Dessert Recipes

This was supposed to be a towering, twelve-layer spectacle for a dinner party. I had the trifle bowl out, the plan for a massive dessert … Read more

Marta wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to drop off a casserole dish she’d lent me (honestly, I’d had it for three months) … Read more

My neighbor asked why I couldn’t just use the carton of eggnog sitting in my fridge instead of making a separate custard for the filling. … Read more

My brother-in-law, Mark, had claimed for years that he “didn’t do cute food.” Thanksgiving appetizers were for serious eating, he’d say, not for playing with … Read more

My neighbor Janet wasn’t trying to impress anyone last November. I’d stopped by to return her measuring cups—the ones I’d borrowed three weeks earlier and … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a very ordinary Wednesday in late October, and I had a sudden, almost violent need for pumpkin pie. Not the … Read more

Meredith wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place last November to pick up a casserole dish I’d loaned her, and the smell … Read more

Halfway through measuring the flour, I realized I’d grabbed the wrong bag. The power had flickered during a storm the night before, and in my … Read more

I was fumbling with a bag of dried cranberries at the farmers market last November, trying to read the ingredient list in the dim afternoon … Read more

It was 10:47 PM on a random Wednesday in early November, and I was staring at a half-empty bag of flour like it owed me … Read more

The school Halloween party was in 24 hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing elaborate, Pinterest-perfect treats with fondant ghosts and hand-piped … Read more

I was standing in the grocery store parking lot last October when the smell hit me—someone was walking by with a paper bag full of … Read more

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked between a vintage shop and a laundromat in my old neighborhood that made the most ridiculous Halloween … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a random Tuesday, and I had an overwhelming need for something cold, creamy, and salty-sweet. You know that feeling when … Read more

This was supposed to be a massive batch of cookie dough for the school bake sale. I had the mixer out, the butter softening, and … Read more

I wasn’t expecting cooking advice from my accountant, but there I was, stuck in his office waiting for a stack of tax documents, listening to … Read more

My neighbor swore she didn’t like pecan pie. For years. She’d make that little face people make when they’re trying to be polite about a … Read more

I was standing in the checkout line at the hardware store last October—of all places—when the woman ahead of me unloaded her cart and a … Read more

The power went out halfway through my first attempt at these pumpkin cheesecake bars. There I was, standing in a suddenly dark kitchen with a … Read more

The woman at the community garden stand watched me staring at her basket of tiny, perfect sweet potatoes. She didn’t say anything at first. Then … Read more