Perfect Banana Muffins

Do you want perfectly spiced, perfectly sweetened, perfectly fluffy, perfectly melt-in-your-mouth banana muffins? Then you'll want to try this recipe. I promise I don't flippantly throw around the word "perfect." (You may remember my Perfect Apple Muffin post.) It's just that once you've found THE recipe you love the best and make time and time again you realize that it is indeed perfect for you. So when I'm needing a banana muffin fix and/or need to restock my freezer stash - this is it!
On the other hand, if I want to make loaves of banana bread I always use Great-Grandma's recipe. It's a texture thing. Both delicious. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Great-Grandma Bingham's Banana Bread

This is the banana bread I grew up eating. No matter which country we lived in or how many times we moved, when mom made banana bread it was this recipe she stuck with. I love it because it is easy to slice and it's not overly sweet. We love eating it sliced, buttered, and broiled just a bit til the edges are crispy. Sometimes we add a drizzle of honey over the top. SO good.

Baked Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I came across these pictures I took last year and realized I never posted the recipe! We love pancakes. We love cinnamon rolls. This gives you the best of both PLUS there's no standing over the stove top flipping pancakes and being the last person to sit down and enjoy them. I love that this make a giant pan of pancakes and everyone can sit down together and eat at the same time.  I just had to share this recipe now because these baked pancakes make a great Christmas morning treat.

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Here is my current go-to recipe for cut-out sugar cookies. I'm a big fan of sugar cookies. Big fan. And I used to think baking cut-out sugar cookies was hard work and not worth all the mess. (Maybe it's because I always turn to this Dropped Cracked Sugar Cookie recipe when I need a fix asap)
But this recipe is not at all difficult and it's only as messy as you (or your little helpers) make it. ;)
Don't limit yourself to baking them only during the holidays! Trust me. After you make them once you'll be sure to make them again and again!

Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes

My mother-in-law made these little cupcakes for a bridal shower recently and I was excited that she had enough to share with me. I added them to the many sweets we baked for my sister's senior recital reception (lots of recipes coming this way!)

These cupcakes are perfect. Not too pumpkin-y and not too spicy. They're perfect with a little dollop of cream cheese frosting on top but they're also very satisfying on their own. Even people who aren't fans of pumpkin admit to loving these cupcakes. Give them a try!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I love this cookie recipe! Both the dough balls and baked cookies freeze well. And I must admit that the dough or cookies being frozen is the only thing that will stop me from eating my weight in them! Seriously good stuff. I apologize for the sub par photo. Just trust me when I tell you that this recipe is excellent and you will thoroughly enjoy these cookies!

Dropped Cracked Sugar Cookies

I love a good sugar cookie. I love it even more when I can whip up a batch in minutes and totally skip all the steps of rolling and cutting out shapes!!! Roll the dough in festive colored sugar or sprinkles for your next party or skip the rolling in sugar step and frost them instead.

Cheddar and Herb Biscuits

If you love the biscuits they serve at Red Lobster, you will be thrilled to add this recipe to your favorites! This is the closest I've come to a copycat recipe and it's so simple and quick to throw together. A great addition to any meal. Do yourself a huge favor and serve these with this barbecue chicken. 

It's a crazy easy meal that your whole family will love!

One-Hour French Bread

In case you haven't noticed...I do a lot of baking and try a lot of new recipes. So far, this is my favorite recipe for crusty French bread. It comes together in minutes and you have a fresh baked loaf hot out of the oven within an hour! 

Cottage Cheese Bread

 Cottage Cheese Bread is my new favorite homemade bread recipe. It is so quick and easy to throw together and takes little to no thought. I LOVE that I don't have to worry about kneading it!

This recipe yields one gorgeous loaf of homemade bread and I always double it! One loaf disappears very quickly in our house. Consider making this bread next time you're taking a meal to someone. 

Nothing says you care more than a beautifully browned loaf of homemade bread.
**update** I use this recipe to make pull-apart rolls AND cinnamon bread as well!
Doubling the recipe will yield a gorgeous big loaf of bread, a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread and a small round pan of pull-apart rolls.

Ginger Snap Cookies

These Ginger Snap Cookies are wonderful to bake year round but they tend to make it to the top of my fall and winter baking lists most frequently. They're the perfect chewy cookie with just the right blend of cinnamon and spice with a hint of honey and molasses.

S'mores Cookie Bars

To celebrate this gloriously chilly and cloudy autumn Monday, I must wear my new boots (thanks for sharing the steal of a deal, Lauren!), a sweater, and I absolutely must share with you a delightful recipe for S'mores Cookie Bars. I first made these with little helping hands for my husband's birthday back in July. I've received lots of requests for the recipe since then and since I happened to have a picture saved, I decided I will post it and let you all bake some of your own s'mores goodness in your own kitchens. Happy Fall Y'all!

Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Buttercream

This weekend I had some pumpkin puree sitting in my 'fridge just begging to be baked into something. After a brief recipe search online decided to try this recipe. I was not disappointed. The bread is perfect by itself. Not overly sweet or pumpkin-y and just the thing to pair with a cafe con leche. It'd be good sliced, toasted, and slightly buttered with a touch of honey as well! But, I had enough pumpkin and couldn't resist making the Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting! It's a perfectly thick buttercream with a hint of pumpkin and cinnamon.

Perfect Apple Muffins

No, really! These truly are the perfect apple muffins! I'm forever grateful to my dear friend, Elizabeth, for sharing this recipe with me. This is my go-to recipe for apple muffins. I've tried numerous others simply because they've been pinned a million times or their photo makes them look so delicious...but every single time I'm just disappointed because they're just nowhere near as fantastic as these muffins here. 
I typically will double the recipe and once baked and cooled I'll wrap each one in plastic wrap and freeze them. Then in the mornings I grab one or two (or three) and thaw for around 30 seconds in the microwave. Perfect with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Do yourself a favor and try these asap!