Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

Food is like a TARDIS - wait - stay with me now...food is like a TARDIS in that sometimes, it can transport you to a certain time and place.  In college, there was a little bakery/cafe within walking distance of my apartment.  It had fresh roasted chicken sandwiches, great coffee, and rows and rows of pastries.

Fresh Gingerbread with Lemon Honey Butter (plus bonus Cake Pops)

It's that time of year again.  Thanksgiving has passed, Christmas is coming and holiday baking is in full swing.  But in between all the cookies and cakes and pies, make some time to bake up something simple, but no less satisfying.  Let's make some gingerbread.

Caramel Pear Upside-Down Cake

With Thanksgiving a few short weeks away, 'tis the season for entertaining, and you can never have too many pretty-as-a-picture dessert recipes in your arsenal for holiday gatherings.  I came across this upside-down pear cake when searching for a way to use up the big bag of pears I picked up at the farmer's market.

Apple Cheddar Hand Pies

pusheen.com

Pusheen knows what's up.  Fall is a time for pie.  Warm, comforting pie that fills your house with the scents of cinnamon and nutmeg.  And since today's Halloween, let's make pie into a fun-size treat.  You may not be able to hand homemade baked goods out to trick-or-treaters these days, but you can still give those miniature snickers bars a run for their money if you bring some of these to your Halloween shindig.  It's time for hand pies.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts & Muffins

I walked into the living room this afternoon and felt a little chilly.  That's when I realized the window was open.  Let me repeat that:  The window was open in the afternoon and it was chilly.  In Los Angeles, every summer it starts to feel like this day will never come.  But it has arrived, ladies and gentleman:  Fall.  So,  to welcome it, I made pumpkin donuts.

Blue Velvet Heisenberg Cupcakes

Tonight marks the return of everybody's favorite show about meth cooks for its final run of episodes.  I've been inspired by Breaking Bad in the past, and hadn't planned on another Breaking Bad-themed dessert, but then I spotted these large sprinkles at Michael's.

S'mores Cookies

S'mores are the best.  We've discussed this previously.  I don't know who that first person was to toast a marshmallow over a campfire and sandwich it with chocolate between two graham crackers, but they struck gold.  I do know the Girl Scouts were the first to publish the recipe in 1927, because those Girl Scouts know their irresistible desserts.

Lemon Velvet Tart

I'm sure I'm not the only who's experienced this.  You try some new food at a party, a potluck, or a restaurant, and you fall in love.  What is this amazing thing?  How can I get more of it?  But then no one knows who brought the awesome cupcakes to the party, or your friend refuses to share that mac n' cheese recipe because it's a family secret, or that restaurant never carries that pie again.

Cranberry Orange Biscotti and Homemade Granola: Breakfast in a Box for Mother's Day

 

I'm not sure if there was ever a vote or an international decree, but somewhere along the way Mother's Day seems to have become the breakfast holiday (or brunch, if you're one for sleeping in).  Maybe it's because warmer weather is a upon us and it's the perfect time for a mid-morning outdoor meal. 

Unfortunately for me, my mother's 1600 miles away, so swinging by for Sunday brunch isn't all that easy.  But I figure, that's no reason to get in the way of some yummy food.  So I sent my mom some breakfast in the mail.  We may not be together, but we can still share a meal.

Gluten-Free Roll-Out Sugar Cookies

With gluten intolerance on the rise, a lot of bakers are looking for gluten-free versions of some of their favorite recipes.  I invited some friends over for some cookie decorating before the Doctor Who premier this season.  Since one of these friends is gluten-free, I thought it would be fun to try my hand at one of these recipes for my roll-out sugar cookies.

Super Simple Spring Cake: Lemon Blueberry

After tackling the complicated cheese souffle I thought it would be nice to slow things down and do something a little more basic.  This recipe is super easy to put together because it's made with biscuit mix.  That's right, it's not just for pancakes and waffles, guys.  You can make cake with that stuff.  It's like magic. 

Goat Cheese Souffle with Honeyed Apricots

Doctor Who returns this weekend, and I'll be decorating some dalek-shaped cookies with my friends before the big watch party, but until then I have a recipe that's also somewhat inspired by everybody's favorite Timelord.  Or, I should say, inspired by his new companion:  the mysterious Clara Oswin Oswald. 

Clara was introduced earlier this season, in an episode where the doctor finds himself on a planet-sized Dalek asylum.  Clara's been stranded there for months, and when not fortifying her small pod against Dalek intrusion, she spends her time baking souffles.  Or, attempting to, anyway.  Now that's my kind of girl.

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

Is there anything better than a fluffy, warm biscuit on a weekend morning?  Pancakes?  Waffles?  Nah.  The Biscuit is where it's at.  Golden on the outside and soft on the inside, still steaming from the oven when you pull it apart.  Ready for jam or honey or gravy or even a little egg sandwich.  It's the rustic, unassuming hero of breakfast foods.

Neapolitan Birthday Cake

 

One of the best parts of being a baker with a birthday is that it's the perfect excuse to make whatever kind of cake your heart desires.  No need to cater to anyone's taste but your own.  For my own birthday this year I had my friends over for a full meal of my favorite comfort foods - fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, mac and cheese... I spent the whole day in the kitchen and it was well worth it.  But the cake is the star of any birthday, so I wanted to make something a little special. 

Healthy-fied Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

It's a new year, which means New Year's resolutions are upon us.  I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who ate a little too much pie and candy over the holidays and have resolved to eat healthier, at least for a couple of months.  Here are some of the guidelines I laid out for myself last year: