Easy Sweets

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked behind the old hardware store on Maple Street that made a pumpkin chocolate chip bread so good … Read more

The oven light was the only thing on in the kitchen, a warm orange glow against the dark February evening. It was my son’s birthday … Read more

The Tupperware lid snapped shut on the third batch, and my husband just stared at me from across the counter. “You know we’re going to … Read more

My neighbor Jen wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a cookie sheet—mine had mysteriously vanished during a baking marathon—and the smell … Read more

My niece, who is ten and has strong opinions about most things, asked why I couldn’t just put the cream cheese right in the middle … Read more

I was at the community garden last October, helping to clean up the last of the summer squash, when my neighbor, a retired baker named … Read more

I had refused to even try apple cider donuts for years. Let’s face it—I was a purist when it came to fall baking, and in … Read more

The fall bake sale was in two days and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing those fancy layered cakes with perfect buttercream rosettes, … Read more

I was scraping frost off my windshield last November when the smell hit me. Not the cold metal of the scraper or the damp wool … Read more

My sister-in-law Rachel wasn’t trying to impress anyone that Tuesday afternoon. I’d stopped by to drop off a library book she’d lent me, and the … Read more