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Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting
First of all, I have to apologize for these, because I know they aren’t pretty. They’re very beige, kind of flat, the frosting has funky spatula-lines in it, but oh holy mother cow, these are so fantastically amazing that you have to make them right now. Like, RIGHT. NOW. Seriously, go.
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Strawberry Supreme Cake
I am a cookbook junkie. I have them all. Yes – I’m pretty sure that I own every cookbook published after 2009. … Ok, this is obviously not true. It’s not possible. But judging by my overflowing bookcases, the baskets on my hearth and the stacks on my coffee table – I’m pretty sure I have most of them. Especially if they have anything to do with baking or desserts or my blogging friends. I might need an intervention. But see what I’m REALLY trying…
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Homemade Vanilla Extract
If you’ve spent much time at all in the kitchen, you understand how essential good-quality vanilla is to the outcome of your desserts. The problem is, REALLY good vanilla is also REALLY expensive. Even the grocery-store options are relatively expensive, and they don’t even compare to the good stuff. To buy a bottle of top-quality vanilla, you’re going to spend nearly $20, and if you do a lot of baking, that’s quite an investment! So, as you can imagine, I was overjoyed to find this…
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Homemade Ricotta Cheese
My youngest brother is getting married in the spring. In preparation for the Groom’s family duties, my Mom, sisters and I are beginning the process of scoping out locations for their rehearsal dinner. Last night, while pouring over menus, venues and prices, I came across my favorite Italian restaurant, Lidia’s. I love that place. Everything is made from scratch with fresh ingredients – from their bread to their pasta to their marinara and ricotta cheese…and that’s exactly the reason their food tastes so much better.…
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Instant Party with Bacardi Mixers pt 1
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BACARDI® Mixers for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. You know by now that I love to entertain and host parties so I’m always looking for a reason to celebrate. Like the old adage “It’s five o’clock somewhere,” there is always something to celebrate – and it’s not terribly difficult to find it if you just look. For instance, last week my husband and I were celebrating the last week of softball.…
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No-Crack Cheesecake
Best cheesecake ever. It doesn’t crack. It’s crumbly but not dry. It has a THICK, buttery graham cracker crust. It’s the best. The end. Seriously. So. good. I don’t have a lot of words about this. I’ve made cheesecake a number of times, but I’ve never shared my go-to recipe with you all, which frankly seems like a crime against humanity. Or against lemon-sugarers, at least.
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Fudge Cupcakes with White Chocolate Filling
If you know me at all, you know that I am absolutely terrified of severe weather. Growing up in the heart of tornado alley is not a good place to be when you have such a phobia, trust me. I have many (traumatic) memories of my childhood, crying on the ball field while a storm approached, hiding in a laundry basket in the basement because there was a tornado watch, hailstones breaking through double-pane glass in our living room…and the list goes on. Yesterday, we…
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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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Loaded Baked Potato Quiche
So, we probably need to address my love for potatoes. I’m kind of obsessed. Mashed Potatoes are probably my favorite food. A baked potato topped with cottage cheese and pepper is my favorite go-to lunch. I always have a ten pound bag of them in my pantry. When I’ve had a bad day, my husband will cheer me up with his amazing smashed, buttered potatoes. (Holy cow, delish.) So, when I saw a mini baked potato quiche at my local grocery store deli, I knew,…
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Chocolate Layer Cake
This is a variation of the very first layer cake I ever made. I got the itch to make it yesterday, after doing a little bit of maintenance on my site. I’m in the process of updating all of the recipes on all of Lemon Sugar to make them printable and more functional for everyone, and oh holy cow – I came across some cringe-worthy photos and blog posts from my early days. Case in point: This cake. I’m totally blushing right now. I’m so…
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Cinnamon Roll Scones
These cinnamon “rolls” take 40 minutes from start to finish, including baking time. They don’t have to rise, and they don’t use yeast so they’re more like a cinnamon scone – they have a crumbly texture instead of a smooth bread texture. Nonetheless, when you’re craving cinnamon rolls but don’t have 4 hours to whip some up, these definitely will fit the bill. These are best eaten warm, but a quick zap in the microwave for 2 days after they’re made brings them right back…
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Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
It’s officially fall! It’s chilly in the mornings and the sun goes down noticeably earlier, I’m wearing socks and sweatshirts and went to a football game on Friday night. Yes, fall is definitely here. And I love it. Now that fall is here I have a free pass to break out all of my saved pumpkin recipes without feeling the need to justify myself to everyone. I can burn my pumpkin-spice scented candles, buy apples and cinnamon in bulk and keep pumpkin-spice lattes on tap.…
