Hello, hello! It’s been a few weeks since my last post, and a busy few weeks it has been! I've been laser-focused on studying for the last (and arguably most comprehensive) of my five PhD qualifying exams – which, thankfully, I passed! – and could hardly find time to cook anything at all, let alone think about new recipes. ...
Dessert
White Chocolate Macadamia Shortbread Cookies
Yesterday was a day full of fail. It began when I realized that the Fourth of July is less than a week away and not, as I had somehow convinced myself, a week and a half out. I had bought ingredients to make a patriotic-themed dessert and wanted to be able share it with you, so I put my other plans for the day on hold and started making a mess in the kitchen. ...
Strawberry Peach Upside-Down Cornbread Cake
Let’s just get this out of the way up front: this cornbread is not what you’d serve alongside ribs, chili, or fried chicken. It could very well be what you’d serve afterward, though, because this strawberry peach upside-down cornbread cake—whew, what a mouthful, huh?—belongs solidly in the dessert category. Or possibly brunch. In my mind, there’s only a fine line between dessert and brunch: if it ...
Vegan Chocolate Mousse Parfaits
Every kid has at least one food that he or she dreads seeing on the table come dinnertime. Liver. Brussels sprouts. Toad stroganoff (as imagined by the ever hyperbolic, notoriously picky Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes). In retrospect, I can see that I had it pretty good, but nevertheless, for me, that food was tofu. The only time I was ever happy to be served tofu? When it came dressed as dessert, ...
Mini Samoa Pies
I somehow managed to go this whole year without seeing any Girl Scouts selling cookies. Granted, I wasn’t actively seeking them out, but usually you don’t have to try, you know? They're practically everywhere. I even remember seeing them when I was an undergrad, lining the main walk through campus during finals week. It kind of seemed like they were sliiightly taking advantage of our ...
Cranberry Hazelnut Biscotti
Did you know that the word biscotti comes from the neo-Latin word biscoctus, meaning “cooked twice”? I just learned that in the course of writing this post – I did some very scholarly research Wikipedia searching. By nature of their dryness, twice-baked baked goods last relatively longer before going bad, so foods prepared in this way were particularly useful in pre-modern times before ...
Apple Spice Cake
I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Apple cake?! But it’s not fall anymore!” Well, as much as I love to feature seasonal foods, sometimes I’m inexplicably in the mood for something…unseasonal. Does that ever happen to you? Like, it’s the middle of July and you think to yourself, “You know, I could really go for some pumpkin bread right about now!”? Luckily, apples are one of the few fruits that ...
Mango Carrot Cake {updated!}
First things first: I have to admit that this is not a new recipe for this site. It is, however, slightly modified*, but the real reason for re-posting it is that it’s one of my all-time favorite recipes, yet because the photos weren’t so great (it was only my 7th post, after all!), it hasn’t really received the attention I think it deserves. ...
Peanut Caramel Rice Krispies Candies
I’ve inadvertently been on a bit of a candy-making kick lately. Over the holidays, I was already planning to make a batch of chocolate hazelnut truffles to give as a gift, but was then encouraged (volun-told?) to make an additional batch and a half for various family members. A week or two later, I ended up making even more candy when we had some friends over for dinner. I needed a ...
Cranberry Orange Coconut Cookies
Well, Christmas 2014 is technically now behind us…but I hope you all are still basking in the holiday spirit, because I have another holiday cookie recipe to share with you! If you’re anything like my family, the baking doesn’t end after Christmas – we’re only just getting started! These cranberry orange coconut cookies are another of my family’s favorite Christmas cookies, along with ...