Pumpkin pops up all over restaurant menus in the fall and winter, from savory soups and risottos to decadent flans and cakes. When it comes to the home kitchen, though, it seems to be a "one trick pony" reserved for pie making, but there's so much more to do with this vitamin and flavor rich vegetable.

Baking

I love gingerbread cookies, but my schedule doesn't always allow time for the rolling, cutting and decorating required. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy the flavor of my favorite cookie.

Baking

Pears aren’t as eye-catchingly glossy, but they grab my attention far more than apples. They have a certain culinary humility and lack of flash that makes them good players in baked goods and preserves. Pears also dress up better than apples ever can, achieving easy sophistication simmered in honeyed wine or baked into an elegant tart.

Baking

The other day as the sun crept behind the clouds, I could tell a storm was about to break loose. Most were troubled by this interruption of summer weather; however, I couldn’t help but welcome a night of relaxation. I cozied up onto the couch and flipped through some channels. However, I quickly realized that something was missing: the smell of fresh baked goods to replace the cold air taking over my apartment.

Baking

Turning on the oven is the last thing most people want to do come summertime. Sure there’s good reason to take dinner outdoors when the temperatures rise into the 90s, but with a little planning, baking can still be a part of your summer dessert strategy. After all, berry season means it’s time to make pies!

Baking

The strawberries are here! If you were anywhere near the farmers’ market at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn a week or two ago, you may have heard me singing the praises of the season. After what seemed like an endless winter, and more than three feet of snow here in New York City, those ruby red orbs of fruit were enough to make me do a happy dance.

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This week, Prince William is getting married and there hasn’t been an affair this grand since his mother, Princess Diana walked down the aisle. I’ll be in attendance this Friday morning. It’s perhaps the best wedding invitation too—no fussing with gowns, hair or make-up. My pajamas, fuzzy slippers and a pot of hot tea to enjoy with a fresh batch of English scones is all I’ll need to make my grand entrance.

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Come Easter dessert time, the last thing I want to do is serve another sugar-loaded sweet. This year I decided to make carrot cupcakes, figuring I could convince the kids they’re the Easter Bunny’s favorite too.

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Next week is the start of Passover, and I’ve been thinking about what dessert I’ll serve for a while now. Not having been raised Jewish—I’m an Italian-Catholic gal who married a Jewish-Italian guy, I don’t have staple recipes that were part of my holidays growing up. A few years back, I came across a recipe that seemed a perfect marriage of my Italian food history and the restrictions from using flour and butter in kosher Passover desserts.

Baking

We didn’t eat a lot of candy growing up, but I do remember my mom’s favorite were Chunky Bars. I found them intriguing, that dome of chocolate studded with raisins and nuts. I always thought there were peanuts, but a little research revealed it was really a mix of brazil nuts and cashews. The original confection was created right in my hometown in New York City, a fun fact I can’t wait to share with mom.

Baking

Light and airy, yeast-raised doughnuts were a favorite growing up, especially glazed ones with sprinkles. As an adult I became more partial to cake doughnuts. The sturdier construction ensured it stood up well to a few dunks in a mug of coffee. The problem, though, is those calories were much easier to burn as a kid than as a busy mother of two—chasing after a toddler is workout of another kind.

Baking

During Hanukkah I find myself making doughnuts to bring to celebrations with our friends. Sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnut, are a traditional sweet served during this Jewish holiday, also known as the festival of lights. Not only are they pretty easy to make—just make sure to allow proper rising time, it’s a very kid-friendly recipe too. They can help work the dough, cut it out and fill them too—leave the hot oil and frying to mom and dad.

Baking

classroom birthdays, food allergies can feel like an obstacle for families not used to working with a new set of ingredients. Rather then fret over what you can’t use, embrace the ones at your disposal. Cooking is a source of comfort, and should be inclusive and fun for everyone. Here’s a recipe that proves you can have your cake and eat too.

Baking

The crust was crisp, almost cracker-like, defying gravity, no matter what type of topping it needed to support. More than 10 years after my first bite, I discovered the answer in my very own kitchen. After creating a recipe for an easy butter crust using baking powder, it occurred to me that not only does this important ingredient add a bit of rise, it gives a little elasticity to the dough.

Baking

I can’t think of a tastier way to counteract summer’s heat and humidity than with a frozen treat. Eating ice cream every day, though, isn’t the best choice for adults or children. Luckily I found a healthier answer while making smoothies one morning. We all prefer them on the thicker side in our house, so I start off with just a bit of milk, adding more as I pulse the blender until it reaches the desired consistency. That’s when it dawned on me. A quick, cooling fix was only a few pulses away—no ice cream maker required.

Baking

Shortcake is typically thought of as something that’s accompanied by strawberries, right? But, why limit yourself, and only allow for the possibility of shortcake in the spring, when strawberries are in season? Why not continue the celebration year-round? Right now, while we are enjoying the peak of the summer and stone fruit truly shines, peaches make a wonderful accompaniment to the buttery biscuit. Heaped high atop your shortcake, and combined with freshly whipped cream, this summer dessert is not to be missed.

Baking

Let’s face it, waking up for work or getting the kids ready for school is far from fun. On a Monday, it can seem downright cruel. Unless you’ve got a breakfast sundae waiting for you. The idea came to me while attending a business meeting. As I stared down at half a melon filled with yogurt and a sprinkling of cereal, I wondered what this would taste like if it was jazzed up. It didn’t take long before the wheels started turning, and I left that meeting with one thing on my mind. I added making some frozen yogurt to my list of things to do.

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Sandwiches are a go-to lunch favorite, but come dinnertime I crave something with substance. What if I told you a satisfying meal is within reach without ever turning on the stove or oven? And it doesn’t involve chopping veggies to make a salad. All you need to do is plug in your Cuisinart Griddler. Paninis are a tasty way to enjoy a meal when you have little time or no desire to head into a hot kitchen.

Baking

I’m not sure what makes me more giddy about squash season—the slender green and yellow vegetable, perfect for slicing and sautéing, or the vibrant yellowish-orange blossoms that can be plucked and eaten before the vegetable blooms.

Baking

All year long I stare at the half-shucked cobs of corn wrapped in plastic on Styrofoam trays at the grocery store, and my mind wanders to summer’s bounty of those sweet-tasting kernels. Well, no more waiting or staring wanderlust in the supermarket—corn season is in full swing here in New York City. While the window for these golden cobs is longer than say artichokes, which disappeared in the blink of an eye, I want to make sure I eat enough to satiate my dreams once the season ends.

Baking

We can’t decide if sliced and tucked into a BLT or simply diced and tossed into salad is our favorite way to enjoy tomatoes. What we do know, though, is that nothing beats the just-picked taste of homemade tomato sauce.

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Necessity is indeed the mother of invention, especially when it comes to a fridge full of zucchini. This recipe hit a homerun with the kids, and it disappears quickly at backyard BBQs too.

Baking

Sometimes it seems a cruel twist of fate that berry season coincides with summer. I dream of making blueberry, peach and cherry pie all year long and when their time at the farmers’ market rolls around, the temperatures are so hot outside, turning on the oven for the hour or so they take to bake seems crazy. One such solution is hand pies.

Baking

The farmers’ market brings a surplus of bounty come summertime. In fact, some weeks I wonder how I’ll ever use up all I bought. Such was the case last week, and since my cooking week was cut short with a business trip, I went to work emptying the vegetable bin.

Baking

Imagine serving up some pina coladas, strawberry daiquiris or margaritas on a dessert plate at your next summer cookout? It’s easier than you think with Booze Cakes (Quirk 2010), a new cookbook out this month.

Baking

How do you make your treat stand out in a sea of sweets without spending hours in the kitchen? The secret is in the topping – a good crumb topping livens up an otherwise ordinary coffee cake. Here’s my basic recipe and a nut variation to get you started. It’s easy to make and fun to tinker with, so let me know what you come up with.

Baking

Olive oil cakes are popping up all over café menus and upscale restaurants. After one bite, it’s easy to understand what all the craze is about. The flavor is lighter than butter, and you can use it at a moment’s notice since there’s no need for it to soften

Baking

Before I made my first loaf, many years ago, I had been a bit intimidated by the process. How could such humble ingredients come together to form the crunchy, airy loaves I saw lining the local bakery’s windows. Surely it was something only a professional baker could do. I know that undoubtedly now, many dozens of loaves later, that making bread is not only easy—it’s loads of fun.

Baking

I decided to tinker with my blueberry muffin recipe with organic “half-white” flour. I’m happy to report the result is a lighter, more delicate crumb

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I perfected my own scone recipe. Now the whole family can enjoy them, and they make a beautiful addition to my weekend brunch baskets.

Baking

This weekend I set out to make something to bring to a friend’s Hanukkah party, and was reminded of how my husband talks of his grandmother’s rugelach. His mother doesn’t care much for cooking, so it was no surprise she didn’t have the recipe. I wasn’t going to let that get in my way, though, and headed to the kitchen.

Baking

My mom used to make gingerbread houses when I was kid. They were beautiful and quite elaborate, complete with mini ice cream cones camouflaged as trees under wispy layers of green-tinted royal icing. While we loved breaking into them and eating the remnants as kids, as an adult I’m more of a cake-like gingerbread fan.

Baking

I have a habit, a compulsion really, of always tinkering with my recipes. It's not so much that I think they need improving—more the quest to always use new ingredients and techniques. Take my apple muffin recipe that came about two years ago after a day of apple picking. There's only so many pies one can make, and eat (or so I try to tell myself).

Baking

Bourbon and brown butter. Just uttering the words puts me in a good mood. Throw in a few really ripe bananas, and you’ll find me in the kitchen making banana bread.