauty! Celebrate the Little Things Whenever I’m on vacation, I think a lot about celebration — especially taking time to celebrate the little things in life, like a sunny day, a quiet morning, the sound of birds singing, or…
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Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows
Happy Christmas week! (And Happy Saturday to those who don’t celebrate!) This weekend I’m finishing up my holiday baking, picking up a few last-minute gifts, and wrapping presents. Even though everything else is different this year, the one thing that hasn’t changed is that I’ve still managed to give myself way too much to do! There are just so many delicious holiday treats I want to make that I can’t bring myself to pare down my list. These peppermint swirl marshmallows, for instance, are so delicious that I’ve already made them twice. They are the perfect thing to add to your Christmas morning cup of cocoa or coffee, roast in…
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Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies
Happy December and happy holiday baking season! As a baker, this is undoubtedly my favorite month of the year for making treats. Since I give cookies as Christmas gifts, I get to bake a TON of treats over the course of a few weeks. It’s SO much fun! Since Thanksgiving, I’ve already made 6 kinds of cookies, and as I’m writing this there’s another batch of dough chilling in the fridge and candied grapefruit peel drying on my counter. I’m basically in holiday cookie heaven. While I like to try lots of new recipes each year, there are a couple of family favorites that just have to happen every December.…
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Soft Gingerbread Amaretti Cookies
Normally I wait until the weekend after Thanksgiving to start baking holiday cookies. There are so many delicious fall treats to enjoy, why rush into the holiday season? But last weekend I was having SUCH a craving for gingerbread that I couldn’t wait. Last Christmas I made Love and Olive Oil’s Soft Amaretti Cookies, and they were DIVINE. So this year I tweaked those deliciously chewy cookies to make a gingerbread version, and oh boy are they tasty. Say hello to Soft Gingerbread Amaretti Cookies! History of Amaretti Cookies Amaretti cookies are a traditional Italian dessert that can be traced as far back as the 17th century. They are known…
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Peaches and Cream Cake with Mary Oliver
It’s that time of year – stone fruit season! Peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, apricots…I love them all. They’re wonderful to eat fresh, of course, but they also make some of the best baked goods. One of my favorite ways to use them is in pie (like this Peach Ginger Pie and this Plum Slab Pie), but sometimes, perfectly ripe and juicy fruits call for something simpler. This Peaches and Cream cake is one of those recipes – two quick and easy cake layers, whipped cream, and fresh peaches. I mean, just look at these beauties I picked up recently – have you ever seen such gorgeous peaches? They deserve to…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
