Hey friends❣️ If you only master one baking recipe I think the perfect pound cake would be a great choice :) Perfect Pound Cake Pound cake is a pretty straightforward combination of butter, flour, eggs and sugar, but within that framework there's a surprising amount of wiggle room. I tried several different variations before I settled on the best. It's soft, fragrant, and moist. (I hate it when a cake dries out minutes after I slice it.) I doubled down on the vanilla using my homemade vanilla...
1 day ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ I had fun sifting through the Great Island archives for the most popular recipes from the months of April ~ from 2011 all the way up through 2025. April faves start off strong with delicious biscuits made with an interesting folding method ~ have you tried that yet? It really does make the most amazing layers! I think they'd be perfect with your Easter ham. Sometime this month the rhubarb's gonna hit your supermarket and you're going to want to have my rhubarb butter recipe...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ How about a day trip to France? Rustic French Dessert Recipes If the mere mention of French desserts conjures up the 3 “Fs” ~ FUSSY, FANCY, and FINICKY, think again. Unlike the intricate pastries in elegant patisseries, my homemade treats focus on taste over perfection. Like my apple galette, above, where caramelized apples and buttery pastry come together in a perfectly imperfect way. These desserts invite you to roll up your sleeves and enjoy the process, imperfections and...
4 days ago • 2 min read
Hey friends❣️ No kiddie food to see here! Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies Peanut butter and jelly cookies might sound like they're strictly for the kiddos, but nope! (Hint: for these cookies I use a high quality raspberry jam, not jelly!) And in fact some of the best spring desserts start with a perfect jar of preserves... Spring Desserts You Can Make With a Jar of Jam! Jam desserts are one of the smartest (and most delicious) baking shortcuts waiting for you right in the jam aisle of your...
6 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ Today I'm celebrating America's favorite bar dessert! Fudgy Almond Flour Brownies Almond Flour Brownies are the most decadently rich brownies of your dreams ~ and they just happen to be gluten free! Brownies and chocolate cake may share similar ingredients, but let's be honest—brownies take the cake! Their dense, fudgy texture delivers an intense chocolate experience that's simply unparalleled. When you're craving deep, unadulterated chocolate bliss, brownies are the clear...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ I'm always happiest when there's a chunky bean salad in the fridge... Greek Chickpea Salad I just feel better knowing it's there, so no matter what else I eat that day, I've got a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals AND antioxidants at the ready. It's so much more satisfying than a leafy salad. I make a variation of this salad more often than any other. Production starts right now and doesn't slow down until the leaves are off the trees next fall. It's a workhorse...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ Chicken thighs are inexpensive, delicious, and foolproof! That's why they get top billing in this collection of dinner recipes... Chicken Thigh Dinners Want to know how I brown skin-on thighs? I struggled for years trying to brown skin-on chicken in stainless steel pans (the way all the chefs tell you to do) or in my enameled cast iron Dutch ovens ~ no matter what I did or how patient I was, my chicken skin would stick. I finally discovered the simple secret: a nonstick pan! I...
10 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ It's adorable. It's one bowl. And it's a flavor combination that never disappoints. Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting This banana cake from 2013 got a refresh but the recipe stood the test of time. The only thing I changed was to reduce the poppy seeds a bit, otherwise no tweaks were needed! Here are a few more banana recipes to tempt you...including my favorite layer cake on the site! To Die For Banana Blondies One Bowl Banana Bread Banana Cake with Nutella...
12 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ Sending some lemon love your way today with lemon desserts that have earned my Great Island stamp of approval! Creamy Lemon Crumble Bars If I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life, this might be it. These bars are tart, tangy, buttery, and not overwhelming. They go from breakfast to snack time to after dinner equally well. Ideal for transporting to any event, too. Pretty perfect. Lemon Shortbread My proprietary lemon sugar makes this shortbread stand out from all...
14 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friends❣️ I'm so excited to share this brand new recipe, what a treat! Cinnamon Churro Muffins + Hot Chocolate Sauce I'm on a roll with deliciously unusual bakes lately. These muffins are soft, warm, and fluffy with a crisp cinnamon sugar crust on the outside, just like a churro, without the deep frying. We could stop right there and be perfectly satisfied, but when you dunk them into a velvety thick chocolate sauce, well...I have no words. More trending muffins for spring Fresh Lemon...
15 days ago • 1 min read