Dessert Recipes

I was supposed to be making a proper strawberry shortcake—the kind with the big, biscuit-like scones, layers of macerated berries, and towering piles of cream. … Read more

I wasn’t expecting to get baking advice from my accountant, of all people. But there I was, sitting in his cramped office on a rainy … Read more

Introduction My neighbor Rosa watched me struggle with a wobbly pumpkin pie crust for what felt like an hour last Thanksgiving. She didn’t say anything … Read more

My neighbor Kate wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a bundt pan—mine had mysteriously vanished after last year’s holiday baking marathon—and … Read more

I wasn’t expecting a dessert revelation from my accountant, but there I was, knee-deep in tax paperwork at his cluttered office, listening to Mr. Henderson … Read more

My father-in-law had refused to eat anything with bourbon in it for as long as I’d known him. Decades. Said it reminded him of cheap … Read more

The church potluck was in four hours and I’d completely forgotten. My phone buzzed with a reminder from my neighbor, Carol, and I nearly dropped … Read more

My brother-in-law Mark had claimed to hate banana bread for a solid decade. “It’s for grandmas and people with too many brown bananas,” he’d say, … Read more

My brother-in-law Mark had claimed to hate pumpkin desserts for a solid fifteen years. Fifteen years of Thanksgiving pies pushed to the side of his … Read more

The neighborhood fall potluck was in three hours and I had completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing those elaborate, multi-day projects—the kind with handmade … Read more