sweets

While life is far from “normal” it continues. With that, I mean, fall and pumpkin season is now in full swing. I’ll be honest, COVID holidays look very different than normal holidays once did. I don’t know about you, but crowds now terrify me. Gatherings of any kind immediately put one on edge. And while […]

March 20, 2020 Today is a special day. Today is my 3rd year blog anniversary. A true labor of love. And although I only do this in my spare time, I am proud of myself for every day that I can continue doing it. Sadly, because of COVID-19, I am unable to go out or […]

I am a sucker for just about anything with cinnamon and sugar. A favorite childhood treat was warm buttered toast with a generous dusting of cinnamon-sugar, what’s not to love? This was a comfort food to me and something I would choose over chocolate any day. Some things never change. I’m still a cinnamon and […]

Sufganiyot, also known as, Israeli jelly donuts or “Hanukkah donuts” are deep-fried jelly donuts that are traditionally eaten in Israel during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Here the oil used to fry the donuts, like a traditional latke, is reminiscent of the oil that miraculously burned— according to the Hanukkah story—in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. Filled […]

Kolaczki, or Polish jam cookies as they are also called, are a popular holiday cookie not only in Poland but also in the Czech Republic, Russia, Austria, and Denmark. For me, they are a recent discovery. My younger son is a jam lover, so these cherry Kolaczki have become a new favorite in our household. […]

For those that don’t know, these are Elephant Ear cookies, or French Palmier cookies as they are more formally known. But these crispy, buttery, elegant cookies are a childhood favorite and ones I love to make during the holidays. Made with puff pasty (also known as pâte feuilletée), these rich cookies dusted lightly with sugar and […]

I’ve always had a fascination with cowboys. But being raised a city kid, I’m not exactly sure why or how. I’ve never actually met a real cowboy; only the want-to-be’s. The family ranch vacation where you actually become a cowboy/girl for the week is on my list of things to do, but somehow my fear […]

Yes, believe it or not, there is a National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day, it’s October 21st. It’s funny, I would have thought it was closer to Thanksgiving. The Fall baking season is in full swing, holiday meal planning has begun and pumpkin desserts are now more popular than ever. So naturally, a dessert combining two of America’s […]

People don’t typically invite former professional chefs over to dinner. I’m totally serious. That sounds funny I know, but it’s true. I have other chef friends who say the same. Honestly, it’s a thing. Truthfully, what people should know is that chefs make excellent guests because they eat everything and are extremely appreciative of not […]

These chocolate-raspberry walnut rugelach are by far one of my favorite cookies. Within the history of Jewish foods that have traveled across continents, there are many examples of flavor changes and other adaptations, rugelach is one of them. What is Rugelach? Rugelach, pronounced “ROO-gəl-əkh“, for those unfamiliar, are crescent-shaped, yeast dough pastries with a variety of fillings […]

A friend of mine nicknamed these cookies the $10 cookie, honestly, he may be on to something. These are my rich, decadent, giant brown chocolate chip cookies and I am truly obsessed with them. In this recipe I went “giant” because I love cookies and let’s face it, one little bite-size cookie just doesn’t get […]

Even with all the amazing ice cream flavors out there, chocolate and vanilla remain two of the most popular flavors around. Not a huge surprise to me, but then again, I’ve always been a fan of the classics. Chocolate has always been a favorite of my boys. Straight-up, no toppings, the richer the better. While […]

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know I am a big fan of overnight oats. Easy, healthy, and extremely adaptable.  My older son and husband now love almost any combination I make. These are a collection of some of my favorite overnight oat bowls I’ve made and loved. Sometimes I post recipes exclusively […]

If you’ve been to Humphry Slocombe in San Francisco you will know where I’m going with this post. Chef Jake Godby, along with his co-owner Sean Vahey, are known for their creative, and somewhat unusual, ice cream flavors. One of Humphry’s most popular flavors to date is their Secret Breakfast flavor which is a testament to […]

Sometimes you can’t beat a simple dessert. Panna cotta is just that. Considered a traditional Italian dessert, panna cotta, (which means “cooked cream” in Italian) is a well-known and incredibly popular dessert made of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded.  Panna cotta, often referred to as a “sweet custard dessert“, because it’s made from cream, […]