In the early days of 2020’s quarantine, when everyone was holed up in their kitchens baking sourdough and banana bread, I watched Jennifer Garner make pretzels on Instagram and fell in love. Shortly after, these Soft Pretzel Knots were born. I never knew that I could make pretzels at home and she made it look so easy! Pretzels and Lye Traditional pretzels are typically made with lye. I always thought you needed food grade lye to make pretzels, and this was terrifying. I had scenes of Fight Club running through my brain. And if you’ve seen the movie, the narrative in my head went like this: Lisa is in her…
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Wow-worthy Pumpkin Pecan Muffins (Gluten Free)
Call me basic, but when the weather cools, I am allllll about the pumpkin flavors. I head to Trader Joe’s and buy all the seasonal pumpkin stuff, and it really is the start of a new season. There’s nothing quite like when that first Pumpkin Spice Latte hits my lips, except for when I indulge in these Pumpkin Pecan Muffins. These muffins are an adaptation of the recipe for my Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffins. They’re fluffy and light, while still feeling rich and indulgent. The pumpkin flavor comes from a fair amount of pumpkin in the batter, and are nicely spiced with signature pumpkin spice flavor. The streusel topping…
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Everything But The Bagel Challah Bread
When Trader Joe’s brought Everything But The Bagel seasoning onto the scene a few years back, I bet they didn’t know that it would cause the pandemonium that it has. Now other stores have knock off blends, but they’re all the same, a mix of: sesame seeds, sea salt, minced garlic, minced onion, black sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. A blend of savory flavors that I’m delighted to bring to you in a loaf of Everything But The Bagel Challah. We aren’t Jewish, but Challah is the most requested bread I make. In fact, I already have a recipe for it here. It’s beautiful, fluffy, eggy, and soft. When I…
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Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
If I had to choose my favorite breakfast sweet, it would be coffee cake. Allegedly, even though it contains zero coffee, it is named this because it is the perfect compliment to a cup of coffee. While I can’t attest to that because I don’t drink coffee, I can tell you that this Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake is one of the best I have ever had. This recipe was inspired by King Arthur Flour‘s recipe for Cinnamon Streusel Coffeecake, but I couldn’t help but tamper with it. What Makes A Coffee Cake, A Coffee Cake Then? All coffee cakes start with a poundcake base. A high amount of…
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“Cider Mill” Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Holes
Fall is by far my favorite season, by far. And of course, the best part about it is the food! Pumpkin picking, apple orchards, cider and of course doughnuts. These Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Holes are super fun to make at home, and allow you to indulge in the flavors of fall all year round. Full disclosure, these are a yeasted doughnut. Most of the doughnuts you’ll get at cider mills (at least in Michigan), are cake doughnuts. Not the yeasty goodness you would find in a jelly donut or Pączki (I’m super polish). These fuse the cinnamon sugar flavor of a cidermill donut with the texture of a yeasted donut,…
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Creamy Gluten Free Chai Rice Pudding
Confession: I was never a huge fan of rice pudding as a kid. I thought it was bland, slimy, and the texture of having little chunks of rice was absolutely disgusting. But, this Gluten Free Chai Rice Pudding was a game changer for me. Rice pudding? Count me as a fan! This is technically a dessert, but would I eat it for breakfast? You bet! This pudding is super thick and custardy. If that isn’t your jam, you can always thin it out, but fret not when you’re making it–it is supposed to be that way. Why Rice? This recipe’s high starch content is what makes it so thick and…
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Almond Chai White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip cookies are an American classic. Every family has a go-to recipe. I’m all for having a favorite recipe, but I’m not above messing around and turning a classic into something new. These Almond Chai White Chocolate Chip Cookies are based on my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Let me preface by saying, I love a chewy cookie. And apparently, I’m in good company. 65% of Americans prefer their cookies chewy! I honestly don’t know what’s wrong with that 35% of you that like a crunchy chocolate chip cookie! Kidding. We all like what we like. It’s all good. But seriously, in my world, chewy cookies are where it’s…
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Delicious Warming Chai Spice Blend
You could find me drinking Chai Tea Lattes all year ’round, but chai flavors just hit differently when the weather starts to cool and the days shorten. When your soul needs a little warming, toss a sprinkle of this chai spice blend into your favorite hot beverage or baked good. Chai without Anise? Yes! Chai flavor is largely attributed to cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and clove. Other flavors like pepper, nutmeg, and anise are largely up for debate. I personally cannot stand anise. Just the smell of it makes me want to gag. I keep star anise on hand for it’s beautiful rustic star shape, but I also double bag it,…
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The Best Ever Cheesy Garlic Bread
Three words hold the keys to my heart: Cheesy. Garlic. Bread. Seriously, if there’s one thing I think I could eat every single day and it would not get old, it’s dough, covered in melted cheese, and slathered in a butter garlic sauce. I sprinkle mine with parsley to throw in something green and for a pop of brightness. Making cheesy garlic bread really begins with the dough. You want a really good quality pizza dough, that is heavy in olive oil. This gives the dough flavor, but also creates a very moist and tender crumb, without tasting greasy. From the dough, you need some really good mozzarella cheese. You…
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Gluten Free Chai Slice and Bake Shortbread
If you ask me, shortbread is the most quintessentially British cookie. Scotch shortbread is so buttery and crumbly; it is one of my favorite treats. So for this recipe, I’ve merged my love of shortbread with my love of chai, to create a lovely, crumbly, Gluten Free Chai Shortbread perfect to dip in a cup of tea. If you’ve been following along, you may have noticed that I have an obsession with the Great British Baking Show. And if you’ve ever watched, you know that they talk about the “shortness” or crumbliness of “biscuits” i.e. cookies. So one can deduce that shortbread, should be “short” or crumbly. Why is Shortbread…