Snickerdoodle Bars

While waiting in line at the checkout counter at my local grocery store, my eyes scanned the magazine rack. I flipped through several before impulsively purchasing a pamphlet-sized beauty published under the Betty Crocker brand. That was nearly two years ago. I found the magazine while organizing my bookshelves recently and decided to give this [...]

Chocolate Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

After several weeks of unusually warm weather, winter has finally arrived in Pittsburgh. That means it’s time to gear up for some much needed baking. The warmth of the oven offers a sense of comfort that can only be appreciated when a dusting of snow swirls across my front lawn. I had a couple of [...]

Spiced Rum Vanilla Extract

Baking cookies has always been a guilty pleasure for me. The first recipe I ever created was a monstrous cookie adapted from three distinct recipes. Even as an adult, I have a well-practiced system that ensures perfection each and every time. However, there is one special ingredient that makes my cookies even more unique than [...]

2010 Holiday Dinner Highlights

Both Brent and my families are spread throughout the country which makes it difficult for everyone to connect over the holiday season. Instead of repeating the same approach I took over Thanksgiving where I ended up with an entire day spent in the kitchen and a massive amount of leftovers, I opted to cook a [...]

Mini Brie Popovers

A vision of hosting a wine and cheese party sometime over the holidays has been dancing in my head recently. With a small gathering of guests bringing their favorite varieties, it’s a perfect way to try different wines while being surrounded by the warmth of the season. Of course, a wine and cheese party wouldn’t [...]

Super Rich No Bake Bites

I’m the type of person who will go to the market to pick up a gallon of milk and end up with a trunk full of groceries. This tends to happen more often than you might think. Don’t laugh. I’m sure you have found yourself impulsively buying goodies because they were “buy one, get one [...]

Sweet Sun-Dried Sweet Tomato Corn Bread

The magic of discovery was in full bloom when I swung by a local farmers market this past weekend. I’m no stranger to the deliciousness of sun-dried tomatoes, but I’ve never seen farm fresh cherry tomatoes in this form before. They were lovely tiny nuggets that were full of sweetness with every bite. I’m almost [...]

S’mores Cookie Bars

“Never underestimate the power of a really good cookie” is a lesson I learned early in my professional career. I had a couple of last minute projects that needed to be completed in a very short timeframe recently. I ended up sending an emergency request to my friend and coworker Ian for help. He’s a [...]

No Bake Cookies

My friend Jimmy is mildly allergic to the magical world of peanuts. One day he was pining for the rich taste of no bake cookies even though one bite would cause quite a bit of discomfort. Through a little trial and error, I discovered soy butter is a great alternative to peanut butter. The flavor [...]

Rhubarb Apple Crisp

Summer is a time for sharing the excesses of nature’s bounty among friends. Recently, my friend Loie asked if I was interested in some fresh rhubarb given to her by a neighbor kid. While I’ve never used the celery-like ingredient in cooking, I saw the gift would be a good excuse to be adventurous. It [...]

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