Either I did something wrong or these cookies are intrinsically average...

I was promised a rich, dense, crispy on the outside, fudge-y on the inside cookie, but that is most definitely not what I got. Instead, I got a light brown cookie that was a bit too dry and a bit, dare I say it, flavorless. What went wrong? My cookies… Read more »

Short and Sweet: Oatmeal cookies with craisins and chocolate chips

One of my favorite ingredients to sneak into cookies is dried fruit. When incorporated well with the other components of the recipe, I think it adds a little something unique to the taste as well as the texture. I developed these particular oatmeal cookies as a twist on the original… Read more »

Food tourist strikes again: Simma's Bakery, Milwaukee, WI

Tucked away in the West side of Milwaukee is one of the International Restaurant & Hospitality Ratings Bureau’s Top 25 bakeries in America. I was lucky enough to grow up in the neighborhood where Simma’s Bakery has been located since it opened nearly 30 years ago. I remember how my… Read more »

Epic Fail: Sarah (not Sandra) Bernhardt Cookies

Martha Stewart, domestic empress and ex-con, has a lovely book devoted entirely to cookies, which, as you know by now, I love. The 175 recipes in the book are conveniently categorized into seven sections, whose titles are descriptive but, oddly enough, sometimes read like personality characteristics: light and delicate; soft… Read more »

Highlights from our Memorial Day feast

Holidays can be summed up in three words: family, friends and food. I spent this Memorial Day experimenting with new recipes for salads and chocolates as well as making an old favorite dessert. I ended up with three delicious and utterly dissimilar treats: watermelon, feta and cilantro salad; peanut butter… Read more »

Cake truffles from C. Adams Bakery in Milwaukee

This weekend I was visiting relatives and friends in Milwaukee for graduation parties, birthday celebrations, and Memorial Day festivities. In my downtime, I frequented a number of local bakeries searching for unique desserts to review here on the blog. I found just what I was looking for at C. Adams… Read more »

More healthy baking strategies: Banana-oatmeal granola bites

I think I’m hooked on the idea of healthy cookies. I loved last week’s vegan carrot-oatmeal cookies, so this past weekend, I tried out another healthy cookie recipe from Heidi Swanson. This one is a lot heavier on the oatmeal, so it seems more like a granola masterpiece to me… Read more »

Easter brunch: An occasion fit for delectable desserts

Aerial views of Milwaukee from the rooftop deck of The NewportI’m headed home to Milwaukee this weekend for the annual Easter brunch with my family, and I’ve used this occasion as an excuse to take a brief break from the healthy initiatives in favor of showcasing my renditions of a… Read more »

Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Family brunches and parties are the stuff of legend in my family.First thing’s first: There are over 40 of us—my grandmother, the matriarch; her eight children and their spouses; and about 25 of us grandchildren—so when we all get together, it’s usually for a feast. We all contribute our signature… Read more »

Best Peanut Butter Cookies

I adore peanut butter cookies. I have made no less than 10 different variations on the classic peanut butter cookie, but none of my innovations can beat the classic Demet family recipe for peanut butter kisses. If you’ve never tried your hand at baking before, these are the cookies for… Read more »