Once you’ve mastered the basics of baking, you’re probably looking to try new things in new ways. Learning a few baking ratios is all you need to free yourself from recipes and bake like a pro. There’s no magic here. Using these baking ratios to create your own cakes and cookies is about knowing what…
Every year, I try to fill my kiddo’s holiday and birthday gift list with more experiences and fewer things. Over the last few years, we’ve shared lots of time in the kitchen working our way through different cookbooks and baking kits for kids.
These Japanese Milk Bread Rolls are made with a classic enriched white bread recipe. They’re soft and slightly sweet and perfect for serving with soups and stews, at Thanksgiving dinner, or as a sandwich bread. Read on for all the tips and tricks for making Japanese milk bread. Or grab your bread flour, hit that…
Want to learn how to blanch hazelnuts to peel them in the absolutely easiest way possible? Hazelnuts are an amazing nut, whether in your Thanksgiving stuffing or a homemade chocolate hazelnut spread. But removing hazelnut skins is a horrible kitchen task. So read on to learn all the tips and tricks for this amazing kitchen…
These Nutella Thumbprint Cookies are made with a shiny Nutella ganache dolloped into a chocolate almond cookie base. They’re the thumbprint cookie for you if you love the nutty chocolate taste of Nutella. Read on to learn all the detailed tips and tricks for making this recipe. Or just grab your jar of Nutella, hit…
Do you love meatloaf and want to learn about how to make meatloaf and the Best Meatloaf Pans? Maybe you’ve got grandma’s recipe but don’t yet have the best pan for meatloaf. Crafting the perfect meatloaf involves not only the best meatloaf recipe with the right meat and spice combinations and the perfect homemade BBQ…
“Ooooh, they’re butterscotch. You have to try these!” she exclaimed, grabbing a second and third cookie to give to friends. The cookies this tester loved were my Double Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies. With all brown sugar and butterscotch chips, they’re perfectly sweet and chewy and just slightly crisp around the edges. Read on to learn…
This Black Pepper Focaccia is adapted from a Focaccia Pugliese recipe made with potato and flavored strongly with ground black pepper. It’s the perfect snack with your favorite cheese, dipped into an Italian-inspired canned tuna dip, or sliced in half and used as sandwich bread. Read on to learn all the tips and tricks I…
These Glazed Honey Buns are the love child of a glazed cinnamon roll and a yeasted donut. But there’s more. If you split them in half and grill them in butter, you’ll have the most amazing, indulgent treat. Read on for all the detailed tips and tricks for making your favorite grilled glazed honey buns….
These Oreo Cheesecake Brownies are made with four layers of Oreo cookie crust, dark cocoa brownie batter, a creamy cheesecake layer, and crushed Oreo cookies. They’re the black tie, red-carpet-ready version of Oreos, if Oreo cookies had dreams of Hollywood glamor. Read on to learn all about baking with your favorite cookie and the tips…
This Biscoff Speculoos Tiramisu is a tiramisu variation with Lotus Biscoff cookies or other speculoos cookies, Biscoff cookie butter, mascarpone, and a spiked coffee syrup. It’s an impressive Biscoff dessert but easy to make with no baking or special equipment required, making it perfect for company or a holiday get-together. Read on to learn everything…
Elevate your Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust instead of the traditional shortbread. Just mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter to make a bottom crust, top the graham cracker cookie crust with lemon curd, and bake until firm. Read on for all the detailed tips and tricks for making the lemon curd and the…
This Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry recipe is a fabulous use of leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but you can also use it with leftover rotisserie chicken, pan-roasted chicken breasts, or Dutch oven pulled chicken. It’s easy to make if you buy puff pastry or have leftover rough puff pastry in the freezer. Read on to…
This Rocket and Pear Salad is made with rocket (aka arugula), crisp pears, crunchy toasted walnuts, and shaved Parmesan. It’s a simple salad you can put together in about 15 minutes. Read on to learn all the best pears for salads and tips and tricks for this arugula salad recipe. Or just grab your pear…
This Rough Puff Pastry recipe, sometimes called quick puff pastry or ruff puff pastry, should be your go-to any time you want buttery, flaky puff pastry without all the fuss. Make this easy laminated dough recipe for an easy fruit or vegetable tart or to top a turkey pot pie. Read on for all the…
These Biscoff Blondies are made with a soft, cinnamon-scented blondie base and gooey swirls of Biscoff cookie butter. With no chilling time, they are easy to make in under an hour. Read on to learn all about Biscoff and get some handy tips and tricks for how to make Biscoff blondies. Or just grab your…
These Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts are an easy side dish you can make in 30 minutes. Serve them tonight with perfectly cooked pan-roasted chicken breasts and some homemade cranberry sauce, or make them part of your favorite grain bowls. Read on to learn all about Brussels sprouts, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar. Or just grab…
Apples are the quintessential fall fruit. Check out some of my sweet and savory apple recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between. Here’s a brief overview of some key things to know about apples, the best apple varietals for different uses, and some helpful tools for all your apple-centric cooking and baking.
These Salted Caramel Espresso Brownies are made with a gooey caramel layer on top of a fudgy chocolate espresso brownie. They’re easy to put together in under an hour and will reward you with the best gooey brownies ever. Read on to learn how a failed attempt at Smitten Kitchen’s salted caramel brownies became a…
This Purple Cabbage Slaw recipe makes a purple cabbage and carrot salad that will be your go-to mayo-free coleslaw for all your hot weather barbecues. It’s in its happy place piled high atop a pulled chicken or pulled pork sandwich or served alongside all the burgers and hot dogs you can eat. But if you’re…
The Blue Mojito is a stunning twist on a classic cocktail. Like its namesake, the blue mojito is crafted with a blend of rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, and mint topped with bubbly water. But this blue curaçao cocktail has a color that will make you dream of crystal-clear waters and sandy beaches. So read…
Introducing Indoor S’mores, the classic combination of toasted marshmallows, melted chocolate, and graham crackers that you can enjoy in under 5 minutes in the cozy confines of your own home. Whether you microwave s’mores, use your kitchen blow torch for a single serving dessert, or just bake chocolate and marshmallow cookie bars, these ideas for…
The Passion Spritz is a slightly sweet, super refreshing, fizzy drink that’s reminiscent of a tangy Bellini. The passion fruit spritz is made using the classic spritz ratio of 3 ounces of Prosecco, 2 ounces of passion fruit liqueur, and 1 ounce of seltzer or club soda. Garnish your passion fruit spritz with mint leaves…
Calling all coffee lovers! These Triple Coffee Cookies, made with espresso powder, coffee liqueur, and crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans, are exactly what you need for a sweet pick-me-up. Looking to do some procrastibaking while working from home? This coffee cookie recipe is a breeze to make in under 30 minutes with no chilling time! So…
Mastering the art and science of making meatballs and meatloaf is a trick every busy cook should have up their sleeve. That’s because meatballs and meatloaf are fuss-free and guaranteed to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. Plus they work wonders for finicky eaters who cringe at the sight of traditional cuts of meat. So prepare to…
These Rainbow Sugar Cookies bring you a kaleidoscope of color in rainbow-shaped cookies that are soft and chewy with a touch of crispness at the edges. Whether you’re planning a school bake sale or gearing up for summer Pride celebrations, this rainbow sugar cookie recipe is your perfect ally. With just a bit of time,…
These Fudgy Brownie Crinkle Cookies are everything you want in a brownie crinkle cookie. The cookie is a close relative of your favorite fudgy brownie – soft and moist and rich with bittersweet chocolate. Add in chocolate chips for texture and a powdered sugar coating and you get that gorgeous crackly surface you expect in…
These Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins unite two of your favorite muffins in a combination that’s a surprise for your taste buds. Moist and fluffy, with bursts of tangy blueberries and pockets of rich chocolate in every bite, these muffins whip up in under 30 minutes. Blueberry chocolate chip muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or…
If you’re like me, you’ve been dreaming of summer berries and cherry recipes all winter. Maybe you eat blueberries by the handful, or you put raspberries on your fingers and eat them one by one. Whether you get flats of summer berries from the market or pick blackberries growing by the side of the road,…
These Greek Chicken Meatballs with Olives and Feta are made with ground chicken and fresh herbs, feta cheese, and Kalamata olives. They’re the perfect balance of savory and salty, and, even better, you can make them in 30 minutes. Serve your chicken feta meatballs with orzo or stuff them into a meatball wrap with a…
Are you looking to learn to make classic cocktails and frustrated by promises of Top 10 Cocktails that fail to deliver? Tired of mixologists who boast about easy to make cocktail recipes and in the next breath use obscure ingredients you don’t have at home? Read on for a simple schematic that shows cocktail families…
Dehydrated orange slices and other dried citrus are easy to make and infuse their fragrant perfumes into your dry martini or other favorite cocktail. Or use your dried orange slices for a garland or decoration for your winter table. Read on to learn all about citrus genealogy and detailed tips and tricks for dehydrating oranges….
This Tuna Pesto Pasta recipe makes a quick and simple pesto pasta with canned tuna and arugula spinach pesto. From start to finish, it takes about 30 minutes. Or use store-bought pesto or make the pesto in advance, and it takes only the time for the pasta to cook. Read on to learn all the…
The 52 weeks of cocktails challenge continues for its third year! This cocktail challenge was suggested as I wrapped up the 2021 reddit 52 weeks of baking challenge with my chocolate peppermint spritz cookies. I dabbled in cocktails in 2021. However, it wasn’t until I started making cocktails at home every week that I Iearned…
There’s nothing that makes me prouder than watching homemade pita puff up with a nice pita pocket. And I’ve spent a bunch of time perfecting the pocket for you. That’s a lot of watching pita puff. The Ooni pizza oven is the perfect tool for pita because it gets to temperatures as high as 950…
These Quinoa Balls with Pine Nuts and Raisins are delightfully easy vegetarian meatballs packed with protein. And the raisins and cinnamon provide a touch of sweetness that even picky kids will love. So read on for all the tips and tricks to make this recipe. Or grab your quinoa, hit that Jump to Recipe button,…
Pumpkin Couscous Salad is a Mediterranean-inspired pasta salad made with Israeli couscous and feta. The roasted pumpkin and dried apricot provide sweetness, and pine nuts add crunch. The beauty of this Mediterranean couscous salad is that you can make some or all of it ahead of time and serve it at room temperature. The flavors…
Make this Strawberry Apple Pie and you’ll be forever dreaming about ways to make recipes with strawberries and apples. That’s because strawberries provide sweetness and color you can’t get from apples alone. Read on to learn all the tips and tricks for making this recipe. Or just grab your rolling pin, hit that Jump to…
This Semolina Bread recipe makes a soft and nutty-flavored bread loaf with semolina flour that’s perfect for your favorite sandwich. Or make it as a free-standing, rustic semolina loaf and serve it aside your favorite soup and salad. Read on to learn all about semolina flour and other recipe tips and tricks. Or just grab…
Mini Blueberry Pies make the perfect bite-sized dessert for your next dinner party or holiday get-together. If you use store-bought mini pie crusts, the blueberry pie filling is super quick and easy. Or you could be someone who wants to be adventurous and make your own mini pie crust shells for these blueberry mini pies,…
