Hot Cocoa Cookies

Merry Christmas!  It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  One of my favorite things to do on Christmas day is bake cookies early in the morning.  The heat of the oven warms up my house, and there’s nothing better than getting to wake up to the cozy scent of sugar and butter and a plate full of freshly baked cookies to share with family at breakfast.

Spiced Cookie Maple Butternut Squash Pie

There are some things in life that you can’t truly know are good until you try them.  Little things that you have to experience yourself, that are able to fill a hole somewhere in your soul where you didn’t know you were missing something.
Things like… browned butter.

For the longest time, I’ve been hearing and reading about how amazing browned butter is, how rich and nutty of an aroma it has, and the wonderful effect it can have on a dish.  It’s always been on my mind to try it out, but for some reason I just never got around to it, until this week.  And wow, I can’t believe I waited this long.

Baked Black Sesame Nutella Donuts

Happy National Donut Day!  I love it that we’ve dedicated certain days in the year to honoring our favorite foods, not just Donut Day but also ones like National Bacon Day, Pizza Day, and even Crab Stuffed Flounder Day.  It makes me wonder, when did people first think of having these kinds of holidays, and were they meant for full-on Mother’s-Day-like celebration, some form of food marketing strategy, or just a day when we can simply give ourselves a bit more right to indulge?
I personally think donuts are too good to even need a day for us to appreciate them, but either way, it’s time to seize the occasion and put my donut pan to good use.

Super Moist Carrot Cake

Happy spring!  Oh, the allergies are getting real now…and the bees, so many bees…  But on the bright side, the temperature has been in the comfortable 70s (at least here in Southern California) and all the bushes and trees are pink with pretty blossoms.
With Easter approaching in just a few weeks, I thought some carrot cake would be totally appropriate right now, and this recipe in particular is just too good not to share.

Valentine’s Day Mini Chocolate Box Cakes

Happy Valentine’s Day!  It’s time for chocolate, flowers, and lots of heart-shaped goodies for you and your special someone!  A box of chocolates is always a classic gift to give on this holiday, so here’s a recipe for some really cute mini chocolate box cakes.

Chinese Red Date Soup Dumplings

Happy Chinese New Year, year of the rooster!  Just like last year when I made Dumpling Candies, this year I am again featuring a sweet spin-off on dumplings!  One of my favorite types of dumplings is the soup dumpling, or guantang bao, which is filled with a hot, savory soup and yummy meat filling.  I didn’t grow up eating it often, so the idea of somehow wrapping soup inside of a steamable bun that would hold its shape has always seemed extra fascinating to me.

Pull-Apart Christmas Gift Bow Cookie

Aahhh, the holidays are here!!!!!  Christmas is this weekend!!!!!  If you’re someone who’s got holiday stress, maybe because of the last-minute gift shopping, plane ticket booking, or party planning that’s on your mind, then you need a quick sweet treat to de-stress (or to just make yourself more excited)!  Here’s a cute, festive, gift bow shaped cookie that’s perfect for sharing with friends or snacking on while you get all of those presents wrapped.

Reindeer Tracks Cheesecake Bars

Ten days until Christmas!!!!  Holiday cheer is getting real now, and honestly, I’ve already stuffed myself sick with so many sugar cookies and candy canes.  But I guess you can never have too much Christmas spirit, because on top of all of that, I just baked these delicious, adorably festive cheesecake bars to enjoy as well.  But hey, after New Year’s we’ll go back to fruit and veggies, right? 😉

Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Bread

Just two days until Thanksgiving!  Is anyone else already craving some turkey and stuffing?  Mmmm, I’m excited.

In fact, I kind of wish every day was Thanksgiving, and not just because of the food (although that part is obviously awesome).  In such a privileged society, we get so caught up with little things that we often forget how much we really have.  I mean, just having a holiday like this and the resources to stuff ourselves is something huge to be grateful for.  I think everyday we should spend a little time to remember the things we often overlook, and especially on a day like this, it should be so much more than  just, “oh let’s go around and say what we’re grateful for, mine is ‘food and family’, okay your turn!”

Froot Loops Funfetti Cake with Cereal Milk Whipped Cream

I love birthdays, not for the presents or the parties or the getting-older, but because of the joy I get in baking a birthday cake for myself.  Unlike a lot of kids, I didn’t grow up having pretty birthday parties and getting loads of presents every year; in fact, I can’t recall ever having any sort of birthday party beyond just sitting around a big blue ice cream cake with my family for ten minutes after dinner.  Birthday celebrations in my home were always very simple, but they were just as special because they were the few times in the year when my siblings and I got to eat cake.