My ten-year-old asked why I couldn’t just skip the butter in the chocolate coating. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work—then stopped. Honestly, I … Read more

Marta, the woman who runs the little corner market near my house, watched me staring at her display of dried cranberries one chilly November afternoon. … Read more

This was supposed to be pumpkin bread. I had the can of pumpkin puree sitting on the counter, the cinnamon measured out, the walnuts toasted … Read more

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked between a vintage bookstore and a dry cleaner on Elm Street that made the most incredible peppermint … Read more

I was standing in the baking aisle of our local grocery store last December, staring at a jar of crystallized ginger I had no intention … Read more

Laura wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to return her snow shovel—the one she’d loaned me after the first big storm of December—and … Read more

My sister swore she didn’t like pumpkin desserts. For years. I mean, she’d make a face at my pumpkin bread, pass on the pumpkin pie … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a random Wednesday in early December, and I had a very specific craving for something sweet, creamy, and frankly, a … Read more