My empty nest world of scratch baking and chicken scratch
Cindy Liles 
This recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes is sooo tried and true in this house! I have been making these cupcakes for about 25 years and I constantly try new recipes just to make sure there is nothing better out there. So far, this is the recipe that friends and family love the best. Easy to make, no … Read more
For my sister, Sharon, with love. A classic in Texas, the Texas Sheet Cake is a dark, fudgy chocolate buttermilk cake topped with a pour-on fudge frosting and chopped roasted pecans. If you are not a fan of nuts, it is just as good without the nuts. The cake is baked and frosted in one … Read more
Fruit Cobbler is not a fussy or fancy dessert and relies strictly on taste, not presentation. As such, this dessert was allegedly “cobbled” together by Early American settlers using fruit – usually preserved, canned, or dried – and clumps of biscuit dough before baking it over an open fire. Modern day cobbler is a fruit filling … Read more
A griddled yeast bread, the English Muffin is a small, round, flat yeast-leavened bread which is commonly sliced horizontally, toasted, and buttered. Their infamous nooks and crannies perfectly cradle butter, jams, and marmalades. Remember to always use a fork to split your muffins in order to get those wonderful nooks and crannies. The result will … Read more
One of my favorite old world cookies – Scandinavian Almond Cookies. These appear on my Christmas tray every year and are loved by everyone. This recipe comes from an old Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The recipe was passed down from a BH&G editor’s Norweigan grandmother. When I serve Scandinavian Almond Cookies, I always … Read more
A refreshing tangy/sweet filling atop a rich buttery shortbread cookie crust. The shortbread crust is pre-baked, a silky-smooth lemon curd-like filling is poured onto the crust, and the pan gets baked again until the filling is set. When I’m in need of a quick dessert, Lemon Squares are usually my go to dessert. … Read more
These decadent gourmet chocolate cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream! They are light and delicate with a deep, intense chocolate flavor, and are not overly sweet. Every year for Christmas, I go on a blissful two-day cookie baking marathon, making about 12 to 15 different types of cookies. I love to give away cookie trays … Read more
Cranberry and orange is a blissful combination. These light-as-a-feather sugar-type cookies have just a hint of orange zest, crispy, buttery edges, and bits of chopped sweet cranberries throughout. To make them even more decadent and unusual, they are studded with rich macadamia nuts that I like to roast in a dry skillet before incorporating … Read more
Ginger and Molasses … a marriage that has stood the test of time. This old-fashioned cookie is made with the warm spices of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and then dark molasses is added to deepen and enhance the flavor. Warm, spicy, and buttery with a crunchy sugar topping – what’s not to love? The cookie … Read more
Pecan Pie – the quintessential Southern pie. A tender, sweet butter crust serves as the foundation that encases this rich, buttery, gooey, pecan filling. I’ve tried countless pecan pie recipes over the years and I always come back to this recipe which uses brown sugar instead of white sugar; brown sugar intensifies the flavor. This recipe is … Read more