Dessert Recipes

This was supposed to be a classic shortbread. You know, the kind your grandmother made—simple, buttery, maybe a little plain. I had the butter softening … Read more

Lena wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to drop off a book I’d borrowed, and the smell of chocolate hit me before I … Read more

My niece asked why I couldn’t just crush the cookies in the bag instead of dirtying a bowl. I started to explain why that wouldn’t … Read more

It was 10:47 PM on a random Tuesday in late September, and I was struck by an overwhelming, almost ridiculous craving for something warm, appley, … Read more

The power went out halfway through my first attempt at these cookies. There I was, standing in a suddenly dark kitchen, holding a bowl of … Read more

I was standing in the parking lot of a hardware store last October when a breeze carried the smell of burnt sugar and warm cinnamon … Read more

There used to be a tiny bed-and-breakfast on a quiet street in Portland called The Gable House that made the most incredible French toast bake. … Read more

I was standing in line at the hardware store, of all places, holding a single lightbulb and a bag of washers, when the woman in … Read more

This was supposed to be a strawberry shortcake. The classic kind—split biscuits, macerated berries, a mountain of cream. I had the whole thing planned out … Read more

Last October, I was at the farmers’ market trying to pick the perfect sugar pumpkin, squeezing and sniffing like I actually knew what I was … Read more