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Black Forest Pound Cake
You know what a grown-up dessert is, don’t you? My desserts get that label simply when my kids won’t eat them – usually because they aren’t sweet enough, or they have nuts or unfamiliar ingredients. (Or booze, but that’s captain obvious, right?) This one is a grown-up dessert. The chocolate is dark, it’s rich but light, and the sweetness comes from the whipped cream and cherry sauce. My kids did the “we’re gonna act like we like this so we don’t hurt your feelings” face…
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Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
I have to say that I had very low expectations for this recipe. It just didn’t really appeal to me at all for some reason. It wasn’t until my brother requested these for this birthday dessert that I finally broke down and made them. They are actually quite delicious. The chocolate chip cookie is firm but soft, and even the Oreo cookie softens up a little bit in the middle of the cookie. I will now humbly admit that I should’ve tried these years ago.…
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Is It Summer Yet?
Sometimes, when it rains, it pours. Sometimes, when it pours, it doesn’t stop. Even if you’re hosting a barbecue for your family. Even when the linens are pressed, groceries are bought, cupcakes are made and the twinkle lights are hung. We have had an unseasonably warm spring in my part of the world. Our trees bloomed early, tulips and daffodils poked out of the ground weeks ahead of schedule and people are just itching to get their gardens started. Mother Nature, though – she’s got…
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Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Chocolate. Strawberry. Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Heaven. Have you ever had Swiss Meringue Buttercream? It’s amazeballs. It’s silky, buttery and not too sweet. This particular frosting tastes like strawberry ice cream. I’m telling you, it’s fabulous. Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) starts with eggwhites and sugar heated on the stovetop, and then whipped into a stiff meringue before adding butter and flavoring. It has a reputation for being difficult and finicky, but really I’ve never had any trouble with it. Once you add the butter to the…
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Grandma’s Dinner Rolls
The other day I was cleaning one of the storage rooms in our basement and I came upon a basket of items I kept when we cleaned out my Grandma G’s house for the final time. I found a rosary, a couple of candy dishes, an old soapstone jewelry box she always kept on her dresser, and a blue apron that read “RUTHIE,” her first name. It immediately brought a smile to my face, and best of all, it still (9 years later) smells like her…
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Mousse Caboose
My five year old is responsible for the name of this dessert. For some reason, she wouldn’t eat whipped cream OR pudding until about three months ago. (I know what you’re thinking…but yes, she IS my child.) The first time I made this for my family, I was careful to call it chocolate and vanilla mousse, because heaven forbid she believed it to be anything otherwise. She thought “mousse” was a funny name, so she quickly found a rhyming word and it became, forever, Mousse Caboose. When…
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Nutella Cupcakes
I’ve had one of those weeks. Well, actually, I’ve had one of those months. You know, when you can’t get ahead, everything is a crazy mess, your to-do list is twice as long as usual, your kids are sick and on fall break, AND your husband has to travel for work? Yes, I’ve had that kind of month. I haven’t had a lot of time for baking this month, I haven’t really even had much time to go to the grocery store. As a result,…
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Irish Beer & Whiskey Cupcakes
If you’re like me, you might find yourself avoiding the plethora of “boozy” cupcake recipes that circulate the web. Since I’m more of a wine girl, recipes cooked with beer, whiskey and other liqueurs didn’t ever really call to me. Yes, some recipes call to me. And they don’t shut-up until I make them. It’s a problem. I’m not sure why I finally broke down and made these. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I’ve come to really love St. Patrick’s Day. …
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Butternut Squash & Potato Gratin
I am a Thanksgiving traditionalist. I want the same dishes on my Thanksgiving table, year after year. And for me, it’s not even about the turkey – it’s about the sides. Mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade noodles, dressing (not stuffing), homemade rolls, sweet potatoes, real cranberries, my Grandma’s salad, green bean casserole and, if we have time, scalloped corn. I know there are tons of fabulous recipes out there and amazing Thanksgiving dishes that would make a great addition to my table, but dang it, our…
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Black & White Monster Cookies
So, tonight we all got home really late because our lives are insane right now. I was all set to pull the “rotisserie chicken and vegetables” thing for dinner when my pitifully hayfevered-up seven year old begged me for mashed potatoes and gravy to eat with her chicken. She sounds so itchy and miserable that I couldn’t possibly say no to her, so there I was at 730pm whipping up a batch of mashed potatoes, all in the name of motherhood guilt or something. Yes,…
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Milk & Cookies Cupcakes
Let me tell you a little bit about my weekends. First of all, my husband works on the weekends. While his shift varies, he’s usually out of the house most of the day on Saturdays and Sundays. This means that all housework, discipline, errands and social events are all on me. And, that’s totally fine, it’s what I signed up for and I’m perfectly ok with it. We make it work, and most weekends are full of more fun activities than chores, anyway. But occasionally,…
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Baked Potato Soup in a Bread Bowl
I am one of those people who can’t wait for fall to get here. I really love the summertime but truth be told, August in the Midwest gets really old, really fast. So, I have to admit that when we turned the calendar to September and then I saw the forecast for today and it included both rain and unseasonably cool temperatures, I was pretty excited. The first thing I did was look through my saved recipes for a nice, hearty cool-weather dish. This one totally…
