This elegant, seasonal dessert will be the perfect ending to your Thanksgiving Day feast. Flaky puff pastry cases hold pockets of white wine-caramel pastry cream, and a fork tender poached pear rests on top of each puff. 

I'm always an advocate for individual desserts, mostly because I enjoy having a mini cake or pie all to myself. Something about it feels special, like a bit more thought and effort went into composing the end result on my plate. These pear puffs may look like they took a lot of effort, but they didn't!

Believe it or not, this recipe came to me in a dream. This happens occasionally. I will bake all night in my sleep and wake up (tired) with a new recipe that I need to get out of my brain and into real life. This one has three parts, but each is a simple fix. All the components can be made ahead and assembled  before serving. 

Bring the boo(ze) this Halloween with a sweet, spirited cocktail! These six sips are easy to concoct for an evening of magic and mischief.

I can't believe Halloween is this weekend! It's one of my favorite holidays, and my excitement always escalates the closer we get to Trick-or-Treat time. We're celebrating in low-key fashion this year, but I'm still planning to make our night extra-special with a triple feature of Beetlejuice, Frankenweenie, and Corpse Bride. And! I'm mixing up some scary good cocktails to go with our feast of sweets!

All of these cocktails were developed especially for HGTV.com, and all of the recipes are linked in this blog post. Let's dig in!

No tricks here - only treats! Browse a bevy of spooky sweets that are perfect for your next Halloween party or fall gathering! 

October 31st is just around the corner and I've been spending some time getting well-equipped for the occasion. I've been on the all-important Halloween candy-buying spree (and eating too much of it), I've haunted the house with bats and spider décor - and most importantly - I've developed some fun new recipes that are so Halloween party appropriate! 

My friends at HGTV.com asked me to whip up some ghoulishly good party treats for the website, which are all featured and linked in this blog post!

These little Butternut Squash Bundt Cakes are moist and tender beyond words! Butternut squash puree gives them a soft crumb while amaretto-butter syrup saturates them with flavor. A drape of marigold-hued glaze makes them beautiful for fall.

Hello, friends! It's been a while since I last posted here. I've been making lots of winter holiday goodies that I can't wait to show you! Cute things are in store, and I'm excited for all the sweet things to come.

I've also been developing fall recipes and enjoying all the warm spices that create wonderful fragrance in my kitchen. These little butternut bundts have been a recent favorite. They're a new take on my favorite pumpkin bundt cake, but they're made with butternut squash puree instead of pumpkin puree. 

This sweet spread is an easy way to enjoy summer's tomato harvest long after the season has ended. Add it to a charcuterie board for a gourmet touch, or gift a jar to your favorite epicure.

I first tasted cherry tomato jam many years ago at a local brasserie, where they served it alongside grilled calamari and an array of house cured meats on a charcuterie board. What a revelation! It was so wonderfully sweet and summery, and its flavor harmonized with everything on my plate. Each time I dined there I made sure to order something that had tomato jam as an accompaniment.

This year I planted cherry tomatoes in my little 6' x 11' garden outside the workshop with designs to replicate my favorite tomato jam. And boy, did I ever have a bumper crop!

Layers of brown sugar cake, sea salt caramel frosting, and a sandy graham cracker exterior make this cake a beach lover's dream!

I've been meaning to share this cake I made for Food Network for a while now, and I guess I'd better get to it because time's a wastin'! I can't believe we're already in the last full month of summer.

If you're like me and didn't make it to the beach this year, this cake is a nice consolation. I admit - I've had many slices of this cake and it is delicious! I may even dedicate a whole blog post to its sea salt caramel frosting (it's that good!). And! It's so fun to build. Yes - it's a little involved and has a few steps, but its general construction involves ice cream cones, sugar cubes, and lots of graham cracker crumbs.