Dessert Recipes

The woman at the farmers’ market stall watched me stare at her pile of sugar pumpkins for what felt like forever. I was trying to … Read more

The PTA bake sale was in twelve hours and I’d completely forgotten. Not just a little forgot—I mean, I was lying in bed at 10 … Read more

My friend Claire swore she hated Halloween baking. For years. Every October, she’d post photos of store-bought pumpkin cookies and call it a day. Then … Read more

I wasn’t expecting baking advice from my plumber, but there I was, standing in my kitchen with a leaky pipe, listening to Frank describe exactly … Read more

My brother-in-law Mark had sworn off pumpkin desserts for a solid decade. “It’s not my thing,” he’d say every October, waving away slices of pie … Read more

My neighbor Dave asked why I couldn’t just stir canned pumpkin into my regular chocolate muffin batter. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a random Wednesday, and I had an unreasonable craving for pumpkin bread. Not the kind of craving you can talk … Read more

The neighborhood fall bake-off was in three hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing those picture-perfect French pastries or heirloom family recipes … Read more

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked between a dry cleaner and a vintage shop on the south side of Portland—called “Mabel’s Morning”—that made … Read more

Last Tuesday, I was standing in the checkout line at the hardware store—of all places—when the woman in front of me set down a single, … Read more