baking

Perfectly Chocolate Cake

Baking cakes from scratch is not usually a process I embrace, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve baked some pretty tasty cakes by “doctoring” a Duncan Hines mix.  So why did I decide to give this recipe a try?  Pinterest (where I spend waaay too much time).  I saw it there and, since […]

Valentine’s Sugar Cookies

Thanks to one-too-many snow days, I was able to find enough time to make a batch of Valentine’s sugar cookies. I’ve been trying for a long long time to perfect the sugar cookie baking and decorating process, and I’ve spent way too much time collecting recipes, buying books and reading blog after blog for all […]

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Christmas cookie-baking is in full swing at my house, and this is a new recipe that everyone is just lovin’.  You’ll need one can of Solo Almond filling: and one can of Solo Raspberry Cake & Pastry Filling: Both of these items should be available in the cake-mix aisle at your grocery store. Print RASPBERRY […]

Black Magic (has me in its spell)

The recipe for Black Magic cake has been around forever and is, understandably, favored by many.  It is incredibly moist and soft, has a deep, rich chocolate taste and is nearly impossible (at least for me) to resist. The recipe I use comes from Allrecipes, where  lots of folks have LOTS to say, so the […]

Wedding Dress Sugar Cookies

The past three months have whizzed by quickly, and I’ve been knee-deep in preparations for my son’s wedding on May 10.  Aside from searching for a dress, and trying to starve myself a size smaller*, I managed to make these wedding dress cookies as a favor for the recent bridal shower.  With the help of […]

Brownie Crunch

I had originally intended to kick-off the new year with a great-tasting, low-fat recipe for who knows what.  Like countless others, I turn the calendar to January, and I make resolutions about exercise and weight loss that last about a heartbeat.  This year (predictably) is no different.  Instead of Weight Watchers and a gym membership, […]

Gingerbread Snowflakes

As the snow was falling from the sky yesterday, these gingerbread snowflakes were adorning my kitchen table.  I sat there for hours, my pastry bag filled with royal icing, having too much fun decorating each and every one.  I had baked the cookies a couple of weeks ago, and stored them (undecorated) in the freezer.  […]

Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

A very snowy Saturday found me in the kitchen yesterday…alone…for my annual baking marathon.  “Little a” was planning to join me, but the doom-and-gloom weather forecast kept her home.  I was sad, but a marathon is a marathon and I was moving forward. I’ve made this chocolate biscotti before, but never with Andes Peppermint Crunch […]

Raspberry White Chocolate Bars

This is one of my all-time favorite holiday cookies.  The recipe for this heavenly bar cookie comes from Land o Lakes.  Seedless raspberry jam, white chips and a shortbread crumble are sprinkled atop a partially baked shortbread base, and then the pan is returned to the oven for final baking.   The directions specify using […]

Chocolate-Dipped Stamped Shortbread

I know…I know.  I’m leap-frogging right over Thanksgiving and making a beeline for Christmas.  Couldn’t help it, though, because I’m anxious to share my first 2014 Christmas cookie.  It’s a deliciously crisp and buttery shortbread cookie with a thin layer of dark chocolate beneath. I bought this Birkmann cookie stamp a few weeks ago at […]

Mini Glazed Pumpkin Scones

Today is officially the first day of fall, and nothing screams “fall” louder than a can of Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin.  Since the first day of fall coincided with my unexplained craving for a Starbucks Pumpkin Scone, I couldn’t help myself. Taste of Home had a great recipe called “Moist Pumpkin Scones“, and it did […]

Italian Amaretti Cookies

Here’s the story: 1.  Went to a Baptism…party followed at the house. 2.  After a delicious dinner…dessert time…HUGE tray of Italian cookies baked by “Grandma”. 3.  Ate a half-dozen of these gems…TOTALLY needed the recipe. 4.  Stalked “Grandma”.  Got her alone (very important), complimented her gorgeous cookies, took a deep breath and asked for the recipe. […]

Cake Pops (the VERY easy way)

I’ve pretty much steered clear of the cake pop craze, mostly because of all the fussy work that cake pops require.  I know that there are electric cake pop makers and special two-part pans to help make the job easier, but they weren’t enough to lure me. Then…a friend told me about using already-made donut […]

Lemon Heaven (Ina Garten’s Lemon Cake Recipe)

I am a Starbucks Iced-Lemon-Pound-Cake addict.  I just can’t seem to get enough of that delectably moist, lemony tangy, sweetly delicious pound cake.  I’ve tried to replicate it once before…you can read about it here…but it wasn’t quite the same as the one I crave from Starbucks. Second attempt:  Ina Garten’s Lemon Cake Recipe.  Oh…..this […]