finding time for cooking | for the time-starved or curious culinary adventurer

A Fall Classic: The Best Homemade Apple Butter Ever

January 12, 2020

The very first time I made this recipe was many years ago, when the leaves were turning all shades of fiery red and orange, signaling a gorgeous Georgia fall. There was a chill in the air, co-workers arguing over SEC football, and comfort food cravings were haunting me.

You know what else says “fall”? Apple butter. Well, technically anything apple + cinnamon, but apple butter is definitely high up on the list. My mom had shared a homemade apple butter recipes from our family friend, Louise, and I decided to give it a try…and it’s become one of my favorite recipes of all time.

Since that time many years ago, making this apple butter has been a rite of fall. I’ve made it, without fail, every single year for going on a decade. I share jars with friends, co-workers, family…this stuff is legendary. And all the better because it’s so easy.

One of the best parts?? No peeling necessary–you keep the peels on your apples, because the pectin in the peels helps it thicken up. The combination of spices and brown sugar makes for a complex and warm flavor, completely adaptable to your own preferences. This is one of those great things that bubbles away on the stove, but takes very little hands-on time and effort.

I’ve posted the original homemade apple butter recipe as I was given it below, but when I make this I make one major tweak—the amount of sugar it called for seemed extreme, so I decrease it significantly. It lets the natural sweetness of the apples as well as the spices shine through, and makes it healthier overall.READ THE POST

Raspberry Skyr Cake With White & Dark Chocolate

December 26, 2019

When I went to Iceland last year, I was delayed for 24 hours and so my friend V had a whole day on her own to explore. When I picked her up in the rental car, she greeted me with coffee and pastries (smart girl!) and the first thing she said was “Wow, Iceland men are like real MEN!” The second thing she said was “Also, the milk here is so good!” True story on both counts.

She was seriously obsessed with all their dairy products (and apparently there’s a scientific reason), and we drank and ate a ton of it while in the country. Skyr is one of the most well-known of their dairy products, a lot like Greek yogurt (though interesting, produced more like cheese).

You’ll find skyr cake in Iceland but it will be more like a no-bake cheesecake. And DELICIOUS. But I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of gelatin sheets and all, so I decided to make a slightly different kind of cake with skyr…using it the way you’d use sour cream or yogurt to give some tang and moisture.

(Side note, if you’d like to see some of the AH-MAZING things we saw and did in Iceland, I’ve got you covered!)

This skyr cake is packed full of raspberries and both white and dark chocolate chips, and is even better than I thought it would be. The white chocolate isn’t really present as a flavor, but kind of melts into cake to provide extra moistness and texture. I sliced myself off a few pieces and then called my sister to come take it away from me and have her family eat it!

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Rosemary Olive Oil Bread With Sea Salt

December 22, 2019

Y’all, this is probably the best bread I have ever made. One of the best breads I’ve ever eaten.

I know, I know—that’s a bold statement. But I’m being completely serious. As I’ve said previously on this blog, I’m not a huge bread person. I can take it or leave most bread, and would rather have dessert or wine or even a good veggie side dish. But this bread changed my mind. I first tested out this rosemary olive oil bread many years ago on Thanksgiving weekend, trying to come up with new ways to feed a bajillion people. It’s become a family favorite and staple at Thanksgiving and even normal weekend family events.

One thing I like about it is that it’s really flexible. The first time I made it, I was under the gun time-wise and so had to cheat and force the timings a bit for both the first and second rise. But it’s a very forgiving recipe and has always turned out well. What I’ve laid out here are ideal timings, but don’t be put off by them.

I’ve made a few tweaks to the original recipe, like adding sea salt on top (rather than the dried rosemary it called for). I do believe that fresh rosemary in the dough makes a huge difference, so strongly recommend you use it if at all possible. The bread flour called for is nice and adds a great chewy texture, but if you don’t have bread flour then just substitute more regular flour. I quite like this using mostly white whole wheat flour, but that’s your call…all-purpose works fine as well.

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Maple-Glazed Chicken With Sweet Potato Hash

December 14, 2019

I was getting ready to start my grill the other night, when all of the sudden I realized I needed a break from it. I’d grilled chicken and veggies almost every night for over a year and a half (and loved it), but it was time to switch things up. But since it was already dinner time, I had to find something fast, easy, and that didn’t require special ingredients. Oh, and healthy. And yet magically this delightful maple-glazed chicken with a nice spiced sweet potato hash totally fit the bill!

I ended up modifying the original recipe a little, specifically in how I cooked the chicken since I had tiny tenders vs. full chicken breasts. What I discovered is that the recipe is simple and flexible, so you can figure out the right proportion of stove vs. oven each time you make it. The sweet-and-savory combo was a total winner!
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Bing Cherry Pie With Streusel Topping

December 7, 2019

I love pie. Pie is the best. But for a holiday where pie plays a major role, I don’t really love Thanksgiving pies. Thanksgiving’s a big deal in my family. We always come home. We get together not only all day on Thanksgiving, but pretty much every other day that weekend. We play football. We play cards. There are glorious sunsets. There is SO much food. This year I think we actually set a record.

[Note: I edited and republished this in December 2019 with refreshed photos]

Every year I make a fruit pie or two, because pumpkin, German chocolate, and chocolate chip pie are just not for me. There’s usually a pear-apple pie with streusel topping, or some similar combination (I’ve been on a roll with this bourbon pear crumble pie). A couple years ago, though, I was really at a loss for what else to make, and then my mom found a bag of dark cherries in the freezer.

After looking up a number of recipes on Pinterest, I had to basically make up the recipe and hope it would work (I had visions of it just being this giant pool of juice, the soggiest pie ever). It was actually super simple and so easy to throw together.

This bing cherry pie ended up being my favorite dessert that year, and I had it for lunch, dinner, breakfast the next morning, and the tiny sliver that was left the next morning as well. This pie is my everything. I have no idea why, but it’s amazing.

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Hearty Fall Lentil, Butternut Squash, & Kale Salad

November 30, 2019

I had some hesitation as I decided to try out this recipe, to be honest. On the one hand, I love a hearty salad (I’m on the record as not generally loving lettuce salads…). But on the other hand, I’m not a massive fan of lentils. I don’t hate them, just tend to find the texture weird and flavor a bit underwhelming. So I wasn’t sure how this lentil, butternut squash, and kale salad would land with me.

But I was pleasantly surprised both by the flavor and texture, and how satiated it kept me for hours! I didn’t feel cheated or dread having to heat up my lunch, and for me that is a win…the cafeteria chicken tenders are always calling, and I have to avoid that call!

Besides the lentils, the base of this salad is a delicious blend of roasted vegetables. Butternut squash for heft, red onion for flavor, and kale for texture (and greenery). Personally I could have left out the pecans and wouldn’t have missed them, since I’m not hugely into nuts and they add calories. And I loved the subtle dressing that blended everything together—sometimes dressings can overpower a salad, especially on leftovers, and that’s not the case at all here.

If you’re looking for other delicious hearty salads, I’m particularly in love with this roasted vegetable and barley salad with a yummy creamy shallot dressing, and this sweet potato and chickpea buddha bowl with maple tahini dressing. Along with this dish, they all three make DELISH leftovers and are perfect for taking to work for lunch as well.

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Pear-Apple Pie With Streusel Topping

November 27, 2019

I’ve been on a kick of re-making some of my all-time favorite recipes, many of which I’ve (inexplicably) never posted on this site. Completely on a whim this week, I whipped up this pear-apple pie (and proceeded to entirely eat it myself over the course of a few days…) and fell in love with it all over again. I made up this recipe several years ago and it definitely holds up over time.

I think streusel topping is totally underrated as a pie topping. I’m a sucker for the crumbly-crunchy-spiced-sweet texture and flavor it adds, and it’s so much easier than putting a pie crust topper on. I have a basic streusel formula I use and adapt as needed for different recipes, and it couldn’t be simpler.

I almost always make this for Thanksgiving when I go home to visit my family (and we eat on it for several days), so I have a strong association with the flavors here and fall in Kansas. In particular, the beautiful (and chilly) sunsets, quiet runs on our dirt road, and a breakfast of pie and coffee the next morning.

I also love that this recipe is reasonably healthy (as desserts go) and super easy to make. Other than dealing with pie crust dough (something I’m not terribly skilled with), the filling and topping are crazy simple and don’t require any special skills. You can throw this together while making dinner or doing other things, and it’s pretty forgiving if you don’t do something exactly right. In fact there isn’t really an “exactly right” with this recipe. You do you.

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15+ Amazing Holiday Dessert Recipes

November 24, 2019

It’s that time of year…when you’re needing to figure out what to make for Thanksgiving or some other holiday gathering. This is kind of my jam. I’m that person who always gets asked to bring desserts to things, so I’ve developed a list of fool-proof recipes for every type of group, taste, and size of event. So below are some of my all-time favorite holiday dessert recipes, dishes that I think will become traditions for you as well.

If you’re needing to bake for gluten-free guests, I have a separate post on some of my favorite gluten-free breads & desserts. I’m not GF, but I still totally love every single one of these recipes and sometimes make them just because.

Traditional Holiday Dessert Recipes (Pies, Cakes, & Tortes)

These are perfect for the main event…the big meal, an office party, Friendsgiving. They feel fancy and are super season-appropriate, but (don’t tell anyone) take minimal effort and most can be made ahead of time.

Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

This is a true Thanksgiving staple…taken up a notch. I’m notorious for finding boozy versions of everything (even before I worked for a spirits company), and this is one of my favorites. The maple flavor really shines through, and the bourbon just elevates things a little bit more. Recipe here.

Bourbon Pear Crumble Pie

The first time I made this, my dad said, “This is the best dessert I’ve ever eaten.” It’s become a Thanksgiving staple ever since. Somehow the addition of bourbon provides an incredible depth, and (I know this sounds weird) that tiny bit of black pepper is revelatory. This is also an insanely easy pie to make. I recommend making it the day before, because it’s better when it has time to totally cool and set up vs. fresh out of the oven. Honestly, this filling mixture would make the world’s best fruit crisp as well. Recipe here.

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Pear Hazelnut Cake With Rosemary Honey Glaze

November 16, 2019

Sometimes the best recipes are the ones where you take something you already love, and make it EVEN BETTER. I’ve been in love with my delicious apple cake with honey glaze for years. Dense, moist, chock full o’spiced apples and finely-chopped walnuts, it’s a work of art. And then I took it up a level by swapping out the apples for pears (one of my favorite fruits), resulting in this pear cake.

But then after a while, something got stuck in my mind and I started to think…how would this taste with hazelnuts? They have such a sweet, toasty flavor that seemed it would pair nicely with the pears. And I’d just made some rosemary simple syrup for a cocktail recipe and decided to throw some of that into the glaze.

I was totally in love with the flavor combo and the texture that the changes produced! If you’re in the mood for something deliciously hearty and fall-like, this is your guy!
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Almond Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

October 27, 2019

I couldn’t tell you the last time I whipped up a recipe in five minutes, barely glancing at the recipe, and it actually WORKED.

This was a very last-minute thing, because my sister needed a dessert to take to a church potluck, and I couldn’t believe how much I ended up loving them. I am somewhat ambivalent on many oatmeal cookies, but with the addition of a hint of almond extract (one of my secret ingredients), these cherry chocolate oatmeal cookies are a little like a Bakewell tart in cookie form, and I ain’t mad at them.

What’s great about this recipe is that it isn’t finicky. It takes ingredients you almost certainly have on-hand, the dough comes together in literally five minutes, and then it’s just a matter of waiting for it to chill for a bit, then voila…15 minutes of baking later you have soft, crispy, chewy gloriousness.

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