Dessert Recipes

I had refused to make anything with dried cranberries for years. Seven years, give or take. They reminded me of sad office holiday parties and … Read more

My neighbor, Mrs. Kowalski, watched me fumbling with a piping bag of orange frosting one November afternoon. I was trying—and failing—to make little pumpkin-shaped cookies … Read more

This was supposed to be a batch of perfectly respectable chocolate cupcakes for the school bake sale. I had the recipe memorized, the butter was … Read more

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked between a vintage shop and a laundromat in my old neighborhood that made the most ridiculous Halloween … Read more

The office birthday party was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. I was the one who’d volunteered to bring the cake—because of course I … Read more

There used to be a little diner off Route 9 in Massachusetts called The Rusty Spoon that made the most unforgettable pumpkin pie. When they … Read more

I was standing in the checkout line at the hardware store—of all places—when the woman behind me started talking about candy corn. Not just any … Read more

My neighbor wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a whisk—mine had mysteriously vanished into the abyss of my kitchen drawers—and the … Read more

I was digging through my freezer last Tuesday—looking for a bag of peas, honestly—when the cold air hit me with a faint, sweet smell. It … Read more

I was supposed to be making snickerdoodles. That was the plan, anyway. A neighbor had dropped off a care package of cinnamon-sugar cookies the week … Read more