Sometimes, I ironically bite off more than I can chew when it comes to trying new recipes. This week was one of those times. I was invited to donate something to a dessert auction, and I decided it was the perfect time to try a recipe for some decadent brownies I’ve been eyeballing for quite …
Continue reading “From-scratch salted caramel pretzel brownies ‘knot’ an easy task”
When I first moved out on my own, I discovered that I had no idea how to cook for only one person. I was great at making portions for four, but cooking for one was a challenge. So I generally still made my four-person meals and brought lots of leftovers to work for lunch throughout …
Continue reading “Stop ‘pudding’ off sweets with a dessert for two”
When my sister and I were kids, my mom would take us to the Rainbow Bread Outlet in Hutchinson on weekly grocery trips. If we were especially good, we sometimes got a chance to pick out a bag of Sathers candy, which were two for $1 at the time. One of my favorites was black …
Continue reading “These cookies are sugar, spice and everything ‘mice’”
The problem with writing this column every week is that sometimes I get a little too overzealous. I assume I can conquer any recipe the first time, and there are definitely moments where I crash and burn. That was the case recently when I tried to make poached pears to go along with the cake …
Continue reading “Pre’pear’ something different for dessert this week”
After years of saying I was going to do it, I finally took the plunge last week: I bought a tart pan. If you remember, I made miniature tarts earlier this year, aided by a cookie cutter and a cupcake tin, and that really pushed me towards making my ultimate purchase. I’ve been staring at …
Continue reading “‘Choc’ this recipe up to a new pan purchase”
It seems like everyone has an extravagant friend. The person in your life who likes the finer things, the fancier stuff, the flashy side of life. I have a few, but one who truly fits this description recently looked at me and said, “You know what’s delicious? White chocolate chip matcha cookies.” Challenge accepted. If …
Continue reading “There’s no ‘matcha’ for tea-flavored cookies”
Thanks to the Newton Rotary Club’s annual peach fundraiser and my three-year-old niece insisting that I buy blueberries for our recent fun day, I had quite a bit of fruit in my refrigerator this week. That, combined with Joey itching to use a cast iron Dutch oven he recently got for his smoker, meant we …
Continue reading “Baking cobbler outdoors can be ‘berry’ satisfying”
If anyone can tell me the trick to pitting a firm peach, I’m all ears. So far, my strategy includes cutting numerous slits down the sides, grunting and murmuring regrets under my breath while trying to pull the first slice off, and I can tell you that it doesn’t work all that well. Luckily, the …
Continue reading “Peaches and fresh ginger will help you snap into August”
I have said before that I actually really enjoy making pie. I think now that I feel confident with pie crust, the idea of creating a shell and a filling that (at least in theory) comes out in whole, beautiful slices is one of my favorite things. Joey has been a wonderful and willing participant …
Continue reading “‘Tassie’ together some mini pies this week”
When I was a kid, our Sunday morning breakfast tradition was having some sort of pastry before church. Most often, it was some mini donuts, but every so often, my parents would pick up a variety pack of jumbo muffins. I loved all the flavors, but I often opted for a big, cake-y blueberry muffin …
Continue reading “Fresh berry cookies are almost too good to be ‘blue’”
