My empty nest world of scratch baking and chicken scratch
My children grew up in a bake-from-scratch household and have been introduced to more cookies than we can possibly count! My youngest son, now in college, loves anything with ginger or molasses, so when I made these cookies for him, they became his all-time favorite cookie. We are fortunate that we use the zest … Read more
Pecan Sandies. A melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie that is far better than its store-bought counterpart. These cookies have only four ingredients and are a cinch to make up. The dough can be made in advance, shaped into balls, and frozen for another time when you need a quick dessert. Just take them out of the freezer and … Read more
Depending on the cultural origin, there are numerous variations and interpretations of tea cakes around the world. In the United States, a tea cake is usually a dense cookie made with butter, sugar, eggs, flour, milk, and flavoring; Petit Fours are also sometimes classified as tea cakes in America. In England (where … Read more
Shortbread is a biscuit or cookie and is traditionally made with three ingredients: Butter, sugar, and flour. While there are many variations on this classic (types of flour, types of sugar, flavorings, etc.), I like this simple recipe that adds a hint of vanilla. Gather ingredients. Spray either a Shortbread mold or a 8 or … Read more
Old-fashioned Gingerbread – dense, aromatic, spicy and moist. Gingerbread is one of those cakes that you can whip up for a quick dessert almost any time because most of the ingredients are stock pantry items. I have several Gingerbread cakes that I like to make, however, I think this recipe is pretty much fool-proof and … Read more
Years ago, I lived and worked in Center City Philadelphia. On weekends, I would escape the hustle and bustle of the city and drive to visit friends who lived among the lush Pennsylvania Dutch farmlands in Lancaster, Pa. The Amish bakeries were a treasure trove of old-fashioned, homemade cakes, pies, cookies, and pastries. My favorite … Read more
This recipe comes from the September 1994 Southern Living Magazine. Reminiscent of old-fashioned American diners, this pie never goes out of style; always a classic and always a crowd pleaser. The pie is bursting with a fresh lemon curd and topped with soft, billowy, creamy, vanilla scented meringue, all sitting on top of a … Read more
Coconut Cream Pie is a classic. A thick, rich, creamy coconut custard filling topped with either meringue or billowy mounds of whipped cream, this pie always makes a great impression! This pie is different from a Coconut Custard Pie which is more custard-like and does not get a topping. When people eat this pie, they … Read more
An old-fashioned pound cake from scratch in just a few simple steps. Be sure that the butter and eggs are at room temperature and that you follow the order of the recipe – it’s that easy! You can make this in a tube pan or in a couple of loaf pans, just be sure to … Read more
I think of Coffee Cake as comfort food of the dessert world. Warm out of the oven with a tall glass of milk, it’s reminiscent of grandmom’s house. Don’t let the name fool you, coffee cake does not have coffee in it. Coffee cake is traditionally served with coffee, like tea-cakes are served at tea-time, when getting together with friends for coffee. … Read more