Ever wonder what yogurt actually does in your baked goods? The short answer: moisture, tang, and tenderness. 🥣 Why Bake with Yogurt? Yogurt pulls double (okay—triple) duty in your bakes: Fat for richness and softness Moisture to keep things tender Acidity to activate baking soda and create a better rise and lighter crumb It’s perfect for muffins, cakes, quick breads, and even pancakes! 🔁 Need to substitute? No problem. Here’s a quick list for yogurt swaps. Instead of Yogurt, Use: Sour Cream:...
5 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader! Say hello to our new favorite summer salad! 🌞💚 This Shaved Asparagus Salad is light, lemony, and full of flavor—no cooking required. After foraging for wild asparagus in our local area this past month, we've come home with almost 20 pounds (9 kg) of fresh asparagus. So naturally I started searching for recipes online that would help me use up my harvest. While we ended up blanching and freezing most of our asparagus for use later in the year, we added it to quiche and pickled some...
9 days ago • 1 min read
As much as I love scratch-made ooey, gooey brownies... I have a confession to make: I still love boxed brownie mixes too! Growing up, Duncan Hines was my favorite boxed brownie mix and still to this day, it can do no wrong. But through the years, I've found a few tips and tricks to make boxed brownies even better. Enjoy! Brownies topped with ganache. 6 Easy Ways to Improve Boxed Brownie Mixes: Use coffee instead of water (typically I just take the cold coffee leftover from my morning brew)...
12 days ago • 1 min read
🍰 Hello Baking Buddy! 🍰 As we welcome the summer vibes of June, this edition of “Sweet Life” includes my favorite fruits and flavors to kick off summer in all the best ways. Summertime feels like a “new beginning” because in many ways it gives us a fresh start, especially if you’re a student, new graduate, teacher or faculty finishing up the school year. Summer gives us more time to spend with our kids (or grandkids), and longer daylight hours to spend time outdoors. I wanted to take a moment...
18 days ago • 4 min read
Here's your sign to clean out the pantry... and the fridge... and your cupboards... and your countertops... We recently had friends stay for the weekend so I spent much of last week spring cleaning instead of baking. And in all honesty, it was time well worth it. I found ingredients in the back of my kitchen cabinets that I had been meaning to use for months (looking at you, vanilla bean paste). I have this awful habit of buying unique ingredients when they're on sale or they simply catch my...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
🌸 Hello Baking Buddy! 🌸 May is in full bloom—and that means it’s time to celebrate all the beautiful moms, grandmas, and mom-figures out there with something homemade and heartfelt. Whether you’re planning brunch, baking ahead, or simply want a quiet moment with a scone and cup of tea, I’ve got you covered with fresh, flavor-packed recipes perfect for this month. I don't talk about it much, but we own 65 acres of forest in the southeast Minnesota driftless region. It's like our own private...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
I’m so excited to share this sunny little cupcake with you. These orange cupcakes are a sweet spin on one of our most popular cake recipes—Mom's Easy Orange Cake, an old family favorite that the internet has gone wild about for years. Soft, tender, and bursting with fresh orange flavor, this recipe is simple to make and only gets better with time. Topped with a tangy orange cream cheese frosting, this is the perfect combination. Mom's famous soft and citrusy orange cake turned into cupcakes...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
I rediscovered my mom's vintage "cream cake" recipe a few years ago and have experimented with it several times. I wanted to share my two favorite variations on this classic recipe with you. So what is a cream cake? Unlike cakes made with milk or buttermilk, a cream cake uses heavy whipping cream for its moisture and richness. It bakes up with a satisfyingly dense crumb that’s soft, chewy, and incredibly flavorful. These cakes are traditionally baked using the cold oven method—yes, you heard...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
🌷 Hello Baking Buddy! 🌷 The sun is shining, our grass is finally turning green again in between snow storms this week. Hopefully spring will come soon to Minnesota. Either way, Passover and Easter is right around the corner! It’s the perfect time to dust off your mixing bowls and bake something beautiful. This month, we’re celebrating fresh flavors, pastel colors, and springtime classics that belong on your table. 🥕 Carrot, Pistachio & Pastel Treats for Spring April is all about light and...
3 months ago • 2 min read