Dessert Recipes

This was supposed to be apple cider donuts. The cute, ring-shaped, cinnamon-sugar-dusted kind you get at the orchard on a perfect October afternoon. I had … Read more

Hand me that jar of vanilla extract, my neighbor said, reaching past me toward the spice cabinet. I was mid-story about the farmers market pears … Read more

Hand me that bowl, honey, my neighbor Ms. Gladys said without looking up from her porch swing. She was shelling peas into a colander, and … Read more

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked between a vintage bookstore and a dry cleaner on Main Street in my old neighborhood. They made … Read more

I was at my accountant’s office, of all places, waiting for him to finish up with another client. I’d brought a book, but I was … Read more

This was supposed to be banana bread. I had three overripe bananas sitting on my counter, the kind with brown spots that my grandmother always … Read more

My neighbor wasn’t trying to impress me. I’d stopped by to return her garden shears—the ones I’d borrowed two weeks ago and honestly kept forgetting … Read more

This was supposed to be a perfectly respectable batch of classic chocolate chip cookies. I had the butter softening on the counter, the eggs at … Read more

My niece had been planning her Halloween party for months. I mean, this kid had color-coded spreadsheets and a Pinterest board that would make professional … Read more

My neighbor Jen wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to return her hedge clippers—the ones I’d borrowed three weeks earlier and honestly forgotten … Read more