I was standing in line at the DMV—of all places—when the woman in front of me turned around and started talking about cupcakes. Not just … Read more

This was supposed to be a fancy layered chocolate tart. I had this whole vision—a glossy, mirror-like ganache sitting on a buttery shortbread crust, topped … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a random Wednesday in December, and I was hit with the most specific craving for a shortbread cookie that didn’t … Read more

My friend Jen asked why I couldn’t just skip the double boiler and pour warm cream directly over the chocolate. I started to explain why … Read more

My sister swore she hated peppermint. For years. The kind of peppermint you find in holiday candies, the red-and-white striped kind that cracks when you … Read more

I was standing in the baking aisle of my local grocery store last December, staring at a display of candy canes, when a sharp, cool … Read more

The Christmas brunch was in twelve hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing those elaborate, multi-day preparations—you know the type, the kind … Read more