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…
The Oaxaca Old Fashioned is a variation on a classic Old Fashioned with a split base of tequila and mezcal. It’s rumored that the cocktail was created as a way to introduce the smoky flavors of mezcal to the American palate. Read on to learn all the tips and tricks for making this Old Fashioned…
This Green Tea Saketini is a Green Tea Cocktail inspired by a vodka martini with tea-infused sake in place of dry vermouth. It’s a sophisticated, tea-flavored cocktail completely unlike the Green Tea Shot made with whiskey and peach schnapps. So read on for tips and tricks for making a tea cocktail. Or just grab your…
The challenge of a list entitled Essential Bar Tools for Cocktails at Home is that everyone is different. While my favorite cocktail is a dry martini, you might hate gin and want only to make creamy espresso martinis. The goal of this list of bartending equipment is to cover you, whether you’re just starting out,…
“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…
The Tequila Gimlet is made with tequila, fresh lime juice, and agave in a cocktail ratio that is classic for the sour family of cocktails. It’s a balanced sipper that’s perfect alongside chips and guacamole or your favorite spicy meal. Read on to learn all about why this tequila recipe is a gimlet and not…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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….
If you’re like me, you love making (and eating) meatballs because you know that homemade meatballs are super easy to make with infinite variety. But some times you need ideas for what to serve with meatballs instead of pasta. So read on for tons of suggestions for side dishes for meatballs! Or use the table…
This Pornstar Martini Mocktail is a non-alcoholic version of the Pornstar Martini made with passion fruit puree, lime juice, simple syrup, vanilla extract, and a dash of bitters. It’s a lovely drink, whether you’re doing Dry January, trying to cut calories, or drinking for two, This Pornstar mocktail keeps all of the flavor, the balance…
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…
These mini pie crust shells make the perfect bite sized mini pies. Fill them with savory fillings, and they’ll be the hit for your next cocktail party. Fill the shells with sweet fillings, and you have mini dessert cups. Making your own can be fussy, and you might be tempted just to buy pre-made pie…
Pie crust cookies are the ultimate pie dough superheroes, transforming scraps of leftover homemade pie or pastry into powerfully nostalgic treats. They’re simple and un-fussy. Picture this: your blackberry apple pie is in the oven, filling your home with tantalizing aromas while these ingenious pie crust cookies secretly bake alongside. Now, here’s the twist: while…
This Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake recipe makes an easy, one-pan, 30-minute meal. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and serve with a garlic bread baguette and a side salad for a complete meal. With canned beans, canned tomatoes, and only a little bit of chopping, it doesn’t get much easier than this….
This Honey Wheat Bread is made with 50% whole wheat flour and wheat germ to win over the adults. And its soft texture and slightly sweet flavor will make it a favorite for the back-to-school sandwiches. Read on to learn about using a sponge starter and other recipe tips and tricks. Or just grab that…
These Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies are a smaller version of my favorite soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe. They’re made with brown butter and mostly dark brown sugar to give you a rich, butterscotch cookie flavor. Mini desserts like mini blueberry pies, mini banana bread muffins, and these mini chocolate chip cookies are the…
This Blackberry Lemon Bread recipe makes an easy blackberry lemon loaf cake that takes only about 30 minutes to put together. If you are a lover of adjectives, this blackberry lemon quick bread is velvety, tangy, and lemony. That’s because there’s lemon everywhere – in the lemon loaf cake, the lemon syrup, and the lemon…
Many hazards in the kitchen are obvious. Knives are sharp, or at least they should be. The stove is hot. But there are other common kitchen hazards you may not be aware of. These thirteen surprising hazards are things that doctors like me want you to know. Because we’re the ones in the emergency rooms…
This Rainbow Salad Bowl with Maple Dijon Dressing makes a colorful and light main course salad. And, even more important for those busy weeknights, composing this rainbow salad can be as quick and simple or as involved as you want. You can also serve this rainbow salad as a side salad for a simple main…
This BBQ chicken meatballs recipe calls for braising chicken meatballs in barbecue sauce to get tender and juicy meatballs that are packed with flavor. Make my sweet and tangy BBQ sauce ahead of time or use your favorite store-bought sauce, and dinner’s ready in 30 minutes. These BBQ meatballs are fabulous served over mashed potatoes…
When you’re a sandwich lover, you know that different types of breads for sandwiches make the whole experience. Pastrami goes on on rye bread. Italian meatballs go on a sub roll. But regardless of whether your sandwich calls for a classic white bread, a hearty whole wheat, a pita pocket, or something more adventurous, making…
These chocolate-dipped peppermint chocolate spritz cookies combine a tender chocolate mint cookie with a layer of rich, dark chocolate. Make them for your holiday cookie tray, chop them up to mix into peppermint ice cream, or give heart spritz cookies to your boo on Valentine’s Day. These spritz cookies are intended to be a copycat…
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.
This Nutella Babka is made with a buttery brioche dough wrapped around a smooth chocolate and hazelnut filling. It’s definitely not a lesser babka. If you’ve never made babka before this, be assured that it’s not difficult to make, but it does require patience. So grab your mixer and hold my hand as we walk…
This Russian Rye Bread recipe uses dark rye flour, molasses, and caraway and fennel seeds to create its dense, chewy texture and classic taste. Cocoa powder deepens the color, or you can use the black cocoa variation and call it a Russian black bread. Read on to get the scoop about rye flour, the differences…
This Blackberry Curd Tart recipe was created for the reddit 52 weeks of baking challenge, week 48: curds and puddings. It turns frozen blackberries into an elegant dessert balanced between sweet and tart. Perfect for holiday get-togethers or festive dinners any time of the year. The pecan crust and the blackberry tart as a whole…
This Apple and Blackberry Pie recipe is a variation on a classic apple pie. It’s made brighter in color and flavor by adding plump blackberries to crisp fall apples. It’s the perfect fall pie for when apple season comes around. Or this apple blackberry pie will bring back memories of late summer if you have…
This Homemade Pretzel Bread Loaf wishes it could be your favorite soft pretzel. That’s because this pretzel bread recipe makes a soft, flavorful white bread that’s slightly sweet and topped with coarse salt. Spread on a bit of mustard, and it’s perfect for turkey sandwiches. Read on for all the tips and tricks for making…
These Coffee Truffles were first created for Week 45 (Fairy Tale, Novel, or TV Show) of the 2021 reddit 52 weeks of baking challenge. In the Princess Bride, Miracle Max’s Miracle Pill has a chocolate coating that “makes it go down easier.” But I’d bet the secret ingredient in Miracle Max’s ganache-filled miracle pill was…
This Rose Syrup French 75 is a festive variation of a classic cocktail made with Empress gin for color and rose syrup for floral flavor. It’s a variation on the classic French 75 recipe that includes gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup topped with bubbly. Enjoy this rose syrup cocktail during the holidays or any…
These Nutella Blondies are a harmonious marriage of thick, nut-scented blondies with a rich Nutella swirl. The recipe makes a quick and easy Nutella cookie bar that’s chewy in all the right places, with butterscotch and caramel overtones from brown butter. So read on for all the detailed tips and tricks for this recipe. Or…
