Easy Sweets

I swore I hated pumpkin pie. For years. Like, if someone brought one to a Thanksgiving potluck, I’d politely fill my plate with everything else … Read more

Marta, my neighbor from two floors down, watched me wrestling with a bag of frozen cranberries in the hallway one December afternoon. I was trying … Read more

Introduction My neighbor Patty wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to return her tupperware—the one she’d sent me home with after a casual … Read more

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked between a dry cleaner and a used bookstore in my old neighborhood that made the most ridiculous … Read more

My neighbor Sarah wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder on a crisp October afternoon, and this warm, cinnamon-and-brown-sugar smell … Read more

My niece asked me why I couldn’t just bake the cheesecake filling right inside the mini pumpkin instead of making a separate crust. I started … Read more

The PTA bake sale was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. I mean, I’d signed up for it weeks ago, but between work and … Read more

My neighbor, Mrs. Gable, watched me fumbling with a piping bag of melted white chocolate on my front porch last October. I was trying—and failing—to … Read more

My niece asked why I couldn’t just use a cookie cutter to shape the apples. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work — then … Read more

The first time I made Halloween popcorn balls, I was trying to keep three kids from climbing the walls while a pot of marshmallow goo … Read more