When I see blackberries, I'm transported back to a specific point in time. I have such fond memories of sitting at my grandmother's table eating blackberry cobbler after a day of blackberry picking. My grandmother grew up in a tiny community in north Mississippi where wild blackberries were plentiful. If you've ever been blackberry picking in Mississippi, you can rest assured that you'll … [Read more...]
Cherry Crumble
We spent a quiet evening at home on Saturday for a change. Leftovers for dinner left me unsatisfied and at 8:00 p.m., craving something sweet, I scooted over to Publix in search of a quick dessert. The peaches looked great, and considering I'm still on a peach kick, I grabbed some along with a pint of blueberries. When I looked in my basket at the checkout counter, some of my favorite vanilla ice … [Read more...]
Pecan Turtle Brownies
I was a skinny kid. And when I say skinny I mean really skinny. At high school graduation, I was 6'1" and weighed 130 pounds. All through my childhood, I possessed a voracious appetite. School lunches sucked, so by the time I was home at 3:00, I was ravenous and raiding the refrigerator. I'm not kidding you when I say I snacked until dinnertime around 6:00. I would eat dinner and most likely have … [Read more...]
Margarita Ice Cream Pie {+ a Cookbook Giveaway}
When warm weather arrives, I admit that I'm a sucker for a good margarita. There's nothing better on a warm spring night than sitting outside at our favorite Mexican restaurant with good friends, a pitcher of margaritas, and a big basket of chips and salsa. Truth be told, when the pitcher and the basket are empty, I'm usually too full for dinner. This week I received a complimentary copy of … [Read more...]
Strawberry and Lemon Curd Tart with Almond Coconut Crust
We had another cold snap a few days ago but I'm holding on to hope this was the last one of the year. Sunday brought the most amazing warm and sunny day that drew us outside for a morning of yard work. Later in the day, I made my weekly jaunt to the farmer's market for grocery shopping. Always attempting to cook seasonally, I was on the hunt for fruits and vegetables that speak to spring. … [Read more...]
Apple Cheddar Turnovers
Sleet is blanketing Atlanta with a sheet of ice and the forecast warns of additional snow tonight. Severe winter storms typically skirt the metropolitan area, but two major storms have barreled through our city in as many weeks. For the last two days, I've planted my pajama-clad self and my laptop on a comfy chaise, where I'm working away. Knowing we'd be housebound for a couple of days, Jim … [Read more...]
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbreads
If I had to pick two cookies that are perfect for the Christmas holiday, it would be wedding cookies and these cranberry pistachio shortbreads. Both use the same basic dough, so you can double the recipe and make both cookies. I really like these cookies because they're not overly sweet. However, I wouldn't put these cookies in the health food category! I think referring to these cookies as … [Read more...]
Wedding Cookies
Every Christmas I intend on baking a variety of cookies for gifts and every year holiday busyness ensues, the season comes and goes, and I don't make cookies. It's probably just as well that I don't make them because of my well-documented lack of self control when cookies are within my reach. Did I mention that these cookies are completely addictive? I mustered the energy this year to make a batch … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Cheesecake Brulees
Things are a little out of control here. Autumn foods tend toward higher calorie counts than those during warm weather and we're taking full advantage. I don't know about you but when September rolls around I'm craving heavier foods. In Chinese medicine, they say this tendency is the natural order of things and that the body wants to create insulation for the cold winter months. I can accept that, … [Read more...]
Salted Caramel Brownies
I grew up in an era when processed food became ubiquitous and convenience was the order of the day. Boxed cake mixes lined pantry shelves and most cakes back then were made from them. I certainly enjoyed cakes and brownies from a box and they provided a convenient way for busy mothers to prepare a dessert for the family. I’m sure as a budding cook, I added water to a brownie mix and minutes later … [Read more...]
Boston Cream Cupcakes
Whenever I think of cupcakes, two things come to mind: Hostess Cupcakes from my childhood and Magnolia Bakery in New York City. Opposite ends of the spectrum, huh? I wish I had a dollar for every Hostess Cupcake I ate as a child. Thinking about those chocolate treats with the signature white swirl across the top takes me back to my childhood, sitting in front of the TV watching Gilligan's Island … [Read more...]
Apple Galette with Walnut Streusel
I recently posted a Peach Pie recipe where I wrote about Mercier Orchards. I bought peaches there a few weeks ago for the pie, and that visit got me thinking ahead to fall and the apple harvest. As summer wanes, I can feel my cravings move toward heavier foods. I'm already finding the first apples of the season at our local farmer's market and after making a peach pie, an apple version was the … [Read more...]