Hey friends❣️ Smart bakers know that when you find a recipe as amazing as this chocolate cake there is no reason to keep reinventing the wheel. It’s top rated, with over 700 comments, and it has truly become a delicious part of so many of your lives. But the real magic of this cake is how adaptable it is. You can use it as a base for all sorts of desserts, from crumb cake to cupcakes. Change the pan, change the frosting, change the flavor direction ~ this cake can handle it. Here are some of...
2 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ Everybody, and I mean everybody, should know how to make a great chocolate chip cookie. But what that looks like depends on who you talk to. Some appreciate a soft pillowy chocolate chip cookie, others crave the classic big-as-your-hand version. I happen to love chocolate chip cookies in bar form. And my absolute favorite is baked up in a mug! But it turns out lots of you really really love a thin and crispy cookie... Thin & Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies get the recipe ➡ These...
6 days ago • 2 min read
Hey friends❣️ French food actually fits the way I like to cook more than you might think. It has a reputation for being fussy and complicated, and some of it definitely is. But a lot of everyday French cooking is simple, seasonal, and built around fresh ingredients, which is exactly the kind of food I love. In The Summer I Turned French post, I collected a lot of my lighter French-inspired recipes for the warmer months. But there’s so much more to explore in fall and winter. Which brings me...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ What a difference a day makes. September 1st might be my favorite day of the year ~ it feels like permission to start making all the fall recipes I’ve been waiting for. To be honest, I’ve been sort of avoiding the kitchen for a few weeks now, and suddenly there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. 5 Recipes I Can't Wait to Make in September get the recipes The pot you can't do Fall without You need a Dutch oven for soup, stew, chili, risotto, jam making, and bread. All the good fall...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ Happy Sunday! One of the great things about having built such a massive recipe archive here at Great Island is that I can shuffle it in all sorts of fun and creative ways. The flip side is that it’s very easy to lose track of old favorites ~ I think this happens to all of us. So I consider it part of my job to remind you from time to time, with little collections like this one. I was just reminded that I really want to make my mocha hazelnut cake again. It's not everyday I come...
11 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ Apparently I’m not the only one feeling a little pumpkin-spiced-out. After two decades of PSL everything, there are signs we’re ready to branch out. My vote for fall’s next great spice? Cardamom. If cardamom is new to you, let me introduce you ~ it’s warm, aromatic, a little citrusy, and one of those spices that can make a familiar recipe taste completely different. Breaking up with pumpkin spice ~ 35 Cardamom Recipes get the recipes PS: If you love pumpkin, don’t worry ~...
13 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ As we ease into cooler weather the what's for dinner question takes on a little extra edge. Last week's fresh orzo salad with tuna or that gorgeous tomato tart just won't cut it anymore. Can it be we're suddenly hungrier? I think so ~ maybe we've all got a little inner squirrel in us this time of year. It's when I turn to chicken thighs. They really are the hero of easy fall dinners. Pick up a pack on your way home today and choose one of my favorite thigh recipes. Most of them...
14 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ I don't share trendy recipes very often unless they happen to over-perform in my test kitchen. And this one definitely did, I highly recommend it. It's the perfect thing to celebrate those first cool days of the summer/fall transition. 🍏 It's easy ~ starts with store-bought croissants. 🍏 The result is incredibly crisp and delicious. 🍏 The apple pie filling and pecan streusel topping can be made ahead of time. Apple Pie Twice Baked Croissants get the recipe A shout-out to my...
16 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ Happy Sunday! So what is going on with our food system? I don't even know what to trust anymore, and my shopping options have been shrinking. Usually, food recalls are pretty mundane ~ like a batch of cookies missing a peanut or dairy allergy warning. What’s happening right now is completely different. We’re seeing a surge in truly dangerous bacteria like Listeria and Salmonella. E Coli in frozen berries? Yuck. And because our food system is so interconnected, one bad batch of...
18 days ago • 3 min read