Dessert Recipes

Marta, the woman who runs the little spice shop on Elm Street, watched me squinting at her display of nutmeg one drizzly November afternoon. I … Read more

This was supposed to be a pecan pie. I had the pecans toasted, the corn syrup measured, and I was feeling pretty smug about my … Read more

I was standing in the spice aisle of a grocery store last December when it hit me—that sharp, warm smell of ginger and cloves coming … Read more

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked between a dry cleaner and a vintage shop on the corner of Elm and 4th that made … Read more

My niece Lily asked me last October why we couldn’t just use yogurt instead of pudding for the Halloween dirt cups. I started to explain … Read more

I wasn’t expecting cookie decorating advice from my accountant, but there I was, knee-deep in spreadsheets during tax season, listening to Mrs. Patricia—who had been … Read more

My dad had a standing rule about pecan pie. For forty-something years, he claimed to hate it. “Too sweet,” he’d say, waving a dismissive hand … Read more

My sister-in-law wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place to pick up a casserole dish I’d left at Thanksgiving, and the smell … Read more

My neighbor, a woman named Carol who I’d only ever exchanged waves with, wasn’t trying to impress me. I’d stopped by to return a set … Read more

I wasn’t expecting baking advice from a retired plumber named Gary, but there I was, stuck in a three-hour layover at Chicago O’Hare, listening to … Read more