• Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and serving knife
    Baking

    Carrot Cake

    Whipping up this dessert involves an extra step that takes traditional carrot cake to new levels of deliciousness. If that isn’t enough to tempt you, consider that it adds yet another wave of scents that will overtake your kitchen in the best way possible. A knock on the door while this was in the oven led to being asked what seasonal candle I was burning, but the answer was simple: I’m just baking. In a season of bubbling fruit pies and pumpkin everything, this carrot cake overtook everyone who enjoyed a slice with its scent and flavor. Traditional favorites with a twist remind us of the warmest food memories while…

  • Crostini with walnut cream cheese
    Food

    Date Crostini with Walnut Cream Cheese

    When it comes to natural breakfast sweets, maple syrup and honey may come to mind first, but dates are another great option. With a flavor that is deeper and tends toward caramel, they have been significant to cuisines throughout the ages. One of the oldest cultivated plants, date trees also have rich symbolic value, with the fruit representing life and fertility and the leaves being part of many cultural traditions. Among his wishes for marriage, the 13th century poet Rumi hopes that the union may “offer fruit and shade like the date palm.” Full of natural sweetness, dates make a healthy alternative to refined sugar, but I love them for…