There’s no mixer needed to make this delicious Apple Loaf Cake. Grated apples and buttermilk create a moist and rich sponge that’s flavoured with a hint of warm cinnamon. This recipe yields two loaves which means you can eat one now and freeze one for later (or eat both now—no judgement!) Looking for more apple…
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
This easy to make recipe produces a super moist and citrusy snacking cake. It’s important to use a good quality, fruity olive oil and full-fat sour cream or yoghurt because both these ingredients play a huge role in the texture and taste of this cake. Ingredients: Method:
Perfect Corn Muffins
I have been searching for a solid corn muffin recipe for ages. Most of the recipes I tested were either too dry or too sweet. But, thanks to a mistake I made at the grocery store, I was able to achieve what I think is the perfect corn muffin. I accidentally bought corn flour instead…
Soft & Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies
These soft and chewy cookies are packed with big lemon flavour thanks to the addition of fresh lemon juice and zest. It’s important to chill the cookie dough before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading to much as they bake and maintaining their chewy texture. The lemon glaze adds another layer of bright citrus…
S’Mores Cookies
Everything that makes s’mores so delicious is packed into this cookie: marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker crumbs. These are especially good with a cup of hot chocolate! Bonus: these cookies freeze extremely well. Ingredients: Method: *Yield: Approximately 30 cookies
Pumpkin Crumble Muffins
Nothing says autumn like pumpkin spice. These Pumpkin Crumble muffins are soft, fluffy and flavoured with our favourite fall spices: cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. The crumb topping is the best part of these muffins, so don’t skip it!! Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Check out my Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake or Pumpkin Walnut Bread. Ingredients:…
Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies
These chewy fall-flavoured cookies are filled with sweet apples and warm cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. It’s important to squeeze the excess liquid from the grated apples before adding them to the batter to prevent the cookies from getting soggy. You can also add walnuts or pecans to this recipe for extra texture and crunch. Ingredients:…
Blueberry Lemon Cake
This easy to make summer cake is filled with sweet blueberries and bright lemon zest. The buttermilk in this recipe adds a little tang and lots of moisture to the crumb. I like to top this cake with a dusting of powdered sugar. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt…
Limoncello Loaf Cake
This light and lemony Limoncello Loaf cake is the perfect spring dessert! This easy-to-make cake is flavoured with Limoncello liqueur, fresh lemon zest and drizzled with a citrusy glaze. If you don’t have Limoncello, you can replace it with lemon vodka or one teaspoon of lemon extract. Looking for more lemon desserts? Check out my…
Carrot Cake Cookies
These cake-like cookies are filled with grated carrots, crunchy pecans and sweet cinnamon. They’re decadent topped with a cream cheese frosting –but just as delicious without the icing. This recipe calls for bread flour, as opposed to all-purpose flour. The reason for this is that any cookie that incorporates fresh grated fruits or veggies, such…
Chocolate Cupcakes
I have been making these chocolate cupcakes forever. My children request them every year for their birthdays. What I love about this recipe is that it requires only one bowl and it’s pretty foolproof. The frosting I sometimes use for this recipe comes from the fine folks at Betty Crocker. Yes, I use store-bought frosting…
Seriously Fudgy Brownies
When you bite into a chocolate brownie, you might think you’re enjoying a simple, uncomplicated treat, But, there’s a science to creating the perfect brownie. Now, there are two different camps of people when it comes to brownies: the cakey brownie people and the chewy brownie people. I believe the perfect brownies are chewy, oooey-gooey,…
Maple Pecan Banana Bread
This delicious version of banana bread includes sticky sweet maple syrup and pecans. A crunchy pecan topping adds great texture. I like to drizzle this loaf cake with a simple icing, but it’s just as delicious without it. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2…
Peach Crumble
Fruit crumbles are my all-time favourite treat to bake in the summer because they are so simple to make, you can use any variety of in-season fruit and they can be served warm (with ice cream, of course) or at room temperature. The perfect ending to a summer BBQ or picnic! Looking for more sweet…
One-bowl Chocolate Cake
If you’re looking for a delicious chocolate cake for beginner bakers — this is it. This easy-to-make cake is moist and rich and made even more decadent topped with a chocolatey buttercream frosting. Ingredients: For the cake: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking…
Irish Cream Bundt Cake
I’ve come across many delicious recipes that use boxed cake mixes and pudding as ingredients and this is one of my favourites. This Bundt cake is fluffy and moist and flavoured with a generous amount of Irish Cream liquor. I like to drizzle a simple Irish Cream glaze over this cake — but its just…
Lemon Yoghurt Loaf Cake
If you love lemon-flavoured desserts, this loaf cake will not disappoint. The Greek yoghurt in this recipe creates a super moist cake which is then brushed with a bright lemon syrup as soon as it comes out of the oven. It’s a lemon-lover’s dream! Looking for more lemon recipes? Check our my Lemon Crinkle Cookies…
Date Squares
Sweet and homey date squares are one of my favourite comfort foods. The base and crumble topping for these bars is a simple blend of flour, oats, brown sugar and butter. Sandwiched between these layers is a thick and rich date filling. I like to flavour the filling with just a splash of vanilla extract…
Cranberry Bundt Cake
I love to bake with cranberries during the holidays because they add a bright, tart flavour and a pretty pop of colour to baked goods. This cranberry bundt cake is super moist and tender thanks to the addition of buttermilk to the batter. I like to add Grand Marnier or rum to this recipe for…
Gingerbread Cookies
Decorating gingerbread cookies has become a Christmas tradition in our house. We like to hang the decorated cookies on our Christmas tree… they smell great for weeks! It is important to chill this cookie dough to ensure the cookies hold their shape while baking. I’ve included my recipe for royal icing below… but you can…
Peanut Butter Cookies
Everyone needs a solid peanut butter cookie recipe in their baking arsenal and this is my favourite. These are thick, chewy cookies that are rolled in granulated sugar before baking for a little crunch. I also like to add some roasted chopped peanuts for extra texture. Looking for more peanut recipes? Check out my Healthy(er) Peanut…
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Crisps, crumbles and cobblers are some of my favourite desserts. I love them because they are so easy to make and a great way to use in-season fruit. Although they do all contain fresh fruit, there is a difference between them…crisps contain oats while crumbles do not. Cobblers, on the other hand, are topped with…
Strawberry Cake
This easy-to-make snack cake is filled with sweet strawberries and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s a great way to make the most of in-season berries! It is important to lightly puree the strawberries in a food processor before adding them to the cake batter so you don’t end up with big chunks…
Funfetti Cookies
Soft and chewy Funfetti Cookies are filled with creamy white chocolate chips and crunchy, colourful sprinkles. I like to use rainbow jimmies — but you can use any colour sprinkles you like. You can press a few extra sprinkles into the tops of the unbaked cookies for an extra pop of colour. Ingredients: 2/3 cup…
Lime, Coconut & White Chocolate Chip Cookies
These thick and chewy cookies are a luscious combination of zesty lime, tropical coconut and creamy white chocolate. The additional egg yolk in the batter makes for an extra rich cookie. I like to sprinkle a little shredded coconut and lime zest onto these cookies once they come out of the oven for an…
Carrot Sheet Cake
I love sheets cakes because they’re so versatile and uncomplicated to make — there’s no messy cake layers to stack or fancy frosting techniques. This carrot sheet cake is very moist, loaded with sweet carrots and spiced with cinnamon. I like to top it all off with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. You can also…
Maple Walnut Muffins
These muffins are sweetened with pure maple syrup and just a little sugar. Maple extract adds rich flavour, with a touch of cinnamon for warmth and spice. The crunchy walnut topping adds texture to this super moist muffin. If you don’t have maple extract, vanilla extract works just fine. Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose flour…
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Nothing makes me happier than a dessert recipe that’s simple, requires few dishes and gadgets to make, and involves chocolate. This one-bowl, moist chocolate cake has become my go-to recipe when company’s coming or if I just need chocolate cake in a hurry. I like to drizzle a rich chocolate glaze over this cake once…
Soft Sugar Cookies
These soft, pillowy sugar cookies topped with royal icing and sprinkles are a festive holiday treat. My kids love to slather copious amounts of royal icing and sprinkles on these and leave them out for Santa and his reindeer. I think Saint Nick and his team really like these cookies because they always eat the…
Caramel Pecan Tart
I have been searching for the perfect pecan pie recipe for ages. After trying out countless recipes, I’ve come up with what I think is the perfect pecan tart. Most of the recipes I tested out used corn syrup — but not this one. I use maple syrup, brown sugar and salted butter to create…
Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
This recipe was shared with me by my friend and neighbour, Vanessa. We’ve lived a few houses away from each other on the same street for over a decade, but we didn’t meet until last year at our kids’ school bus stop. We hit it off right away; we’re the same age, we’ve got similar…
Halloween Candy Bar Cookies
Ever wondered what to do with all those leftover Halloween chocolate bars? Me neither. That’s never been a problem at our house. But I have often found myself in the mood for chocolate chip cookies but with no chocolate chips in my cupboard. Lucky for me, I’ve made a habit of picking most of the…
Vanilla Cupcakes
These vanilla cupcakes are one of my favourites because they are so easy to make and very versatile. You can combine them with any flavour (or colour!!) of frosting and they’ll taste great! It’s important to use a good quality vanilla for this recipe because you really want the flavour to stand out. The icing…
Lemon & White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon and white chocolate is a luscious combination. These cookies have a delicate lemon flavour that pairs really well with the creamy taste and texture of white chocolate chips. I like to use lemon extract in this recipe instead of fresh lemon juice because I don’t want the sourness of the juice to overpower the…
The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies — Part Deux
One of the first recipes I shared on my blog was for The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. For me, the ideal chocolate chip cookie is dense and chewy and not stingy on the chocolate chips. I took that recipe and classed it up with chocolate chunks and sea salt. I have also incorporated bread flour…
Marble Bundt Cake
When I was in elementary school, I had a classmate who would bring in a slice of homemade marble cake almost every day in her lunch. For some odd reason, she would often give away her cake. I always tried to get a seat next to her in the cafeteria. That cake was delicious, plus…
Rum Balls
These festive treats are a great way to add a little boozy bite to your holiday sweet table. Rum balls are basically slightly underbaked brownies that are broken up into pieces and mixed with your favourite liqueur. One third of a cup of liqueur is the amount that’s perfect for me — but you can…
Rolled Sugar Cookies
It’s become a tradition in our family to get all the kids together before Christmas Eve to decorate cookies for Santa. They love smearing the royal icing on the cookies and getting creative. Not gonna lie…the kids eat most of the royal icing before it gets to the cookies, they almost always use way too…
Croccante Americano (aka Peanut Brittle)
Croccante is Italy’s version of nut brittle. It’s a holiday treat many of our mothers, nonnas and zias typically made with almonds. A few years back, I discovered a recipe for croccante americano — aka peanut brittle — that is highly addictive and made even more delicious by a light sprinkling of flaked sea salt…
Almond Biscotti
Biscotti are the ideal make-ahead cookies because they freeze beautifully and this recipe can be very easily doubled. I have been making these almond biscotti for years; they are crunchy, filled with roasted almonds and not too sweet. What’s great about this recipe is that you can easily change-up the flavour by replacing the almonds…
Cranberry, Orange & White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cranberries are one of my favourite ingredients to bake with during the holidays because of the tart flavour and festive pop of colour they add to baked goodies. These drop cookies are a great make-ahead holiday treat because you can freeze the unbaked balls of dough and just pop them into the oven when you…
Pumpkin Tart
Growing up in an Italian-Canadian family, Thanksgiving was never really a huge holiday in our home. My mom would maybe make a turkey — but there was no delicious stuffing or pumpkin anything on our table. I remember watching American movies and TV shows with their Thanksgiving tables laden with platters of delicious-looking food and…
Strawberry Trifles
Strawberry season has arrived! I quickly snatched up a few pints of the first locally grown strawberries when I saw them on sale at the farmer’s market this week. I’m a big fan of trifles because they’re very easy to make and always look so pretty with all their colourful layers. This trifle can also…
Italian Almond Cookies
These are my father’s favourite cookies. Like a lot of Italians, he is a big fan of anything almond flavoured. This is my take on a recipe I cut out of an Italian magazine many years ago. That recipe consisted of a list of ingredients and very few instructions. In my experience, most of the…
Black Bean Brownies
I can feel you rolling your eyes at this recipe…but let me explain. A while back, my personal trainer buddy, Jamie, was raving about a brownie she’d tried that was made with black beans. Jamie likes to talk about food when I train with her — especially while I’m doing evil burpees or chin ups….
Baked Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts
A few months ago, I bought a doughnut baking pan. I’ve been experimenting with different recipes, and most of them turned out doughnuts that were a little dry. After some tweaking, I’ve come up with what I think is a pretty darn good baked doughnut; they’re moist, rich and finished with a delicious chocolate glaze….
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
It’s full-on citrus season in places where the sun still shines…the perfect excuse to make these Lemon Crinkle cookies. I think these are as highly addictive as chocolate chip cookies; they’re soft, melt in your mouth, and very citrusy. Everything you could possibly want in a lemon cookie! Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking…
The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
Now that’s an ambitious title for a cookie recipe, I know. But, if you like dense, chewy, super chocolatey chocolate chip cookies, then this is THE ONE. I’ve found that there are two tricks to making perfect cookies; the first is mixing the dough by hand. I hardly ever use a mixer for drop cookies. Not…
Apple Crisp
Crisps, crumbles and cobblers are one of my favourite ways to bake with in-season fruit. This easy Apple Crisp comes together with little fuss and is delicious warm or at room temperature. I like to use a variety of apples in this recipe for best flavour. My favourite baking apples are the Cortland and Granny…
Sara’s Baking Blog 