Chocolate chips are part of the chocolate cake batter and the two-ingredient frosting on this rich, easy-to-make cake.  Recipe below.

THE OTHER DAY I WENT INTO THE PANTRY to find something or other, and I did not find it, but I did come across a lot of bags of chocolate chips. I am not even sure where they came from, as I don’t recall actually buying any at all in the first place. Well, maybe one bag, around the holidays, for a project that had temporarily flitted through the brain. But… is this five bags of chocolate chips? That is a lot of chocolate chips for a two-person household. Continue reading “Chocolate x 2: Chocolate/Chocolate Chip Cake” →

This deliciously chocolate, finely crumbed cake is iced with a three-ingredient bourbon glaze. Recipe below.

I BAKED THIS CAKE THREE TIMES BEFORE I GOT IT RIGHT. Three times. Three. The problem was not the flavor—a lovely chocolate—or the texture—finely crumbed and pleasing and entirely too easy to eat. It was the pan. Continue reading “Third time’s the charm: Chocolate Bundt Cake with Bourbon Glaze” →

Sweet white miso adds delicious umami, sunflower and pumpkin seeds a nice crunch, to this not-to-sweet spin on banana bread. Recipe below.

WE LOVE BANANA BREAD. Blue Kitchen already has three different banana bread recipes, and to be honest, I was surprised that there were only three. Now there are four. Continue reading “A classic dessert bread gets a nutty, umami twist: Miso Banana Bread” →

Lemon juice and zest in both the blondies and the glaze give these super easy treats an addictively bright flavor. Recipe below.

FEBRUARY IS NONSENSE. Outside, the 32 inches of snowfall around our house is melting in a depressing, half-assed way; our backyard and gangway are a hell of snow mounds and falling ice. But inside, we have this—this easy little jolt of sunshine. Continue reading “Simple, sunshiney Lemon Blondies” →

Chunks of apples dot this simple, rustic apple cake. Recipe below.

THE STREETS KEEP FILLING UP WITH SNOW. And while our neighbors are really great about clearing their walks, there still is plenty of scary ice out there, and plenty of mounds and ramparts of snow at all the corners, and more snow is coming down as I write this, and the deep freeze is definitely here. Two days ago, we only went outside to finish excavating the car. (And yes, when we drove it out, we set out dibs to save our spot. We do live in Chicago.) Yesterday and today I didn’t go outside at all, except when a pal brought over our Girl Scout Cookie delivery (thanks again, Al!). Continue reading “Cinnamony, sweet (but not too), cozy Apple Cake” →

A perfectly simple (really simple) classic chocolate cake gets more interesting with cayenne pepper, cinnamon and buttermilk. Recipe below.

YESTERDAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY AND TODAY I AM EATING A PIECE OF CAKE while I write about cake. Originally I intended to get fancy and order a cake—to have it delivered or pick it up somewhere. But in the interest of self-preservation, we are still not going into shops, and as I hunted around here in Chicago, I found that pretty much nobody offered contactless curbside pickup of cakes (and I can’t blame them, what with Christmas and all). And the delivery options scared the pants off me. $200 for a cake? For two people? EEEEEEEEEEEE Naw. Continue reading “Tinkering with a perfect, simple classic: the Perfectly Chocolate Cake” →

Pecans, rosemary, plenty of butter and not too much sugar make rich, satisfying and not-too-sweet cookies. Recipe below.

THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US. DIFFERENT, BUT STILL HERE. We’ve been sending and receiving packages, mostly not gift wrapped, sent directly by the company (and often from the maker): “You guys are getting a package from a potter in Racine today—don’t open it!” And you know what ships well? Or drops off on doorsteps? Cookies! Continue reading “Perfect for giving—or keeping for yourself: Pecan Rosemary Shortbread Cookies” →

The rustic shape of this delicious galette made with apples, dried apricots and thyme is one of its charms. Recipe below.

TERRY AND I HAVE A FONDNESS FOR IMPERFECT THINGS. Our favorite piece of furniture is an old farmhouse cupboard we got at some flea market years ago, with chipped gray paint, slightly wavy glass in the doors, little drawer pulls that are not quite tight and stubbornly refuse to ever be tightened, and feet that speak of years of hard work and being banged and knocked into in some hard-working kitchen. It leans back ever so slightly—the place where we keep it, in the tiny hallway leading to our kitchen, allows it to rest its top against the wall. It’s tragic and odd and we love it. Continue reading “Perfectly imperfect: Apple and Dried Apricot Galette” →

Fresh fruit, lemon juice and rosemary flavor this homey, comforting bundt cake. Recipe below.

EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY LOVES CAKE. When you want to celebrate, when you need to celebrate, when you’re feeling festive or dejected or delighted, the answer is cake. When you need excitement and soothing: cake. When your spirits need lifting: cake. Continue reading “Because sometimes you just need cake: Blueberry Lemon Rosemary Bundt Cake” →