Don’t you just love making a treat that is like, just a little less effort? Guys, I love a good pie (and I really love a great pecan pie). Forget “easy as pie” – this is “easier than pie!”
Especially at this point in my pregnancy (hey, 29 weeks!), I’m getting tired on my feet, and my belly is getting in the way. Like, to be honest, the idea of rolling out a pie crust right now is not my idea of fun!
Those dang Girl Scouts, amirite?! My husband loves the Samoa cookies and I’ve been trying to recreate them at home for him so he doesn’t have to wait until it’s Girl Scout cookie season. To be honest, I’ve been struggling with an actual cookie and was going to throw in the towel all together. Then I was like, duh, Hailey, just make them into a bar. So. much. easier.
You know I love an easy dessert recipe and these are definitely easy. The hardest part is making the short bread, which is really NBD. I used premade caramel sauce because I wanted these to be something I could quickly throw together from ingredients I typically have on hand. I used finely grated coconut, so if you have thicker shredded (unsweetened) coconut I think that would be best – you’ll get more coconut flavor.
This time of year, I go all in on the clementines! I love that the winter is a time for citrus to shine. I also go all in on the quick and easy treats, like these chocolate covered clementines. I actually will confess to you – these are tangerines. Trader Joe’s ran out of clems!
You know from my “recipe” for no-bake shortbread cookies, I love a good, easy, quick hack for a treat. All you need is the chocolate hard shell – this one is my favorite, and some Maldon salt. The salt flake is the key. Y’all know how much I love salt, and I take it very seriously. When you finish a dessert with salt, you want a large flake and the Maldon flakes are the best.
You know when you have these stories in your head from growing up, and then you ask a parent about it and they’re all, “uh, no that was literally one time”? I think that’s my growing up experience with Strawberry Rhubarb pie. I have this distinct memory of my aunt “always making” SRP, but I’m 99% sure it was probably just one time.
To me, strawberry + rhubarb is a quintessentially summer flavor (okay, along with basil, but I digress). I’ve been playing around with rhubarb a lot this year (rhubarb ricotta cake coming at ya next week!) and I am 100% in love. We might even need to make a s + r ice cream topping, what do you think?
Lately, all I’ve been thinking about is a fruit + lemon formula when it comes to baking. Can we just get blueberry lemon everything?! You better believe I’m working on b&l muffins, scones, pancakes – a whole blueberry lemon week! Just kidding. But really, blueberry and lemon is one of the most perfect flavor combinations ever and then you top it with some crumble?! Stop it! Read on for the blueberry lemon crumble loaf recipe (might I suggest making it for Mother’s Day?)!
Look at that beauty! Sometimes I really think few things in life are as rewarding as baking something and it turning out as it is supposed to, or as you hoped it would. Honestly, I couldn’t wait to cut into this!
Alternate title: Holy-Shit-That’s-Good Bread Pudding. Bread pudding is one of those desserts that feels like it takes so much effort, but it really doesn’t. In fact, you likely have all the ingredients you need already and could most likely make it without a recipe. It’s so simple. So straightforward. And 100% customizable.
Now, bread pudding is really just bread, eggs, milk, sugar. I like a bunch of mix-ins in my bread pudding for extra texture and flavor. Plus bourbon, because we’re a House of Bourbon family. And either whipped cream or melted ice cream on top. But it truly is a simple recipe. And if you’re on a budget, it’s also a great dessert!
You can use just about any bread for your bread pudding, but I went with Trader Joe’s Croissant Bread. Their CB is a revelation. So much flavor, so much flake, so much good. You could cut up croissants, you could use brioche. I would even use a white bread loaf that’s yet to be sliced and staled just a bit. Any bread will do!
Get ready for this one, friends! You will not believe how easy this dessert is and how simple it is to pull together. If you are in a pinch, need a quick idea, or just want to shake it up a little, try these mixed berry cobblers for dessert! Don’t let a crumbly topping scare you away from this one – it’s easy, promise! And the filling is literally just berries and sugar. C’est tout!
I served these hot, out of the oven and topped with fresh whipped cream. The whipped cream melted into the cobblers and it was simply lovely.
The cobbler topping baked into the sweet berries and gave a little saltiness and a little crunch that mixed so well with the baked berries.
Are you even ready?! Drop whatever it is you are doing, add this to your Christmas menu, and add these ingredients to your Christmas shopping list:
That’s all you need!
In planning our Easter menu, I’ve tried to keep our recipes light, simple and bright. Know what I mean by “bright”? Those dishes that just feel lively and springy and, well, bright, as soon as you take a bite. Enter, this simple spring lemon loaf recipe!
The key to the super lemon flavor in this dessert is lemon zest, and a lot of it. So you’ll need a zester – I have this one! I love how moist this lemon loaf is, and the trick is the full fat sour cream – it not only gives it zing but also keeps the slices moist, even after a few days.
Another reason I love this recipe? You don’t have to dirty up your stand mixer! Just one bowl and a whisk and you’re all set.
So the saying goes, “A Sunday well spent brings a week of content.” I love spending our Sunday’s with friends and family. It’s such an enjoyable way to round out the week and get one last recharge in before the chaos of a new week.
Keeping Sunday entertaining easy and simple is so important, not just for you as a hostess but for your guests. You want to make them feel comfortable and like they’re getting their last dose of relaxation in before their week, too. I am loving this menu for a great Sunday lunch.
I’m all about casual entertaining (okay, china and a beautifully set table 100% has its place and I’m super into that, too). Keeping things casual sends a signal to your guests that they can just relax, be themselves, be comfortable. A simple menu packs a punch when all the flavors go from one dish to the next – it’s like a good playlist or a great story. Putting together this menu, I thought about each flavor in the dishes working together. I’m not a big fan of say, cheese and crackers for an appetizer and ground beef tacos for the main dish – a little jarring for my taste.
Stay casual by picking a palette – keep the colors in the same family and stack up your dishes and utensils for an easy grab. A stack of dishes to me is a little bit more like, “hey thanks for joining us for our usual dinner.” What’s better than having your friends join you for an every day kind of meal?
I have a sick stash of mason jars around the house and use them for everything – smoothies, flowers, and here, utensils. I always throw utensils in a mason jar. What could be more casual?
