Bake or Break

Recently, I’ve been on a bit of an organizing streak. I generally consider myself organized, but there are new levels of obsession around here. I think I owe some of that to living in New York. Small spaces are pure misery without some extreme organization.

As I was rearranging the cabinet that passes for my baking pantry, I found some dried blueberries stuck behind a giant bag of cinnamon. So, obviously, I had to pause the organizing and make cookies.
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I’ve always been fascinated by the combination of peanut butter and bananas. Honestly, though, I have been a bit skeptical about that pairing. It just seemed like an odd combination.

To decide once and for all if I’m a peanut butter/banana supporter, I made these bars with a big dose of each.

The verdict? I’m in.
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I think cake mixes are one of the best baking shortcuts we can have in our arsenal. I don’t usually bake them straight from the box, but they are a great starting point for many delicious desserts.

I’ve shared with you before that my mother was all about cake mixes. Other great bakers in my family used them, too. The only brand they would even think of using was Duncan Hines. So, I guess it’s not a surprise that I’m no exception.

If you’re a cake mix fan, too, then you’ll enjoy some of my favorite recipes that start with a cake mix.
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I have a long-standing love of cheesecake. It started in my childhood with cheesecake from a box and grew from there. It was usually my go-to dessert choice when we went out. Then, I realized how simple they are to make, and now I love them even even more.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese is celebrating Easter this year with Bring Out the Silver, a virtual recipe swap among selected food bloggers who are bringing out the silver by baking cheesecakes using Philadelphia Cream Cheese in its unmistakable silver package. When they asked me to be part of that campaign, I knew that I couldn’t pass up that chance to celebrate with one of my favorite baking ingredients.
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I toyed with the idea of having this be the shortest description of a recipe I’ve ever written by simply writing: This is the best coffee cake ever. But, I thought maybe you’d want to know why this is the best coffee cake ever.

One of the reasons for that declaration is the texture of the cake. It is so amazingly soft and light. It’s one of the most easy-to-eat cakes I’ve ever had.
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There may well be no more polarizing food than coconut. It seems people either love it or hate it. I am definitely in the former group.

When I first met Quinn, I was shocked to learn that he didn’t like coconut. I quizzed him mercilessly about his aversion. Is it the taste? The texture? It seems it’s all of the above.

For those of you who are on my side of The Great Coconut Debate, these are some of my favorite baking recipes that feature coconut.
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