Yeasty sourdough starter is the shortcut version: unbleached flour, a packet of dry yeast, and water mixed into a thick batter and left warm for a day. A fast track to bread baking when you don't want to wait two weeks for a wild starter.
Peanut butter oatmeal chippers fold quick oats, peanut butter chips, and chopped pecans into a cinnamon-nutmeg cookie dough. A spice-warmed twist on the classic oatmeal cookie.
Old-fashioned cocoa brownies with melted margarine, four eggs, chopped nuts, and a generous pour of vanilla. Dense, fudgy, and from a recipe meant to be passed down.
Vegetarian bell pepper quiche with sweet sautéed red and green peppers, onion, garlic, and basil in a flaky homemade crust. A Sunday brunch main that slices into beautiful wedges.
Chocolate mint chip brownies made with real fresh mint pulverized into sugar for intense natural flavor. Fudgy, dense, and loaded with mint chocolate chips.
Chocolate diamond cookies with unsweetened chocolate, pecans, and vanilla. A fudgy, brownie-like holiday cookie baked in one pan and cut into festive diamond shapes.
Fudgy Southern chocolate cake with melted unsweetened chocolate, pecans, and a two-temperature baking method. Dense, rich, and brownie-like with a cocoa-dusted pan for extra chocolate flavor.
Orange cheesecake with a vanilla wafer-cinnamon crust, blended cottage cheese and cream cheese filling, topped with fresh strawberries and orange sections. Lighter than traditional cheesecake.
Sweet fried bananas soaked in rum, lemon juice, and orange zest, dipped in a light egg white batter, and fried until golden. A Caribbean-inspired dessert served hot with sugar.
Rhubarb nut bread with buttermilk, brown sugar, and chopped walnuts, topped with a butter-sugar crumble. A moist quick bread that makes two loaves for sharing or freezing.
Wild mushroom bread made with dried mushrooms ground to a fine dust and kneaded into a buttery yeast dough. A savory, earthy artisan loaf with deep umami flavor.
Mini brownie cups with a cream cheese pastry shell filled with melted semi-sweet chocolate and chopped walnuts. Bite-sized treats baked in mini muffin tins that combine fudgy brownie with a buttery crust.
Creamy mustard chicken sears strips of chicken breast, then simmers them in a coarse mustard cream sauce. A 30-minute French bistro-style dinner that pairs with rice, pasta, or crusty bread.
My Go-To lemon meringue pie thickens with flour rather than cornstarch for a softer, custardy filling. High-heat meringue browning gives quick golden peaks over fresh lemon zest.
King cake for Mardi Gras, a sour cream yeast dough rolled with cinnamon-sugar butter, shaped into an oval ring, and decorated with purple, green, and gold sugars. New Orleans tradition at home.
Sugar and spice layer cake with cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, and buttermilk in a tender two-layer round cake. A warmly spiced classic with buttercream frosting.