Dessert Recipes

Last Thursday, my neighbor Carrie wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a lug wrench—don’t ask—and this warm, spicy-sweet smell hit me … Read more

This was supposed to be a pumpkin bread. I had the spices measured, the can of pumpkin open, and a whole afternoon stretching ahead of … Read more

My sister-in-law, Jen, had sworn she hated iced sugar cookies for over a decade. “Too sweet,” she’d say, waving a hand at the platter at … Read more

The woman at the community garden plot next to mine watched me for a good five minutes before she said anything. I was trying to … Read more

I was standing at the checkout counter at my local coffee shop last December, juggling a bag of peppermint bark and a too-large latte, when … Read more

My husband had sworn off red velvet cake for a solid decade. “It’s just chocolate with red food coloring,” he’d say with that knowing smirk … Read more

It was 10 PM on a Christmas Eve a few years back, and I was completely wrecked. The gifts were wrapped—sort of—the stockings were hung, … Read more

There used to be this tiny bakery tucked into a strip mall on the corner of Elm and 4th in my old neighborhood. It was … Read more

I was standing in the checkout line at the hardware store—of all places—last December, holding a new snow shovel and a pack of lightbulbs, when … Read more

There used to be a little Russian tea house tucked away on a side street in Brighton Beach—the kind of place with lace curtains, mismatched … Read more