This quick and easy vegan and gluten-free biscuit is a winner ..read more

An updated southern layer cake and discussion about layer cake options ..read more

Inspiration in baking and cooking ..read more

Who can resist the comforting aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting through the kitchen? Among so many cookie varieties out there, chocolate chip cookies stand out as a timeless classic. What is it that makes these cookies so iconic? The Origins of a Timeless Treat Like all good legends, there are contradictions and colorful inconsistencies; the cookie was discovered by a happy accident, the "chipped" chocolate fell into the batter, the chocolate was intentionally added with the expectation that it would melt and create a chocolate cookie. What is true is that chipped chocolate was fairly ..read more

Dearest gentle reader... Wait, does that sound familiar? If it doesn't, take a moment to look it up. The only thing that famous opening phrase has to do with this particular post is "familiarity". Taking the flavors of childhood and making meaningful updates is very much what this recipe is about. If you think back to the cookie sandwiches from the past, you might reminisce about the flavors from girl scout cookies or the store-bought cellophane-wrapped treats from popular brands of that time. This recipe is designed to evoke those nostalgic memories while improving robustness, texture, and ..read more

If you follow my blog, even casually, you know I LOVE PIES! I enjoy all types of pies. But tracking the heights of seasonal fruits in your area and catching them when they're at their best rewards us like very few things in the baking world. Peaches are an iconic fruit of summer, and should be treated with the reverence befitting their ephemeral, short-lived lives. Sure, you can find shipped, canned, preserved or frozen fruits all year round. But there's nothing like getting fresh and local produce for maximum flavor. That's why the simplest treatment is the best for these beauties. A pie ..read more

One of the most challenging things about coping with food allergies is continuing to enjoy the world of great tastes and textures. Peanut and other nut allergies are on the rise. We likely all know someone who has a sensitivity ranging from a mild to or a more dangerous reaction to one of the most common food allergies across the globe. Still, that doesn't mean those of us who have allergies have to "do without". Adjusting the ingredients to safe substitutes is what "Bendy Baking" is all about. Although ground sunflower seeds produce a great substitute for peanut butter, while less rare than ..read more

There are a few flavors that immediately take me back to summers as a kid. When I think about Creamsicles I think about sweet citrus, cool, icy-cream (that is an intentional spelling) and vanilla. Inspiration: That got me thinking about ways to reimagine the highlights of those flavors in a baked good. Why not Creamsickle cupcakes? I found some things online, but nothing quite matched what I had in my imagination. So I worked out each of the components and refined them, trying a few different approaches, until I landed here. Components: There are three separate elements; the vanilla cupcak ..read more

This recipe starts with my absolute favorite gluten-free shortbread dough and takes it to another level, by adding some unexpected flavors and rolling it into a spiral shape. What you end up with is something pleasing to the eye as well as the palate. Don't let the roll of the dough scare you. If you struggle a bit with that, you'll find the chilling process ends up forgiving any clumsiness you might have experienced. The full recipe is below. Give it a try, you won't regret it. Happy Bendy Baking ..read more

If you're not familiar with this classic Pennsylvania Dutch pie, you need to be. I grew up in the outskirts of Amish country and was lucky enough to have had the Amish farmers visit our house with fresh produce, eggs and baked goods usually made by the women in the family. History: I've read varying accounts of when and how this unique pie came into existence, but I have no doubt it centered around early American immigrants from Germanic-speaking areas of Europe who settled in and around the areas west and north of Philadelphia. Some accounts suggest the pie started as a crustless molass ..read more