Dessert Recipes

This was supposed to be a savory zucchini bread. I had the perfect loaf in my head—earthy, with a hint of rosemary, maybe some sharp … Read more

I wasn’t supposed to be in her kitchen. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder—mine had mysteriously vanished after a neighbor’s fence project—and the smell … Read more

My neighbor asked why I couldn’t just brown the butter first, before mixing it into the batter. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work … Read more

The summer I turned thirty-two, I spent a lot of time at the hardware store. Not for anything exciting—just paint samples and a new showerhead. … Read more

The church bake sale was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. I’d signed up to bring “something special” three weeks ago, and now here … Read more

My neighbor across the hall, a retired baker named Mrs. Gable, watched me one Tuesday afternoon as I stood in my kitchen doorway, staring at … Read more

Introduction Someone asked me last week why I always seem to have a jar of strawberry jam in the fridge while my sourdough starter bubbles … Read more

“Why can’t we just use ice cream cones for the witch hats?” my friend asked one chilly October evening as we were brainstorming treats for … Read more

Introduction The office holiday party was in less than two hours and I’d completely forgotten I was supposed to bring a dessert. Everyone else was … Read more

Last October, I was fumbling with a batch of cupcakes at the community center’s Halloween bake-off — you know that feeling when your batter just … Read more