New Year’s Eve has never been my favorite holiday. I’ve done a lot of reflecting on this over the years and I think I’ve discovered several causes of my New Year’s blues. Firstly, I’m hugely enthusiastic about Christmas. So much so that almost as soon it’s over, I start to wallow in the sad realization that I’ll have to wait 364 days ’till the next one. Secondly, I’m a teacher. My “new year” feeling arrives after Labor Day and ends with the arrival of summer. Lastly, I hate the prospect of resolutions and the pressure of starting the new year off exactly right. My usually enjoyable social med ..read more

These are my favorite Christmas cookies of all time. They’re more shortbread than sugar cookie and I love the dry texture and crumble that they have. I grew up with the twisted candy cane variation, watching in amazement as my mom laboriously scooped and twisted each candy cane. A few years ago, I started giving them the pinwheel treatment, which is less time consuming and SO ADORABLE. Whichever variation you make, I hope you love them as much as I do. Happy Holidays!!! Candy Cane Cookies Servings: about 20 cookies Print Cookie Dough 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sifted powdered sugar 1 eg ..read more

Showing up to a holiday party with this in hand is the tart equivalent of a humble brag. “Oh, this old thing? I just whipped it up as I was leaving.” The bright and luscious cranberry curd is divine and good enough to eat on its own. But topped with a torched meringue and sugared cranberries, this tart transforms into the grand dame of the holiday dessert buffet. Make it and prepare to soak up the compliments. Cranberry Curd Tart Servings: one 9 inch tart Print Tart Dough 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 3/4 cup flour pinch salt In the bowl of a s ..read more

I do not have an Aunt Sophia. I do, however, have a *mild* obsession with Halloween movies from the 90s. I’ll give you the recipe for the cinnamon cookies (and tell you which movie inspired them) but first, indulge me as I walk down memory lane and share my favorite Halloween movies from the real golden age of cinema. Hocus Pocus (1993) If I had to pick only one Halloween movie to watch for the rest of my life, it would be Hocus Pocus. I can remember logging into ABC family’s website to download their “13 Nights of Halloween” programming schedule and frantically searching for the night thi ..read more

A few years back I turned a “Hallo Witch” cake from an old Baker’s Coconut advertising pamphlet into a glamorous witch cake. This year, I wanted to do a variation on the original and create a classic green-faced witch (with just a touch of glamour). The variations are endless. Which witch should I make next? Happy Halloween!!!! Simple Pumpkin Cake 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 8 or 9 inch square pan. In the bowl of an e ..read more

Here’s a fun, Halloween variation of my favorite lunchbox pinwheel cookies. I love these for their fun, retro aesthetic but they also have great chocolate flavor and a sandy shortbread-like texture. The perfect Halloween lunchbox treat! Halloween Pinwheel Cookies Servings: about 2 dozen Print Halloween Pinwheel Cookies 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 egg white at room temperature 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/3 cup cocoa powder 2 cups flour orange food coloring any halloween sprinkles, for edges (optional) In a stan ..read more

There’s just something about September. The first September days feel like full-blown summer. Humid mornings give way to hot afternoons which roll into long evenings. Then, abruptly, it’s back to school season. That first real change feels like a seasonal transition but it’s really only a shift in routine. A long day at school could still end with a barbecue and a water fight with the hose. But something sort of magical starts to happen as the calendar creeps towards the autumn equinox. The air gets sharper and crisper in the mornings and evenings. The garden leaves start to yellow even as t ..read more

I’m turning 31 this week and it’s become something of a tradition for me to make myself a birthday cake (not in a sad way, I do it for fun). I’m also my family’s cake baker so I’m pretty much making birthday cakes consecutively every month from January-December. I love making cakes for my family but when I’m making other people’s birthday cakes I’m confined to their own preferences. German Chocolate for my Dad and Chocolate Raspberry for my Mom. Boston Cream, Carrot and Strawberry Shortcake for my brothers, respectively. Cherry Cake for my husband and Chocolate for my sister-in-law. The only ..read more

I’ve written a lot about my childhood birthday cakes but my barbie cake was really something special. My mom very lovingly made it for me and I can remember being absolutely in awe of her petal pink dress. For a girl very into Barbie, it was the best cake I could have asked for. Even before the hype surrounding the new Barbie movie took over the internet, I had been thinking about trying my hand at my own Barbie cake. I based mine off of my memories of the cake my mom made me and an amazing Wilton cake published in their Pictorial Encyclopedia of Modern Cake Decorating. I also scoured the int ..read more

This is kind of a long story. Get a cup of tea…. When I first started my blog in 2018, I went looking for inspiration in my family’s cookbook collection. But after exhausting every one of my mom’s retro cookbooks and recipe files, I turned to Pinterest. I know there are many more recent and trendy social media sites, but Pinterest is still, without a doubt, the most useful for my image research. It holds a treasure trove of vintage cookbook images which have given me so much inspiration over the years. But there was one particular image I found in the early days of the blog that stuck with me ..read more