Baking

I grew up eating these classic chocolate crinkle cookies every December. To me they are the very definition of holiday sweetness and happy memories. While the dough will become quite stiff as you’re making it, the final result is a light, airy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cookie that marries perfectly with whatever you’re drinking, whether that's eggnog, hot chocolate, or a cold, frosty glass of milk. 

It’s nothing fancy or complicated, simply a jumbo Brie wheel topped with sautéed apples and honey and wrapped in butter-brushed phyllo. But when baked, the combination of textures matched with apple and honey flavors fused with gooey Brie never fails to please a crowd.

Think of this as something like savory s'mores.

A little yogurt makes a flaky piecrust extra tender and the butter taste extra good!

Pistachios are my favorite; I can very easily work my way through a whole bag, leaving a trail of broken shells as evidence, so naturally this is a cake that I make quite often.

When I was growing up in Louisiana, fall meant pecans littering the ground from the stately trees in our suburban neighborhood. On walks home from the bus stop, we would dip into various neighbors’ backyards and gather as many pecans as would fit in our pockets and backpacks. My favorite thing to do once all the nuts had been shelled (by hand!) was to make pecan pie. This recipe uses cane syrup, which adds a more complex sweetness than corn syrup. Plus, by toasting the pecans, you bring out the .…

Though perilla look like large mint leaves, they are tender and mild, with notes of sesame. I love using them for salads and in this focaccia.

Onions are the star of the show: sweet and lightly scented, in pride of place on a layer of light, puffy pastry and delicious crumbled blue cheese.

This vegan pecan pie is flavored with coconut oil, maple syrup, and almond milk, while tapioca flour takes on the role of thickener, replacing eggs.

The filling of this tart reminds of me of the hot Mumbai summers when Mum would make mango shrikhand for us, with the beautiful fragrance of floral cardamom and saffron and the warm notes of nutmeg. Mango and ginger are a great pairing, so the base of the gingersnap crust pairs well with the silky smooth shrikhand filling in the tart. I love this tart and my kids love it too. It is so easy to make that it has become a regular in our home. It is definitely a showstopper for a party as well! It is.…

This subtly spiced, sweet potato-based marvel borrows from the Basque cheesecake tradition. It's baked until its exterior is a deep copper, with a pale interior.

Encased in these mooncakes are a filling of coarsely ground pistachios, fragrant honey, and a generous sprinkling of salt.