Friends, hi!

Last Saturday morning, I opened the back gate for the first Bakehouse Texas pop-up after maternity leave and thought (very calmly but out loud to Will): I sure hope people come.

Spoiler: you came!!

You lined the driveway before we even opened, sweated it out in the Texas heat (and I mean… truly!), chatted with my family, held my baby, bought cookies and biscuits and scones until I had to put up the SOLD OUT sign less than an hour later. Even a week after the popup, I’m somewhere between insanely grateful and mildly panicked that I did not bake more.

I promise to bake even more for October 3rd’s sale. The menu is coming together. In a neck-and-neck poll on Instagram, you chose Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls over Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls so at least we have that sorted.

Also this week, Texas Monthly published a story about The Bakehouse Texas, my move to Bellville, and the public family feud that made me put my phone in a drawer and bake a pie have a baby. You can read it here: This OG Food Blogger Wants You To Come Eat Cookies At Her House. Really. It feels good to invite you in. Literally, come sit at the table!

In sad news, since my last transmission, I’ve had to say a final goodbye to the cat of a lifetime, Tron. He was a the best menace of an orange floof who spent 16 (!!) pretty epic years living life, stealing muffins, and getting pets from every guest who entered our various homes. He left me with so many hilarious memories, I’ll be forever grateful. Thank you thank you for all your kind words of condolence. Long live Tron.

Shall we bake some bread? PITA! It’s magic trick meets baking project meets meal prep!

What To Make This Weekend: Yogurt Pita Bread

Makes 12 fluffy puffy pita babies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup warm water, 105°F to 110°F

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided

• 3 3/4 cups (465 grams) bread flour, plus more for dusting

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the bowl

• 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt

Instructions

In a medium bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let the mixture sit until foamy on top, about 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the bread flour, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Add the yeast mixture, olive oil, and Greek yogurt. Stir with a spatula just to bring the dough together, then knead with the dough hook on medium speed until the dough forms a soft, slightly sticky ball. If the dough feels wildly sticky, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Remove the dough from the bowl. Add a splash of olive oil to the bowl, return the dough, and turn it to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 500°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Or grab a pizza stone and place it on the middle rack of the oven as it preheats (no parchment paper needed).

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then roll each ball into a circle about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

Place the pitas on the prepared baking sheets or hot pizza stone, spacing them about an inch apart. Bake until puffed and lightly golden, checking after 5 minutes. They move quickly — somewhere between 5 and 7 minutes should do the trick.

Remove from the oven and cover the warm pitas with a clean kitchen towel as they cool. To serve, use a knife to split each pita at the seam, creating a pocket for so many delicious things.

Here’s a printable recipe:

Yogurt Pita Bread Recipe

28.4KB ∙ PDF file

Download

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Serving Suggestions

Serve warm with Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Thighs , seasoned cucumbers and tomatoes, fresh parsley, lemon wedges, za’atar, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and a generous dollop of whole-milk Greek yogurt mixed with chopped cucumber, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Other Bits on my Bake List This September

• I made Dorie Greenspan’s (I love her Substack) recipe for EVO and Yogurt Loaf Cake for the bakery pop-up last weekend. I baked the batter in buttered popover molds and they baked up like tall muffin/cakes. It’s a gorgeous cake batter. I could see it topped with stewy plums or even toasted with salted butter and Karlee’s Late Summer Peach Butter.

• Speaking of plums, this Plum and Lemon Curd Cake is right on time! Halved ripe plums paired with gobs and swirls of lemon curd in a simple buttermilk cake batter. It’s a cake you make on a Saturday morning (hint!) and it’s somehow disappeared by Sunday night.

• We unlocked a new family tradition in which my dad comes to celebrate his birthday in Texas every September. That week (and that birthday celebration) are fast approaching and I’m making Dad a Hummingbird Cake (yes, with mayo!) baked in a 9x13-inch pan, sliced in half lengthwise, stacked and filled with cream cheese frosting and salted caramel. I’ll let you know if it passes muster next week!

An Interview with Timothy Pakron of Mississippi Vegan on his stunning new book Garden Variety

I’m so happy to welcome my dear friend Timothy Pakron back to Baked In this week.

You may know Timmy as the generous spirit behind Mississippi Vegan - a photographer, food stylist, recipe developer, gardener, and Mississippi-born vegan now living in New Orleans. I know him as one of my greatest friends from my New Orleans years, the person whose backyard garden I have spent many nights sitting in, laughing until my face hurt, before eventually ending up on his couch watching Sex and the City (for medicinal purposes, of course).

Timmy’s new cookbook, Garden Variety, is out now, and it is an absolute stunner. It’s vibrant, personal, and full of plant-focused recipes that make vegetables feel abundant and very much worth lingering over. It’s a book grown from his New Orleans backyard - what could be better than that?

I’ll be in conversation with Timmy at Blue Willow Books in Houston on Wednesday, September 23 at 7 p.m., and I would love love love to see you there. It’s free to attend, and truly, what a treat to get to talk gardens, cookbooks, and New Orleans.

Timmy joined us for a lovely cookbook chat below, and we’re giving away a copy of Garden Variety at the end of the interview!

What was the “aha moment” recipe while writing this book?

It was actually the first recipe that I photographed for the book (even though I didn’t know it at the time!). This was in 2019, when I had the concept for Garden Variety in my mind but before the proposal existed. It was my Butterbean Harvest Bowl, a dish that consists of creamy, smoky butter beans with a gravy-like texture that’s topped with perfectly roasted beets, carrots, brussels sprouts, and delicata squash rings. For added texture and flavor, garlic-infused sourdough croutons are showered over top with some fresh parsley to finish. Each bite was so glorious, as I scooped the vegetables and croutons into the saucy butter beans, and it was at that moment I knew instantly it was for Garden Variety. I set it aside for the proposal and the image from that day is what you see in the book. What excites me greatly is when a recipe combines whole ingredients and celebrates the seasons while also being incredibly comforting. This recipe does that famously and it sets the tone for the rest of the book!

If your cookbook had a playlist, what three songs would be on it?

Oh hunny, I can do better than that. How about 30+? I actually have a dedicated playlist for Garden Variety, one that I worked on and listened to during the creation of the book! To me, the vibe of this book is dreamy, breezy, and whimsical. These songs match that energy perfectly while also offering rich textures with a cinematic feel. Artists like jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby, Brazilian bossa nova artist Gilberto Gil, and Italian composer Piero Umiliani all really capture the energy of what it feels like to be surrounded by a lush garden, full of color. Here is the playlist for you to follow and enjoy. I hope that you love it as much as I do! I listen to it all the time.

What’s one ingredient you’re evangelical about?

Probably nutritional yeast. I find it to be a secret weapon. Think of it as a very flavorful vegetable broth that’s been dehydrated into a thin sheet and then flaked into a seasoning powder. I talk about this in the beginning of the book, but I treat it like a plus one to salt and pepper — the savory cousin. Keep in mind, you do not need a lot! Just a sprinkling here and there can add that perfect bump of umami. And it really enhances the flavor of roasted vegetables and works beautifully in dressings. I like to use just enough to elevate a dish but where you wouldn’t be able to point it out. As an alt, you can use a tiny splash of tamari, which packs a huge umami punch, but nutritional yeast is incredibly well-rounded with a nutty and slightly cheesy flavor. It’s almost like how non-vegan folk like to add butter and parmesan to most things. (I get it, those things are delicious!) That’s what nooch is to me. Let me live.

If someone cooks just one recipe from your book to understand you as a person, which should it be?

I think I’d have to say the Garden Gumbo. Gumbo is one of the first recipes I ever learned to make (thanks Mom!) and I have a whole gumbo section in my first cookbook. For those variations, I really wanted to recreate the depth of flavor that traditional gumbo has but completely veganized. But for Garden Variety, I wanted to update the dish by using more thoughtful ingredients. For example, instead of white flour and vegetable oil to make the roux, I opted for whole grain rye flour and avocado oil, which creates a rich flavor with a deep color. In addition to fresh okra pods, I also love adding in young, tender okra leaves, which are totally edible and delicious, but you could also use any young, tender greens which offer a nice vibrancy to the dish. And lastly, the recipe calls for roasted mushrooms. This helps to add a fantastic meaty texture that makes the gumbo delightfully satisfying.

What’s a mistake you hope readers make at least once?

I would say accidentally cooking something too long or at the wrong temperature, as it can introduce new flavor and texture ideas. Even though it could potentially ruin the recipe, you might learn something new from it! For example, I was working on the Sips section for the new book and I was making a form of lemongrass tea. I thinly sliced the lemongrass and was dehydrating it in the oven but the temperature was accidentally too high. After some cooking time, I noticed a toasty smell in the air and thought, ‘Oh no! I burned the lemongrass!’ But it actually toasted the lemongrass slices beautifully and when I made a cup of tea, there was a lovely nutty flavor. This combined with the citrusy notes made for a fantastic cup of toasted lemongrass tea. And this mistake ended up being a recipe in the book!

What kitchen tool deserves more respect, and which one do you think is wildly overrated?

Large cast-iron skillets deserve way more respect. They are the OG non-stick skillet and the fact that they can quite literally outlive us all is reason enough to love them! As for overrated: stand mixer (I know…GASP!) Honestly? I don’t even have one. I never have and I don’t think I ever will. (And I consider myself a passionate baker!) Totally support you if you do have one — I know they are very popular and I’m not here to fight. But I do think they are big, clunky, and I don’t have the patience for pulling one out when I need to bake something. And I certainly won’t offer up my counter space for one! That’s precious real estate, friends.

Fill in the blank: People think I’m ___ in the kitchen, but actually I’m ___.

People may think I am busy cooking all of the time but I actually eat very simply in the morning and throughout the day. I start my day with ginger coffee (yes, this recipe is in the book and I am hooked). Then I follow that with sliced cucumber or celery. Then I switch over to fresh fruit and make that a mono-meal. As the day moves on, I start to crave more hearty foods like roasted root vegetables, nuts and seeds, big salads, sandwiches, and bowls. By the end of the day, that’s when I really like to cook the most and it’s all about comfort. Cozy meals like red beans and rice with garlic bread, mashed potatoes with a saucy protein, and crispy roasted vegetables followed by a sweet treat because the world can be a scary place and we need all the help we can get.

If you could hand-deliver this cookbook to one person (living or not), who would it be and what would you want them to cook first?

Tori Amos. She’s my fairy-goddess-queen-mom 2.0. Her album Boys for Pele taught me how to express myself and, to this day, continues to provide me with a tremendous amount of strength. I would tell her to make the Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Pasta Salad. I don’t know why but I think she would love it. (Fun fact: I actually DID get to deliver the book to her while she was on tour this summer in New Orleans. Dreams do come true, people!)

What’s your most controversial food opinion?

I am an okra lover. Like, I’m obsessed. Not only with eating it but also growing it and collecting different heirloom seeds to try. But what makes okra a hot topic is that people love to say it’s slimy. SO WHAT!? It is a little slimy. But if you roast it with a good amount of oil and seasonings until it is deeply golden brown and crispy, it’s the most divine thing you will ever taste. It has a fantastic savoriness and I think everyone needs to get a jump on it!

When you’re not eating your own recipes, what are you absolutely guilty-pleasure ordering for takeout?

Oh, no question here: Pizza D (the Vegan Supreme). It is my favorite pizza spot in New Orleans and my goodness this order has a choke-hold on me. After a long, busy day of working in the kitchen, sometimes the last thing I want to do is worry about dinner. Pressing a button on my phone to have a hot pizza dropped off at my doorstep? You better believe it is a weekly practice and I am not ashamed to admit it. I mean, we have to support local businesses, right? It’s hard work but someone has to do it. <3

What do you hope someone feels (like, truly feels) when they cook from your book for the first time?

My hope is that they feel joy. When I first started my food career, I was beyond thrilled that I found a medium to showcase my love of plants, passion for produce, and the changing seasons. I hope that you feel (and share!) that same enthusiasm when you cook with Garden Variety. Outside of cooking from it, I hope that it brings you happiness visually, too! When I walk into the room and see my book sitting on the counter, it feels like spotting a hot pink zinnia in the garden with a butterfly dancing above it. Truly! It demands your attention and I designed it that way. My hope is that you can sit down in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and get lost in the pages of Garden Variety. I want it to feel like a warm invitation to try something new in the kitchen and for it to become a beautiful part of your life.

Garden Variety Giveaway!

I’m so happy to be giving away a copy of Timothy’s beautiful new cookbook to one lucky Baked In reader!

In the comments, tell us:

What vegetable are you willing to defend with your whole chest?

I’m going with broccoli. It’s literally edible flowers and we really forget that.

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will remain open until Friday September 18th. One winner will be selected and notified via Substack message mmkay, friends?

Have such a great weekend. More from me soon!

xo Joy

Over the years, it’s come to my attention that I know how to werk a home kitchen - whether I’m testing recipes, shooting cookbooks, throwing an entire surprise wedding before Thanksgiving dinner, or turning my space into a full fledged production kitchen once a month for The Bakehouse Texas - I’ll work a home kitchen to max capacity and few things delight me more.

It’s been a slow accumulation into workhorse status, but here’s a working list of ten things that are doing the most around the kitchen. Adding a thing or two might up your game or make your time in the kitchen feel a little more efficient.

1. A speed rack

I am two years into my life with a 10-tier sheet pan rack and I honestly couldn’t tell you what took me so long! I roll this buddy into The Bakehouse Texas as these chocolate chip cookies and biscuit jammers come out of the oven on bakery day and it’s incredibly handy. I also use it back in the production kitchen to hold trays of scone dough as they come together, or even just to fully air dry washed sheet pans. This humble rack is a Godsend.

2. Bus tubs

I know you’ve worked in the restaurant industry if you shudder at the sight of a bus tub. One night of a busser and dish washer calling in sick will have you swear off those dang tubs for life, I swear. BUT! I’ve found, while not glamorous, bus tubs are extremely handy in a home kitchen for making cleanup feel like a system instead of a personal attack. Think of them as a large version of Rachael Ray’s trash bowl which revolutionized our trips to the kitchen trash bin, right!? I tuck mine away under my work table until they have a job to do. If you have a nook of storage, highly reccomend.

3. A good kitchen scale

This baker’s scale makes all the difference, especially when batching large recipes because who in their right mind has time to hand measure 16 cups of flour? This exact scale is what I worked with in every restaurant kitchen I graced though the plastic cover was always broken off from the kitchen crew carrying the scale by the cover. IYKYK.

4. A giant work table

This butcher block work table is the main character of the Bakehouse. Everything happens here from kneading dough, decorating cakes, shooting Instagram stories. This is the table I stand at to wipe and worship daily.

5. Pink bakery boxes and twine

Do pink bakery boxes make the baked goods taste better? The answer is not no. Add twine and suddenly a rustic baked good becomes an actual gift. I keep boxes and twine on hand because at this point, it’s just expected that I’m walking into the party with a pink box filled with treats. I think that’s exactly why I was invited.

6. Pre-cut parchment sheets

Perfectly flat parchment paper! It doesn’t curl and send me into an unnecessary rage.

7. Half sheet pans and quarter sheet pans

Sheet pans are the backbone of the bakery. If a pan so much as thiiiiinks of buckling in the hot oven it’s out of my life instantly. These half sheet pans for cookies and scones, and quarter sheet pans for nuts, crumbs, buttered toast, and reheating one lonely biscuit. I’m a NordicWare girlie.

8. Cookie scoops

A scoop makes every cookie look intentional. Big, tall, bakery-style. And it’s commercial grade scoops or nothing at all.

9. A bench scraper

A bench scraper (this is the one I always reach for from the drawer) is one of those tools that seems optional until you have one, and then it becomes your third hand, dough cutter, counter cleaner and transferer of chopped things. In other words: essential.

10. Deli containers, tape, and a Sharpie

This is the real bakery secret: these specific deli containers with lids and labels. Buttercream, lemon curd, toasted pecans, cookie dough, mystery sauce from Tuesday are all immediately more manageable once it has a container, a date, and a name. And, these are my favorite kitchen Sharpies! Click click!

BONUS! I recently treated myself to this chef coat for women mostly because my postpartum closet has slim pickings and I just need something I can grab and I know will fit. Feels good! Feels like bakery mode!

What To Bake This Week

In the spirit of the kiddos going back to school (and many of you surviving your summer schedules) Everybody’s After School Cookie, a light and lacy oatmeal cookie studded with chocolate and raisins, rolled in cinnamon sugar. It’s just about every kind of cookie in one and an ambitious way to fill the cookie jar (but not for long - they obvi disappear fast).

A Chat with Elisa Sunga on her new book Cake Picnic

Elisa Sunga has done something very cool: she built an entire community around the idea that everyone should bring a whole cake. No notes.

Elisa is the founder of Cake Picnic, which is exactly as dreamy as it sounds: a joyful gathering where everyone shows up with a whole cake. Perfection!

Her beautiful new book, Cake Picnic, is part cookbook, part how-to guide, and part permission slip to make cake the center of the party. It’s full of playful recipes and thoughtful hosting ideas for bringing people together around buttercream, crumbs, and the known magic of everyone arriving with dessert.

Elisa joined us for a sweet little cookbook chat, and we’re giving away a copy of Cake Picnic to one lucky reader below!

What was the “aha moment” recipe while writing this book - the one that made you think, oh, this is the heart of it?
The CAKE PICNIC cookbook is split into two parts: the first is about organizing small cake gatherings and the second half is a collection of 50 fun cake recipes. Together, both of these are the heart of my love letter to CAKE PICNIC for everyone. No matter where you are in the world, I hope that you can create small moments of magic and eat a lot of cake!

If your cookbook had a playlist, what three songs would be on it?
Opalite by Taylor Swift, Green Green Grass by George Ezra, Geronimo by Sheppard

What’s one ingredient you’re evangelical about?
Saltine cracker flour (from the lemon curd and saltine cracker cake recipe)! In this recipe, we pulverize the crackers into a flour and bake the cake layers with it.

If someone cooks just one recipe from your book to understand you as a person, which should it be?
Chocolate cake with potato chip toffee. I love chocolate cake so much and the addition of the potato chips makes this a fun salty-sweet cake moment!

What’s a mistake you hope readers make at least once?
Overbaking cakes. I think there is a very fine line between just right and overbaked. Through my years of baking, I’ve learned that slightly underbaking cakes when taking them out of the oven is fine because they will continue to cook. Eventually, I’ve learned that there is a distinct feel to perfectly baked cakes; when you tap a cake in its center, you can tell.

What kitchen tool deserves more respect, and which one do you think is wildly overrated?
Conversion charts need more respect! I have a little card with all of the top ingredients and their baking conversions between grams and cups. It’s so handy to have for quick reference. Ice cream makers are too overrated!

Fill in the blank: People think I’m ___ in the kitchen, but actually I’m ___.
People think I’m very meticulous and detailed in the kitchen, but actually I’m quite adventurous and go-with-the-flow. I like to adjust recipes on the spot and if ideas come to me in that moment, I will lean into it!

If you could hand-deliver this cookbook to one person (living or not), who would it be and what would you want them to cook first?
I would love to hand-deliver the CAKE PICNIC cookbook to SZA! I don’t know if she bakes but I’m such a huge fan of hers. I would love to share this piece of me with her. If it all goes well, maybe we could even bake together and eat our cakes together. Ah, a dream day!

What’s your most controversial food opinion?
I don’t really like matcha! There are a lot of bakes that use matcha but I’m not really a fan.

When you’re not eating your own recipes, what are you absolutely guilty-pleasure ordering for takeout?
My happy meal is fries. I would love to sit in front of a big bowl of fries and just eat my way through it. Any day that includes french fries is a win in my book!

What do you hope someone feels (like, truly feels) when they cook from your book for the first time?
I hope they feel heartened, joyous, adventurous, and whimsical. To me, the CAKE PICNIC cookbook is a ball of sunshine and sweetness rolled into a book. I wanted to make sure each page and photo felt like a hug or a moment that you want to create and be a part of. I hope we create these little moments and spaces of magic in our lives all of the time!

Cake Picnic Giveaway!

I’m so happy to be giving away a copy of Elisa Sunga’s beautiful new cookbook, Cake Picnic, to one lucky Baked In reader!

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below and tell me:

If you were coming to a cake picnic, what cake would you bring?

I’d be walking up with this Chocolate Stout Cake with Fresh Raspberries.

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will remain open until Sunday September 6th. One winner will be selected and notified via Substack message.

More soon, friends! Have a lovely day.

xo Joy

Friends, hello! Here’s the beginning of a short essay I recently wrote about The Bakehouse Texas. We reopen the monthly popup in a few short weeks on Saturday September 5th (Labor Day weekend) and if you’re in Bellville or anywhere near Houston or Austin, I hope you come by! If not, here’s a bit about the inspiration behind my backyard bakery. I’ll be sharing more about the logistics and process in the coming weeks! xo Joy

When I was a kid, I loved to play house, though I was never especially interested in the husband-and-child portion of the game. Funny now, considering I have both and am pleased as punch with the arrangement.

What I wanted was the house.

I wanted a room that belonged to me. I wanted to move the furniture around, decide what pretend cakes we were serving, and choose who was invited. Very middle-child behavior: Please come to my party. I have made everything as nice as possible on a budget of nothing. Also, I reserve the right to yell for mom if you make fun of me.

My grandparents had a strange unfinished space above their two-car garage that I discovered one very boring afternoon. It was a wooden platform with two windows, a few mostly broken chairs, an old school desk, dusty tables, and boxes nobody needed but nobody wanted to throw away. It had at least a decade of dust on it and was emphatically not a place for children. Naturally, I decided it was mine.

I snuck bowls, plates, utensils, and the odd tchotchke upstairs from my grandparents’ house and arranged the space into my version of a clubhouse. My grandmother, of course, eventually noticed and made sure I returned everything. But the vision remained.

Up there I would throw imaginary parties and work the counter at my imaginary bakery. I stirred imaginary batters in very real bowls and served invisible customers. Sometimes my older sister played along until she had the nerve to get bored and leave. Understandable, but I had an imaginary business to run.

I hadn’t thought about that room much until recently - because I finally built it!

Continue reading on joythebaker.com

The Bakehouse Texas is back September 5th

After our maternity-leave intermission, we’re reopening Saturday, September 5th, and keeping things simple this fall: no preorders. Just walk up, see what’s come out of the oven!

Saturday, September 5
9 a.m.–noon, or until we sell out
310 E Palm St., Bellville, Texas

Look for the big leaning Victorian and come down the side driveway into the backyard.

September’s menu:

The Bakehouse Texas Chocolate Chip Cookies — enormous, Guittard chocolate-loaded, crisp around the edges and gooey through the middle. (Recipe linked!)

Big Buttermilk Biscuit Jammers — tall buttermilk biscuits with bubbling pockets of jam baked fresh throughout the morning until we run out. (Recipe linked!)

Pork, Cabbage & Ginger Sausage Rolls — flaky pastry wrapped around savory pork, cabbage, and ginger. A recipe from Martin Sorge’s new Great Bakes cookbook!

Brown Butter Cornbread Cookies — nutty brown butter meets sweet, craggy cornbread in cookie form, topped with brown buttercream and honey.

Olive Oil Polenta Cakes with Raspberry — tender little cornmeal cakes with bright raspberry glaze.

Cheddar Scallion Scones — buttery, savory, cheesy, scallion-y. You get it. (Recipe linked!)

Everything is baked fresh Saturday morning and sold first come, first served until it’s gone.

Bring your own mug and I’ll pour you a complimentary cup of Bellville’s own Interstellar Coffee.

We accept cash, Venmo, and Zelle.

We’ll be open the first Saturday of every month (aka Market Day in Bellville) this fall:

September 5 · October 3 · November 7 · December 5

See you in the backyard!

Now let’s talk about a new cookbook I love! I’m so happy to welcome Serena Wolf to Baked In this week!

Serena is a Le Cordon Bleu-trained recipe developer, culinary instructor, cookbook author, and the kind of kitchen friend who makes you feel like you can absolutely pull dinner together without spiraling in front of the open refrigerator. You may know her from The Dude Diet cookbook, her longtime recipe site Domesticate Me, or Spiraling, the optimistic anxiety podcast she cohosts (a title I relate to perhaps too personally).

Her brand new cookbook, You Do You: 100+ Endlessly Adaptable Recipes to Boost Your Culinary Confidence, is exactly the sort of book I want on the counter when the groceries are giving “figure it out.” The whole spirit of the book is generous and freeing: here are smart, delicious recipes, here are the swaps and riffs, here is permission to trust yourself a little more in the kitchen.

Serena joined us for a very fun cookbook chat, and we’re giving away a copy of You Do You to one lucky reader below!

What was the “aha moment” recipe while writing this book - the one that made you think, oh, this is the heart of it?

My aha moment actually came prior to writing this book, and each and every recipe was designed to fit into this collection of specifically flexible recipes. I had always known that home cooks sometimes struggled to tweak recipes on their own, but it wasn’t until I started teaching virtual cooking classes back in 2020 that I realized how huge of a pain point making substitutions can be. Those early classes were characterized by students’ panic over missing one ingredient in a recipe, and my email was constantly flooded in the hours before class with all caps, “I DON’T HAVE/LIKE [insert ingredient]?! What should I do?!!!” To save the communal sanity, I started including a “You Do You” section in the recipes that were sent out to students ahead of class with a list of possible substitutions for the primary ingredients in a recipe. This soothed everyone’s anxieties, and I was shocked at how much more calm students seemed having been given permission to make so many substitutions. AHA! Every recipe in this book is accompanied by a You Do You section, and my hope is that by reading through them, home cooks will start to understand the role various ingredients play in a recipe (is it acting as a binder? adding sweetness? crunch? tang?) and become increasingly confident tweaking recipes to suit their personal tastes and what they have on hand. Ironically, my goal with this book is to help readers go off book more often and feel good about using recipes as roadmaps.

If your cookbook had a playlist, what three songs would be on it?

Ooooh I love this one. Since I listened to the Nancy Meyers’ Kitchen Spotify playlist on repeat throughout the entire book process, and I almost always have it on during dinner parties, I’m going with a few classic favorites with feel good, confidence-boosting vibes:

You Send Me Aretha Franklin

Baby You Got It Brenton Wood

Best of My Love The Emotions

What’s one ingredient you’re evangelical about?

This is a boring one but…DIAMOND CRYSTAL KOSHER SALT. I know everyone has their salt loyalties, but I will die on the Diamond Crystal hill. I just really appreciate its light, hollow flakes (they adhere particularly well to the surface of food) and the fact that it dissolves more quickly than Morton’s. The latter is key for people like me that are impatient taste testers—you’ll be far less prone to over salt something because you think it’s under seasoned when really the salt just needed a tiny bit more time to dissolve!

With that said, I remember reading a review of my last cookbook and someone saying, “She really looooooves chipotles in adobo.” And that made me crack up because I do, in fact, love them very much, and I hadn’t really noticed how often I use the peppers and sauce in my recipes. I’m a sucker for the controlled heat of the chipotles and the slightly sweet, smoky flavor of adobo sauce, so I find myself adding one or both to everything from salad dressings and marinades to meatloaf and savory baked goods.

If someone cooks just one recipe from your book to understand you as a person, which should it be?

The Bee Sting Bites from the Happy Hour chapter! They’re bite-sized pieces of oven-crisped salami topped with a Calabrian chili whipped ricotta, plenty of Pecorino, basil, and a drizzle of honey. They’re a little bit fancy but not fussy, and they’re more fun with friends. They’ve also got a bit of unexpected spice that tends to surprise people ;).

What’s a mistake you hope readers make at least once?

Not reading a recipe all the way through! Reading a recipe from start to finish before you start cooking is so important, and it’s a simple thing that so many people skip. I get it! We’re all busy, but spending an extra couple of minutes up front to read through a recipe at least once versus diving right into cooking—doesn’t matter if it’s a super simple or more involved recipe—is the easiest way to ensure success. Forewarned is forearmed, if you will.

What kitchen tool deserves more respect, and which one do you think is wildly overrated?

I don’t know how people are cooking without bench scrapers! I think the bench scraper often gets relegated to the baking category, but I rarely bake, and mine is hands down the most used tool in my kitchen aside from my chef’s knife. I use it for portioning ingredients, transferring prepped goods to bowls/pans, and for keeping my work surface clean, and I am infinitely less efficient and tidy without it. I’m personally not a fan of any single use kitchen gadget (avocado slicers, onion choppers, etc.). I feel like all of these jobs can be easily accomplished with a good chef’s knife and a tiny bit of practice, so it’s a waste of precious kitchen storage real estate. Not to mention the fact they’re usually a huge pan to clean.

Fill in the blank: People think I’m _tidy__ in the kitchen, but actually I’m _a human tornado__.

If you could hand-deliver this cookbook to one person (living or not), who would it be and what would you want them to cook first?

Jennifer Garner. Have you ever watched her “Pretend Cooking Show”?! It’s adorable and comforting (which is the type of content I want more of these days), and I very much respect the joy and realness she brings to cooking. I’d love for her to make the Foolproof Roast Chicken with smashed potatoes because I feel like she would appreciate how something as simple as salting the chicken the night before can have such a huge impact on the flavor and texture of the meat. I also think she would get a kick out of saying the word “spatchcock” multiple times…

What’s your most controversial food opinion (The one that gets you yelled at on the internet?)

I think that mayo is the devil’s condiment. I truly wish it did not exist, and no, I do not like aioli! It is just a fancy name for mayo. Needless to say, this aversion devastates many people.

When you’re not eating your own recipes, what are you absolutely guilty-pleasure ordering for takeout?

I shamelessly live for chicken fingers and French fries.

What do you hope someone feels (like, truly feels) when they cook from your book for the first time?

Calm. We live in such a high-stress world, and cooking can so often be an added stressor, especially if you’re not a confident cook. After so many years of teaching, I’ve learned to write recipes in a way that hopefully makes people feel like they have a friend in the kitchen helping them troubleshoot any potential issues and offering plenty of options to help tailor a meal to their tastes/fridge/pantry. If they can feel at ease when cooking from this book, I’ll feel like I accomplished my goal.

You Do You Giveaway!

I’m so happy to be giving away a copy of Serena Wolf’s brand new cookbook, You Do You: 100+ Endlessly Adaptable Recipes to Boost Your Culinary Confidence, to one lucky reader!

And Serena has my full support with Diamond Crystal Kosher Sald and chipotle in adobo. :)

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below and tell me:

What’s the most underrated tool in your kitchen?

(There are many correct answers. Tiny whisk is one of them.)

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will remain open until Friday August 28th. One winner will be selected and notified via Substack message.

Have a great weekend!

xo

Summer always feels impossibly long until one day, somehow, it’s over? Certainly not because the heat has subsided. In Texas? Let’s not get carried away. It’s because the kiddos are back in school, the morning traffic shifts, and… mid-August seems entirely too early to return to school, but so goes it in Bellville. *Back in my day* I had the back-to-school scaries all Labor Day weekend as God intended.

This is also the time of year when I hear the siren call of back-to-school supplies, despite having no actual school to buy supplies for. I become the sort who believes she needs to completely restock her office drawer with favorite pens, sticky notes, and a fresh pair of scissors. A new notebook? It’s bound to happen.

Somehow I resisted the school supply aisle at H-E-B this afternoon.

So, in celebration of our modestly extended summer (and my heroic restraint in the pen department) I have a sweet little giveaway for you paid subscribers. Thank you so so much for being here!

Read more

Friends, hi!

We’re at the top of August, which is to say we’ve reached the part of summer that asks quite a lot of us in the way of endurance. Ambition? Out the window. Personal growth? Please see me in October. The dog days, indeed.

I did manage to make these little dot cakes (I know I’m late for the viral moment) for our best friend’s daughter’s fifteenth birthday. The Kitchn insisted that proper dot cakes are made with cake mix and (see location of ambition, above), I was happy to oblige. On top of the cakes I printed out little cards of their cat, Goose, and they were a hit with every age. You can’t go wrong with a dot cake! Take note.

Eight months into this year, I feel like I’m reaching into my back pocket looking for whatever I’ve tucked away to get me through the heat, through the day, to the dinner table, into the shower, back to the goshdang breast pump, and… you know when you find a folded and washed $20 bill in your back pocket and it’s just the best feeling? That’s what I’m looking for.

So this month, let’s root around in our pockets a bit. My offering is a one-pot pasta you might want to tuck away for later, an essential cupcake hack, and a cheater croissant made with puff pastry. Little mercies that might help me get a meal on the table before anyone cries (me included).

Here’s what we’ve got, plus an incredible new cookbook interview and giveaway!

Subscribe now

Fresh on the Blog

I can vouch for the fact that there are a few good reasons to turn on the oven in August and one of them is this Raspberry Honey Chantilly Cake. Think: honey-kissed yellow cake layers with a swoopy mascarpone cream cheese frosting and truly so so many raspberries. If you, like me, have developed an emotional attachment to the Whole Foods Berry Chantilly Cake, this homemade version will make all the sense in the world to you. I already have plans to make the cake, yet again, for my dad’s birthday next month (if I can hold out that long).

Easy August Wins

As promised, these are a few recipes I keep tucked away in my back pocket when I need an easy win on the thickest of days. This One-Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper with Sneaky Veggies is clutch when… I don’t even want to say the words “back to school” because it feels too soon but… may I suggest making a double batch. It’s that good.

There’s also this recipe for Twelve Frosted Cupcakes with one stick of butter that feels like pulling a rabbit out of a hat when you just need to make a moment happen. It’s not like a Leo would ever let you forget their birthday, but if you did… I’m sure there’s a candle in the junk drawer. Aaaand, go!

Maybe it’s because I’ve just used my last package of Trader Joe’s all-butter puff pastry (if you know, you know they only sell it during the holidays), but I’d be remiss not to mention that these Very Easy Ham and Cheese Croissants are perfect for a weekend morning. Really they can be filled with any sort of leftovers + cheese you find in the fridge. Serve with hot coffee and you’re really doing something.

A Chat with Martin Sorge on his new book Great Bakes!

I’m so happy to welcome Martin Sorge to Baked In this week! You might know him as the winner of The Great American Baking Show, where Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith gave him the crown, but his baking story started much earlier and, charmingly, with a childhood attempt at making a “biscuit” that ended with a microwave fire. Relatable? Hopefully not.

His brand new cookbook, Great Bakes: Modern Classic Recipes from the Midwest, is exactly what the title promises: generous, cozy, clever baking with a Midwestern heart. It’s a perfect mix of reassuring and gently nerdy, which I love. I’m so smitten with the book I’m making the Sausage Rolls for September’s Bakehouse Texas popup!

Martin joined us for a little cookbook chat, and we’re giving away a copy of Great Bakes to one lucky reader below!

What was the “aha moment” recipe while writing this book?

Probably my Whole Wheat Toast bread. It’s the least sexy recipe ever—a plain loaf of 100% whole wheat bread. It’s soft and fluffy and makes the ultimate toast, yet has the rich flavor of whole grains. I developed the recipe eons ago and made it almost every week for years. I wrote tweaked and edited the recipe a ton, and when I finally got it right, I wrote it down and thought—I’ll share this recipe with the world someday. It was the first recipe (well, alongside my Flaky Pastry recipe), that I saved for my book. I wanted the recipes in the book to be those recipes that I go to over and over and over again—the modern classics that everyone wants to have in their repertoire. I initially planned to put this bread recipe in a small, self-published zine of 30 or so recipes to give as a gift to family and friends. But then I thought bigger, and it ended up in Great Bakes. Plus—it’s the ultimate bread for toast.

If your cookbook had a playlist, what three songs would be on it?

“Margaret vs. Pauline” by Neko Case because my sourdough starter is named Pauline, “Spinning Around” by Kylie Minogue because I think of that song when I watch my stand mixer running, and, “Sugar (Live)” by Tori Amos because…sugar (and because Tori Amos).

What’s one ingredient you’re evangelical about?

Tart cherries. I live part time near Traverse City, Michigan, the self-proclaimed Cherry Capital of the World and home to the National Cherry Festival. Farmers here grow all types of cherries, but they grow most of America’s tart ones. These tangy cherries, especially the glowing, fire-engine red Montmorency variety, make the absolute best cherry desserts. Tart cherries are the only option for cherry pie. Sweet cherries are great for eating fresh, or using in my Michigan Forest Cake, but tart cherries pack such a complex sweet-tart flavor that I cannot endorse swapping them with sweet cherries.

If someone cooks just one recipe from your book to understand you as a person, which should it be?

My Flaky Pastry recipe and the Giant Cherry Pop Tart. That recipe is the heart of this book. Super flaky, crumbly pastry, a tangy and punchy cherry filling (employing the aforementioned tart cherries), and a bold pink cherry icing. It’s simple, you can make most of the components ahead of time, and it never ever disappoints.

What’s a mistake you hope readers make at least once?

I hope that readers either under-poof or over-proof their bread at least once. First of all, I want everyone to try making bread. Secondly, bread is something that takes hands-on practice to see and feel when a bread is ready for the oven. Third, even under- or over-proofed bread tastes great!

What kitchen tool deserves more respect, and which one do you think is wildly overrated?

I’m sure most bakers out there would agree with me on this one, but I just can’t let it go. The kitchen scale deserves more respect from American bakers and cooks—it’s the only way to go. Measuring by weight is more accurate, faster, easier and (most importantly) you will wash fewer dishes! I started to bake more and better once I began measuring by weight. Overrated: measuring cups. The only thing I use those things for is to press in a cookie crust or flatten a shortbread into the pan.

If a recipe from my book doesn’t work out for you, the first question I will ask is: Did you measure by weight?

Fill in the blank: People think I’m ___ in the kitchen, but actually I’m ___.

People think I’m only a baker in the kitchen but actually I’m a cook, too. (So many people ask me if I cook in addition to baking. I love to cook! I cooked way before I started baking!)

If you could hand-deliver this cookbook to one person (living or not), who would it be and what would you want them to cook first?

Probably my Grandpa, my mom’s dad. He was a fixture in my childhood (and adulthood), and taught me so much. I would really want him to simply read the book from cover-to-cover. He didn’t bake much, but loved making applesauce, so maybe I’d have him make the Apple Crisp—a perfect place to start.

What’s your most controversial food opinion (The one that gets you yelled at on the internet?)

Cooked strawberries are disgusting. First of all, the texture is like a snot blob. Secondly, strawberries are one of the most aromatically complex fruits and contain around 360 volatile aroma compounds. When cooked, many of these aromas are destroyed. So, science says that uncooked strawberries taste better. I wrote a bit about this here.

When you’re not eating your own recipes, what are you absolutely guilty-pleasure ordering for takeout?

I have zero guilt about ordering out. I’m lucky that I can get any type of food I want in Chicago. Hon Kee BBQ in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood is my number one favorite. Owner Paul Tsang makes incredible food, from succulent roast duck to amazing seafood to simply-prepared vegetable dishes. In fact, I order my Thanksgiving turkey, roasted Hong Kong-style, at Hon Kee.

What do you hope someone feels (like, truly feels) when they cook from your book for the first time?

I want them to feel empowered and positive—maybe even elicit a few giggles. I hope they feel like I’m there to guide them and give them the tools they need to bake some great stuff. I also want my fellow Midwesterners to feel proud and non-Midwesterners to feel jealous of us.

Great Bakes Giveaway!

I’m so happy to be giving away a copy of Martin Sorge’s new cookbook, Great Bakes: Modern Classic Recipes from the Midwest, to one lucky reader! I also feel like I need to make a Giant Cherry Pop Tart this weekend, don’t you?

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below and tell me:

What’s the one bake you want to master before the year is over?

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will remain open until Sunday August 16th. One winner will be selected and notified via Substack message.

Good luck, friends - and may your pastry be flaky.

More next week!

xo

Today we’re talking all things blueberries, inspired by a Costco overbuy of the biggest, juiciest berries I’ve seen all summer and last weekend’s emergency pancake situation. If you’re anything like me: one minute you’re buying a sensible amount of fruit for the household, and the next you’re googling “how to grow blueberries in Texas” while emotionally planning a backyard berry patch, reading about chill hours, and thinking this kind of garden planning will definitely require a new sunhat. Doesn’t backyard blueberry picking sound dreamy? As soon as I find a large enough pot on sale, there’s no stopping me.

The 7am Blueberry Pancake Situation

This past weekend I realized (sure, rather dramatically) that I couldn’t go on without Blueberry Pancakes. It had been an early-early morning with the baby and by 7am I felt like it had to be darn near happy hour. Alas…

I’ve had this recipe for the yeasted Golden Diner Pancakes on my Make List for months now, but one skim through the recipe and I realized I had neither buttermilk nor the patience to wait an hour for the yeast to rest and rise. A recipe for a different version of me, perhaps.

I do have my own pancake recipe, but the thought of whipping them up just wasn’t inspiring me. I headed to my friend Erika’s website (not to be argued because she is The Pancake Princess) and found exactly the fluffy pancake recipe I hoped for: no buttermilk and best made with heavy cream (which I had and needed to use) and apple cider vinegar. Huzzah!

I added two handfuls of washed fresh blueberries, topped the golden pancakes with salted butter and maple syrup from the Catskills and honestly - the best pancakes I’ve ever made!

Here are my pro tips to take pancakes from good to great:

• For the most tender, not at all tough pancakes, leave the batter a little lumpy.

• Let the pancake batter rest for 10-15 minutes before scooping and frying. This gives the flour time to hydrate and relax.

• I prefer a nonstick skillet to cook my pancakes in with a small dab of butter and avocado oil melted together over medium heat. The butter brings the flavor and the oil keeps the butter from scorching.

• Adjust the heat from medium to medium-low as the batches of pancakes leave the pan so you don’t overheat the pan and burn the butter for the next batch of pancakes. I add a touch more fat to the pan before each batch of pancakes.

• Once the batter hits the pan, leave the pancakes be. Wait for bubbles to form on top, flip the pancakes once and for goodness sake, don’t press them flat once flipped!

Later that morning, because I could not get the salty maple blueberry combination out of my mind, I snuck back into the kitchen and tested a recipe for the upcoming Bakehouse Texas Popup Bake Sale on September 5th. I have a vision of a Salted Maple Blueberry Bread: a quick bread that gives both pound cake and pancake. My first recipe test was pretty close though I want the bread even squidgier. I made some tweaks to King Arthur Baking’s tried and true recipe here if you’d like to whip up your own loaf. Just brush it generously with pure maple syrup while the loaf is warm from the oven and sprinkle lightly with finishing salt.

And because I still have a few handfuls of blueberries left, we’re not done here. Blueberries are officially the assignment, so please allow me to point you toward a few very worthy recipes from the archives.

The Secret to My Best Blueberry Cobbler (spoiler: it’s a mixed berry sitch)

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins (a blog classic for a reason)

Blueberry Mint Lemonade (seriously SO good - make as big a batch as you can!)

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake (what a little lemon curd won’t do)

Your turn! Tell me what you’re making this weekend. I’ll most definitely be back in the kitchen making blueberry pancakes.

xo Joy

I’m back from a weeklong vacation to Southern California and can I just say: I am reminded why EVERYONE lives in Los Angeles. The freaking weather is freaking perfect. It’s unbelievable.

Will, baby John, and I spent a few nights at a little beach rental in Manhattan Beach - El Porto, to be exact - a tiny surfer cove with the sort of vibey surf-slash-wine shop that made me think, well yes, maybe I’m just a beachy surfer mom now. We walked to early dinners along The Strand, said hello to every dog we saw, watched surfers glide in and out of the water, and had the sort of mellow family days that felt so easy because no one was trying too hard.

Now I’m back in Texas where the humidity is much more… tangible. Aggressive, really. The only reasonable way forward is sneaking back and forth to the freezer for treats.

Since I’m living by The Summer Bucket List these days, there’s no better time than a return from vacation to make homemade ice cream as a little SOS.

You could say I’m on a peach kick this summer, thanks to the front yard tree I made the majority of my personality after it gave us seven generous peaches. So Peach Melba ice cream from Lokelani Alabanza’s new book, Ice Cream Queen: Flavors from Black America's Past, Present, & Future, felt like the exact right place to be.

Ice Cream Queen is full of ice creams, sorbets, and nondairy recipes that feel both nostalgic and inventive. Lokelani brings history and a pastry chef’s imagination to the ice cream maker, honoring Black ice cream makers of the past while dreaming up flavors that feel very much irresistible right now. My copy of the book arrived while my Dad was in town visiting and he promptly claimed the book for himself, flipping through every page. I’m certain a batch on homemade Buttered Pecan will come from his kitchen soon. Ice Cream Queen is easily one of my favorite cookbooks of the year! Highly recommend.

But today: a creamy vanilla peach ice cream swirled with fresh raspberry sauce and a very generous Breville giveaway because we’re simply not going to make it through the next heat dome without ice cream.

Click below to download the full recipe!

Peach Melba Ice Cream

85KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Breville Giveaway!

I’ve partnered with my friends at Breville for a very cool summer giveaway!

One lucky Baked In reader will win a Breville Smart Scoop, the very excellent self-freezing ice cream maker that makes homemade ice cream feel incredibly doable. I’ve churned with this machine and can confirm: she’s fantastic.

To enter, leave a comment below and tell me:

What’s your dream summer ice cream flavor?

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will remain open until July 25, 2026. One winner will be selected at random and notified via Substack message.

Good luck, friends. May your freezer be full of ice cream.

xo Joy

Friends, The Summer Bucket List is back after a two year hiatus and right on time! I wrote this at 3am because my 12-week-old is sleeping through the night and apparently my first instinct with a pocket of free time is not to sleep - but write lists. (Don’t worry, I know the 4 month sleep regression is coming for me… lemme just have this moment.)

This year's list has everything: irresponsible volumes of ice cream, a little free bakery opening in Bellville, John meeting the Pacific Ocean for the very first time, and one deli sandwich I have been thinking about for far too long. Additionally…

The Bucket List is also a video series on Instagram because if I’m going to chase a sweet summer, I ought to bring my camera. Come see - the vibes are high and the zinnias are completely out of control.

Here’s our Summer Bucket List, 2026. And I insist on knowing what makes your summer list thaaaaankyou!

Just Baked

Nearly two decades of cookies on this site and somehow the simple snickerdoodle never made the cut. Maybe I just needed time to sit with it… which I did. I took the classic (the cream of tartar tang + cinnamon sugar crackle) and rolled the dough in a thick buttery cinnamon streusel before it hit the oven. It’s coffee cake meets cookie. It’s a cookie that made me stop mid-bite and think oh, OKAY - which is exactly the reaction a snickerdoodle has always deserved and never quite gotten. All in due time!

Here’s the recipe → The New Classic Snickerdoodle Cookie

A Few Good Things

• In case you missed it, it’s not too late to vibe these last few days of June and Timothy’s June Almanac. Currently loading July. I can hardly believe we’re very much mid 2026.

• Speaking of sandwiches, because we’ve always got sandwiches on our mind, right? This Ultimate Car Sandwich has its place this summer whether we’re road trip or beach picnic bound. The pepperoncinis really do some heavy lifting here.

• The album playing this week: Sam Fender’s People Watching

• As a former Girl Scout (Girl Scout well into high school so I was… really in) I can’t wait to see the movie Cookie Queen (which also happens to be cast by my good friend Whitney!).

A Summer Full of Giveaway Here on Substack

Friends, this summer the newsletter is getting a giveaway series and I am so excited about our lineup. Consider it my thank you for being here!

First up: the folks at Year & Day are giving away their Outdoor Core Set and it feels like a perfect early summer prize. I’ve been reaching for their outdoor dinnerware every time we eat in the backyard - which is every evening until the mosquitoes run us back inside at approximately 6:43pm. The set is made of plant-based materials, plastic-free, and microwave safe. The Big Bowls in particular are earning their keep around here.

To enter, answer this question in the comments below:

What’s one thing on your summer bucket list that absolutely must be eaten outside? A sandwich? Ice cream? A slice of something? Tell me everything!

Giveaway open until Friday July 3rd. Open to US residents. Winner will be contacted via Substack message.

Stay tuned for more giveaways, cookbook interviews, and general summer fun headed your way!

See you in the comments! xo

My guest contributor today is my baking idol, the one and only Dorie Greenspan.

If you need an introduction: Dorie is the New York Times bestselling, IACP and James Beard Award-winning author of fifteen (fifteen!!) cookbooks, including Dorie’s Anytime Cakes, Around My French Table, Baking with Julia, and the book that helped shaped me as a baker, Baking: From My Home to Yours. She also writes the most delightful weekly Substack, xoxoDorie, and splits her time between Westbrook, Connecticut and Paris.

Here’s what I want to tell you about Baking: From My Home to Yours: nearly two decades ago, I saved up my meager baker’s wages (we’re talking carefully counted, hard-earned dollars) to buy a copy. And then I joined an early baking blog group called Tuesdays with Dorie. We baked our way through nearly every recipe in that book together, week by week. This was 2009(?). Before Instagram, before TikTok, before any of it - I’m basically describing the days before electricity at this point. But it was one of those early internet, formative baking I’ll always cherish.

Years later, I got to interview Dorie in person at Cherry Bombe Jubilee. A full-circle moment, to be sure. (That’s where the photo below is from, in case you’re wondering why I look like I’ve just seen a celebrity. Because I had.) She is as warm and generous and brilliant in person as everything she bakes.

Today, Dorie is sharing a recipe that I immediately bookmarked for my own summer lunch rotation: a savory cake that is its own thing entirely. It’s not quite a quiche or a loaf. It’s something more interesting. I’m planning to bake it and serve it alongside a big green salad on one of these thick, humid June afternoons. I think you should do the same.

Here’s Dorie. 🧡

Hello! Hello!

I’m delighted that Joy invited me to be here with you this week. It’s fun to go visiting. And because I never show up empty-handed, I’m bringing you a cake!

Zucchini and Chèvre Invisible Cake: A dreamy loaf that’s fun and easy to make

The first time I made this zucchini cake, I was so excited you’d have thought I’d invented bubble gum. It seemed so completely new to me, not like what I usually bake or usually see in shops and restaurants. And then, I served it to friends and they said, “Ohhh, we love an invisible cake.” I didn’t know that my cake had kin. And I didn’t know that two other cakes I’d made for years — Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake, which is in Around My French Table, and Custardy Apple Squares from Baking Chez Moi — were family members too. You know how when you learn a new word and it turns up nonstop? That’s what it was like with me and the “invisibles” — I started to see their name everywhere. That this zucchini cake was savory, set it apart, making it more like a distant cousin than a mama, and for me, all the more interesting.

I created my inaugural zucchini loaf for Dorie’s Anytime Cakes because I was tickled by the idea of making something that could be a swap for quiche, the tart that’s on every Paris café menu and a staple in oodles of French homecooks’ repertoires (even if they mostly make it with a store-bought crust). I wanted something that would be as much fun to make as to serve and eat. Something that would be portable and good at room temperature, which quiche is. It was because I had quiche on my brain (also because I’m a part-time Parisian who loves the tart) that I added the chèvre — also, zucchini and goat cheese are such companionable mates.

Fair warning: When I served my apple rendition of an invisible cake in Paris, my friend Hélène said: You better tell people that this isn’t really a cake-cake. And your zucchini loaf isn’t a cake-cake either.” She was right. With these cakes, there’s barely enough batter to coat the star ingredient, which is sliced super-thin. You make the simple custard, add the zucchini, take a beat to fret over the possibility that the whole thing will never work (it does, of course), mix and mix and mix and then scrape the hodgepodge into the pan. What happens in the oven is magic: the messy mix bakes into lovely layers of zucchini held in place – almost invisibly – by the tasty custard.

If You Like This, You Might Like the Sweet Version, Too

If, like me, you fall in love with the invisibles, then you might want to make the Apple Custard Loaf. Like its salty sister, this is a loaf you can play around with.

Again, many thanks, Joy, for inviting me in. And thank you, bakers, for spending this time with me. Say hello and I hope that you’ll share what you bake with Joy and me (you can find me on Instagram).

Zucchini and Chèvre Invisible Cake

• Adapted from Dorie’s Anytime Cakes

• Get your copy at Bookshop.org, B&N, Amazon, RJ Julia (Signed), Omnivore Books (Signed), Book Larder (Signed), Bold Fork Books (Signed), Elm Street Books, Rizzoli Bookstore, HarperCollins

• Click here for printable recipe

Friends, hi!

It’s June, and the air outside is already doing too much. I stepped out this morning with my sunhat and was immediately returned to the indoors by the humidity, which I can only describe as a heavy hug from someone who does not understand personal space. I’m not prepared to talk about the moquitoes at this time. This is the South in the summer and we’ve passed the point of no return.

Here’s what I’ve decided: we’re not fighting it. June is the month of abundance — an overflowing, generous, slightly chaotic kind of abundance that shows up in the garden (zinnias!!), on the grill, in the fruit bowl by way of peaches, watermelon, and strawberries (huzzah!). I was telling my mom on the phone yesterday, “It’s fruit season!” which is incredibly disrespectful for the perennial apples, oranges, and bananas but the sentiment remains.

Also in abundance is this baby boy, now in the double digits of weeks, currently kicking in my arms and refusing his 10am nap. We should all be so lucky to get a 10am nap, my guy… just sayin’.

This month’s newsletter is full of things I think you’ll love — a gorgeous almanac from one of my dearest friends, some archive recipes that need to be on the Make List, a steak sandwich (and new cookbook) that I need you to make this coming weekend (because I am!), and generally speaking the promise of hot dogs and pool parties and a forthcoming Summer Bucket List.

Let’s go!

🌿 THE BAKEHOUSE ALMANAC: JUNE 2026

Timothy Pakron — my dear friend, the creative mind behind Mississippi Vegan, gardener of the most wild and beautiful gardens, and one of the best people I know — has written June’s almanac. It’s exactly the thing I needed to read this week. His theme is abundance, which feels right for a month that is practically bursting at the seams with peaches and zucchini and a Louisiana heat that only a cucumber salad will quell, you know?

Timmy writes about his New Orleans garden (follow his stories on IG for more garden content!), what’s playing on repeat in his kitchen, what’s for lunch, and what he’s firmly leaving behind this summer. Worth a click, friends!

👉 Read the June Bakehouse Almanac here.

(And Timmy — thank you!)

🍽️ WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS MONTH

In my mind, June has its requirements: something cold, something sweet, something that comes together fast because it is too hot to be standing over a stove. It requires something you can bring to someone’s door ready to warm for dinner, a pitcher of something for home happy hours, and a dessert that doesn’t require turning on the oven.

Lucky for all of us, the archive delivers. Here’s what’s in rotation this month:

• Cucumber Cilantro Margarita — I have been dreaming about this margarita since approximately month four of pregnancy when I would have traded almost anything for a cold, puckery, face-scrunching sip. As soon as the stars align I’m making a full pitcher! Fresh cucumber, bright lime, a handful of cilantro - it’s almost a savory margarita which is just super satisfying! Get in on this with me!

• Will You Marry Me Chicken — I’m making this one as a care package for family on the mend this week, tucked into a bag alongside a tin of Texas Bakehouse Chocolate Chip Cookies loaded with Trader Joe’s M&Ms, because what is a care package without a cookie situation?

• Summer Tomato Galette — The heirloom tomatoes are coming and there is only one correct response: enjoy as many as you can! I have made this galette more times than I can count and it disappears in one sitting every single time. Buttery crust, peak-season tomatoes, the smell of something golden coming out of the oven. It’s just right.

• Strawberry Malt Icebox Cake — No oven required, which is the only qualification a dessert needs to make it onto this list in June. Layers of vanilla wafers, malted whipped cream, and peak-season strawberries chill into something that tastes like a milkshake decided to become a cake. I’m treating this as a warm-up for the full ice cream making extravaganza I have planned for later this summer. Stay tuned/ buckle in.

• Strawberry Pie Bars — Do not let the simplicity of these fool you. Shortbread crust, fresh strawberries, a pecan-studded crumble on top. They are deceptively easy and deliver so far beyond what you’d expect. Bring these to your next grill gathering. They’re a sturdy summer offering!

If you don’t know Noah Galuten yet, let me fix that immediately. He is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, the star of BBQ: Smokeout on Tastemade, and the writer behind the best-named Substack on the internet: I’m Legally Required To Feed You — a weekly family-friendly recipe that lands right in your inbox and delivers every single time. (Heavy on the bean content.) His brand new cookbook, Grill Time!, is out now, and I need you to go get it. This is the book you reach for every time someone says “let’s grill this weekend” and you want to do more than open a pack of hot dogs… which, is absolutely the vibe this summer.

I’ve had the very good fortune of cooking with Noah in his kitchen — he and his wife Iliza have a family kitchen that just hums with good energy - they have cute kids and a cute dog so obvi that helps! The Nostalgia Steak Sandwich 2.0 is Noah doing what he does best: taking something you already love and making it even better. Thinly pounded sirloin, a chimichurri mayo that I want to put on everything this summer, tomatoes and onions that marinate while you get everything else together. Simple and so on point! It comes together fast and it is absolutely the move for a summer grill gathering.

Make it this weekend (I am!!) and report back.

Now here’s Noah (and a printable recipe below)!

NOSTALGIA STEAK SANDWICH 2.0 (with Chimichurri Mayo and Tomato-Onion Salad)

When I was a kid in Los Angeles, there was a small burger chain called All-American Burger. I used to love their steak sandwich—a long, thin, tender whole piece of steak on a greasy hoagie roll, drenched in way-too-much mayonnaise, dressed with onions and lettuce. This is the amped-up version. (Remember: When it comes to nostalgia, it has to be 50 percent better to taste just as good.) In the end, it all works thanks to a good hoagie roll; a lightly spicy, herbaceous chimichurri mayo; tomato and onions that marinate in salt; and, most important, thinly pounded sirloin steak that is incredibly tender and can be bitten through without completely destroying the sandwich in the process. It brings me great joy to know that my kids now get to eat the better version of my childhood favorite.

Makes 2

INGREDIENTS

Chimichurri Mayo:

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• ¼ cup tightly packed fresh Italian parsley

• ¼ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled but whole

• 2 tablespoons sliced shallot

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1 Fresno or jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded (or leave the seeds in for more heat)

Steak Sandwiches:

• 12 thin half-moon slices of tomato (about 5 ounces)

• 12 thin half-moon slices of white onion

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 8 ounces sirloin steak, about ½ inch thick

• 2 (6-inch) hoagie rolls or the best sandwich rolls you can find

METHOD

Make the chimichurri mayo: In a blender, combine the mayo, parsley, cilantro, garlic, shallot, vinegar, and chile and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Make the steak sandwiches: Preheat the grill to high heat, then clean and oil the grates well.

Place the tomato and onions in a medium bowl. Season them with a pinch of salt and a few twists of pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and toss to combine. Let marinate while you get ready to pound out the steak.

Lay a long sheet of plastic wrap on the counter or a large cutting board and lay the steak on one side of it, with some extra space around it on all sides. Fold the other side of the plastic over it (the goal is to pound the steak out in a protected area, while giving it room to expand).

Using a flat meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the steak until it is about ⅛ inch thick. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and cut it into 4 long rectangle-like pieces. Drizzle the steak with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss it until just barely coated. Season the steak well with salt and pepper.

Cut the hoagie rolls through the side, but not all the way through to create hinged bread. Open the rolls, then spread a thin layer of the chimichurri mayo onto the insides of the roll.

Lay them cut-side down straight on the grill, just until the bread is golden and toasted with some blackened edges, 60 to 90 seconds. Take the rolls off the grill and set them aside. Add the pieces of steak to the grill and let them cook until there is some nice color and char on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip them over and cook just until the raw color is cooked off, about 45 more seconds.

While the steaks are grilling, spread more chimichurri mayo onto the rolls. Lay the steak into the sandwiches, slightly overlapping as necessary. Top them with the tomato-onion mixture, pouring on the juices as well. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately — or wrap them up in foil or sandwich paper until they are ready to be consumed. They are best right away, but will keep well for an hour or so if need be.

From Grill Time! © 2026 by Noah Galuten. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Nostalgia Steak Sandwich

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Have a great week!

More soon, friends —

xo Joy

I hope this Monday (and the very first day of June!) finds you well.

Will and I spent much of the weekend building what we’re calling the Little Free Bakery Box that will live outside The Bakehouse Texas. Now, when I say we built it, I should clarify that Will did the actual building while I contributed in the ways currently available to me: holding a baby, feeding a baby, and occasionally bringing Will a cold drink as moral support.

Still, the bakery box is coming together and I should probably catch you up on all things The Bakehouse Texas soon. There’s progress (and a September re-opening I’m really looking forward to) even if it moves at the speed of postpartum these days.

Now, a few weeks back I mentioned my great affection for the little peach tree growing out front of the big house in Bellville. After years of surviving Texas freezes wrapped in a moving blanket and duct tape (a highly sophisticated orchard management system, lol), the tree finally decided to reward our efforts with exactly seven peaches.

Seven is a bounty for my definitely-not-green thumbs, though not enough fruit to preserve a legacy or bake into a deep dish pie. Seven small peaches just happens to be the perfect amount of a peach galette, the free-form, casual cousin to pie. Today’s recipe offering is a flaky butter crust folded up over spiced peaches (ground ginger is key here), and dotted with sliced almonds that toast along with the crust.

But before we get to the full recipe, here are a few ways to let this summer’s peaches hold a majority stake in your personality. These are tabs worth keeping open for a few weeks and I hope you find a few recipes to carry into summer!

This Summer’s Peach Crisp is a take on this apple crisp recipe from early internet days (2008, goodness gracious). The key is the egregious amounts of buttery oat topping, and the shallow quarter sheet pan that helps the peach slices bake down to jammy. As expected, vanilla ice cream is mandatory.

Peach Blueberry Pie: because peaches and blueberries were just meant to find each other. The blueberries add a jewel-toned purple hue to the peach pie and just the right balance of fruit sweetness.

Peach and Cream Scones The magic of a cream scone is that there’s no fussing with cutting cold butter into flour. The cream does all the heavy lifting, bringing both richness and moisture to the dough. Add sweet summer peaches and you've got a tender little weekend worthy treat that feels far more impressive than the effort required.

Peach and Cardamom Lemonade I went through a lemonade phase my first summer in New Orleans and for good reason. The humidity had me at a constant glow and I had a balcony in the French Quarter that just begged for a daily afternoon sip and see. This recipe blended with fresh peaches and bright cardamom is a sleeper hit and a perfect use of peaches that may be just past their prime.

Peach and Orange Flower Old Fashioneds with just enough floral sweetness to be a lovely end to a long summer day.

Watermelon Peach Caprese Salad summer fruit + summer fruit + CHEESE! It’s juicy, salty, fresh, and a very nice summer BBQ contribution!

Apple Fennel Pistachio Salad Ok hear me out: sub apple slices for thinly sliced, slightly firm peaches in this salad. The textures of this salad alone are a delight!

Karlee’s Peach Butter One of my favorite recipes from photographer and peach enthusiast Karlee Flores. If you find yourself with a surplus of peaches, especially late into the summer months, this is the perfect transition into fall.

Peach Galette

A galette is unfussy, a little rustic (on purpose), and lets those peak summer peaches, along with a little spice, do most of the heavy lifting.

If you’re going to make one, I’ll gently insist you serve it warm with ice cream and plans for a second slice.

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• ¼ cup sliced almonds

• 14 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• ¼ cup ice water

For the filling:

• 6–8 peaches (about 2 pounds), sliced

• 4 tablespoons brown sugar

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

For baking:

• ¼ cup sliced almonds

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small bits

• 1 egg + a splash of milk or water (for egg wash)

Let’s make it:

Start with the crust. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, sugar, and sliced almonds until the almonds are mostly broken down. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse, crumbly meal with some pea-sized bits of butter throughout.

Drizzle in the ice water and pulse just until the dough begins to come together into a shaggy mass. It won’t be smooth and that’s exactly right.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gather it into a disk, wrap it, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This rest helps the flour hydrate and the butter firm up again, which means a flakier crust later.

When you’re ready to bake, roll the chilled dough into a rough 14–15 inch circle. No need for perfection here - craggy edges are part of the charm. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined, 10-inch, oven-safe skillet. (You could also use a sheet pan here. The skillet just helps the galette to keep its round shape.)

In a large bowl, toss the sliced peaches with the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and ginger until the fruit is glossy and well coated.

Pile the peaches in the center, leaving a 2–3 inch border around the edges.

Fold the edges of the dough up and over the fruit, pleating as you go. It should look rustic and relaxed.

Brush the crust edges with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the sliced almonds and sugar for crunch and sparkle. Dot the peaches with the butter.

Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling.

Let the galette rest for at least 15–20 minutes before slicing so the juices can settle (this part requires restraint, I know).

Serve warm slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, maybe eaten standing at the counter in bare feet. Or on the porch, if you’ve got one.

Joy The Baker's Peach Galette Recipe

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That’s all from me this week, friends.

May your peaches be ripe, your galettes rustic, and your vanilla ice cream perfectly melty.

I’ll see you next week!

xo Joy

Friends, hello! Greetings from magnolia season!

Let’s start the week with a few notes and links before we get into some very cozy cookies (obvi the main event) from a friend. Here’s what I’ve got for you!

• Thank you, a million times over, for your kindness around last week’s news of our boy, John Lesly. There have been high highs and low ass lows this year and I just really appreciate you celebrating this highest of my highs with me.

• I casually slipped back onto Instagram after a few months away and it feels good to be sharing again. I’m happy to be back with some good news, a peach galette, and a life that mostly happens off the app anyway.

• My latest blog recipe for Strawberry Eton Mess Sundaes (inspired by Nicole Prince) is as easy as it is delightful. One added bonus are the store-bought Trader Joe’s Vanilla Meringues left over from this recipe that make for an excellent afternoon snack with milky Earl Grey tea.

• We recently had a neighbor say goodbye to their beloved dog and I made this old recipe for Vanilla Bean Confetti Cookies to offer our condolences and remind them that their pup is waiting for them at the rainbow bridge. Highly recommend this small act of love next time someone you know loses a pet. These cookies are in the snickerdoodle vein with cream of tartar and stay chewy for days!

• I do a lot of middle of the night Substack reading when I’m up with the baby and I recently loved our friend Amy’s piece Self-Compassion for Mere Mortals, this bit about buying items for life, and the very high vibes of Samantha Demarkles.

• My birthday is a week from today (!!?how) and I’m nodding my head because yes, of course I’m one of those people who insists on making my own birthday cake. This year it’s mostly about what I’ll have the bandwidth for because my head doesn’t hit my pillow for more than a few hours a night. I’m thinking I’ll resurface this Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake with extra sprinkles.

Now to the cookies! Today’s contributor is my longtime friend Emily Schuman of cupcakes and cashmere. It feels a little wild to say, but Emily and I grew up on the internet together - both of us have been evolving and pivoting for the better part of two decades.

Emily launched Cupcakes and Cashmere back in 2008 (same, girl, same), and has since built it into a full, beautiful world spanning editorial, products, collaborations, books, and now her fragrance line, Lavune. She also writes a bestselling Substack, Fwd: from a friend, which I hope you immediately subscribe to if you don’t already.

I’ve spent just as long admiring Emily’s style, her voice, her sweet family, her love of cats and candy, and what can only be described as nearly unflappable grace. I’m so glad she’s here with us today, sharing cookies no less. Let’s get into it.

Here’s Emily!

Hi! I’m Emily from cupcakes and cashmere. I’ve known Joy for nearly fifteen years, so when she asked me to sub in for her maternity leave, I didn’t hesitate for a second. While many people talk about being a girl’s girl, Joy is the blueprint. When we first met for lunch years ago, she walked in carrying a copy of my first book that she’d bought herself and asked me to sign it. I hadn’t even started my book tour yet, and as I found my words, I realized she represented what it’s all about: the belief that supporting someone else’s success never diminishes your own. She has been the loudest cheerleader for those around her since day one, and I’m so honored to be here!

Now to the Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I’ve made these cookies countless times, and they are, quite simply, perfect. Whether I’m entertaining, a friend is going through a hard time, or someone is requesting/demanding them for a birthday, this is my absolute go-to.

The texture is the real winner here. They’re slightly cake-like with a gentle crunch on the outside and that specific, ever-so-slightly gooey center. In a world of complicated and over-the-top desserts, there’s something so nostalgic about a classic chocolate chip cookie done right.

I actually keep a constant stash of these dough balls in my freezer so I can bake a fresh batch at a moment’s notice. I hope these become a staple for you, too, since we all need a reliable bit of magic to share whenever someone needs a little extra warmth.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from David Leite

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks / 10 oz) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 ¼ cups (10 oz) light brown sugar

• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp (8 oz) granulated sugar

• 2 cups minus 2 Tbsp (8 ½ oz) cake flour

• 1 2/3 cups (8 ½ oz) bread flour

• 1 ¼ tsp baking soda

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 to 1 ½ cups (6–9 oz) bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks (60% cacao)

• Sea salt for garnishing

Directions

1. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. While that mixes, sift both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt into a bowl. Whisk well to combine.

3. Add eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in the vanilla.

4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until the flour disappears (about 5 to 10 seconds). To avoid a flour cloud, pulse the mixer a few times before letting it run.

5. Add chocolate chips and mix briefly to distribute.

6. Line a sheet with parchment and use a large scoop to portion the dough into 3 ½ oz mounds (roughly the size of a golf ball). Crowd them on the tray, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 36 hours.

7. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Space six dough balls per sheet to allow for spreading. Sprinkle each lightly with flaky sea salt.

8. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes. Look for edges that are just turning golden brown while the centers remain pale and soft.

9. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet over a wire rack. They need this time to set, or they’ll be too fragile to lift.

Emily's Chocolate Chip Cookies

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See you later this week friends! Make it a good one -

xo Joy

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Friends, hi!

I’m so excited to have Abigail Koffler with us this week. Abigail is the voice behind This Needs Hot Sauce, a Substack I’ve been reading (read: obsessing over), especially her family trip to Italy, including a packing list because it’s important to be properly prepared to eat every last pasta course.

Abigail writes about food and life in a way that feels honest and sharp. Her writing makes me feel like I’m catching up with a friend who always knows where to eat and what to order - ideal! She started This Needs Hot Sauce back in 2017 during a less-than-glamorous job, and turned it into a space for recipes, recommendations, and the full, complicated joy of living well. It’s special!

I’m so glad she’s here with us this week, bringing a little cinnamon spice, the right vibes, and a very good case for finally use up that rogue can of pumpkin puree leftover in the pantry from last Thanksgiving.

Let’s get into it.

xo Joy

Psssst: Subscribe to This Needs Hot Sauce and follow Abigail on Instagram! Now, here’s Abigail!

As someone who has been reading Joy’s work since I was in high school, I’m so honored to be here. This recipe was the first one that came to mind when I thought about what to share. Our pumpkin bread started as a gift and now is my family’s go-to gift. My mom met Corinne, the recipe’s originator, in a pregnancy exercise class in the early 90s. They had babies at the same time, walked their strollers around the streets of Kew Gardens, Queens and became fast friends. Eventually, my parents tried her pumpkin bread, studded with chocolate chips and walnuts. They loved it, and my dad asked for the recipe. When he gave it a try, the results were disappointing: leaden and dry.

After a quick back and forth, Corinne realized she had omitted something crucial from the original recipe: eggs, which add structure and moisture to the loaf. My parents remade it and the rest is history. The bread became a family classic, all year long. My dad bakes two loaves at a time and freezes individually wrapped slices. When my sister was younger, the promise of a pumpkin bread for breakfast was the only thing that would get her out of bed for school. I’ve received loaves as gifts in college and even in Guatemala, where I lived for a year. When my family came to visit, they brought a taste of their home for my host family: a tightly wrapped, slightly banged up loaf of pumpkin bread.

I made pumpkin bread with my grandma for Thanksgiving snacking and brought a loaf to my boyfriend’s family when I met them for the first time over Christmas. Making it before our trip eased my nerves and was well received. My most recent bake was for two friends recovering from surgery at the start of spring. I know it will bring them comfort while they recuperate and I hope it brings you some too.

The Pumpkin Bread My Family’s Been Making for 30+ Years

If you have two loaf pans, double the recipe so you use an entire can of pumpkin. Gift or freeze the other loaf.

Ingredients

4 oz. butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

¾ cup pumpkin puree

1 ¾ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

¾ cup chocolate chips

¾ cup chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and pumpkin and beat to fully combine.

2. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixer and beat until the batter is smooth and uniform. Fold in the chips and nuts with a spatula.

3. Transfer batter to a greased loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes. Let sit for five minutes in the pan and then turn onto a rack to fully cool.

Notes: You can make this as muffins too. Divide into 12 muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.

Storage: This slices more cleanly after some time in the refrigerator. Individually wrapped slices freeze well (and taste pretty good frozen).

Abigail's Best Pumpkin Bread

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Other Great Uses for That Singular, Slightly Judgy Can of Pumpkin Purée in Your Pantry:

• Joy the Baker’s Most Cozy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe topped with loads of crunchy turbinado sugar and smeared, just a touch too generously with softened cream cheese (as God intended).

• Browned Butter Pumpkin Texas Sheet Cake finished with a glossy browned butter pecan glaze that somehow, some way, tastes like a glazed doughnut. I cannot explain further. It’s magic.

In early April, Will and I welcomed our son into the world and… I’m still wrapping my mind around that sentence. Everything feels a little blurrier, and infinitely awesome (in the very awe-filled sense of the word) these days.

I wrote a piece for the blog about these first few weeks: a handful of truths, a longer list of questions, and the wild reality of becoming a mother at 44. I’m sharing the beginning of it below, and you’re welcome to click through to read the full essay.

Thank you, truly, for holding this space with me while I’ve been away. The generosity of my contributors and this community has meant more than I can say.

I’ll be back with more for you soon. Until then, here’s where I’m at.

xo Joy

Friends, hi!

I didn’t think I’d have anything wise to say about motherhood by my first Mother’s Day, and six weeks in, that expectation holds true. In one hand, I’m holding the cup of coffee I’ll never quite manage to drink while it’s hot - ever again. In the other, the memory of the last few Mother’s Days I spent quietly, privately, wanting this *gestures broadly at baby swaddled in bassinet, stained nursing bra, and breast pump next to my laptop*. Hoping for all of this, not specifically, but somehow exactly. The fullness of this moment, the hope I’ve held for years, and the unscathed nipples I had last year, aren’t lost on me.

(I talked a bit about my pregnancy journey here.)

I’m just thrilled BEYOND that I get to share this with you! In early April, we welcomed our son, John Lesly Jorgensen, into the world. Me, at 44 years old. Him arriving loud and certain at six pounds and fifteen ounces of absolute wonder and surprisingly strong opinions. A seventh-generation Texan (a detail that carries great weight in his Texas family) and an Aries baby, baby!

Birth? We don’t need to get into that. In fact, I’m working diligently to forget a few of those finer details, thank you very much. What I will say is that the result was a boy born with a soft swirl of brown hair at the crown of his head, strong preferences about how he’d like to be swaddled, and deep navy eyes that may settle into blue or brown or something entirely his own. Understatement of the year: it’s pretty cool!

Now, in the process of getting to know him, I’ve come up with a short list of truths and a longer list of questions. Here are a few of them!

Read the full post here!

And People Magazine wrote about the arrival of baby John, here!

More from me soon, including this simple peach galette I made with the seven precious peaches that grew on the peach tree out front!

xo

It feels especially sweet to introduce you to this week’s guest because she’s not just a brilliant cook—she’s essentially my neighbor. Marcia Smart of Kitchenette Farm is just down the road from The Bakehouse Texas here in Bellville, and from the moment I first stepped into her culinary farmhouse, I knew she was my kind of person.

Marcia has that rare gift of making you feel instantly at ease in the kitchen. Like you can loosen your shoulders, pour a glass of something cold, and trust that dinner (or dessert) is going to come together just fine. She’s a natural teacher (see her Smart Knife Skills course for home cooks): warm and practical in a way that makes you feel more capable after just one conversation.

Which is exactly why I love that she’s bringing us a Key Lime Pie. It’s classic, bright, and the kind of dessert that feels like a little celebration without asking too much of you. Very Marcia.

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She’s spent years teaching home cooks how to make dinner happen without the stress (or a sink full of dishes), and I have a feeling this recipe for Key Lime Pie will slide right into our lives in the easiest, most delicious way.

I’m so glad she’s here with us this week. Be sure to subscribe to Marcia’s Smart In The Kitchen Substack, follow her on Instagram, and get a copy of her cookbook Dinner is Done. Now, let’s make pie!

xo Joy

Now, here’s Marcia!

Key lime pie has always tasted like sunshine to me, maybe because the first time I ever tasted it was my senior year of college, on spring break in the Florida Keys. My roommates and I borrowed a family friend’s beach house just north of Key West and spent our days sitting on the dock or cooking dinner together. We ventured into Key West for dinner one day, and I can still remember that first bite of what would become one of my favorite desserts: creamy but sharp, tangy but sweet.

I find myself reaching for this recipe every spring as the weather in Houston starts to warm up. There’s something about a dessert that can hang out in the fridge after it’s baked that feels like a lifeline, especially when I’m entertaining a crowd. It’s become my go-to Easter dessert for the exact reason: make it the night before and take the pressure off the timing of the egg hunt and brunch schedule.

What makes this version my go-to is the crust. I’ve learned from teaching hundreds of cooking classes over the years that traditional pie dough intimidates home cooks. If that’s you, this is your moment. The coconut and Biscoff cookie crust comes together quickly in a food processor and gets pressed into the pan—no chilling the dough, rolling or pie weights. It’s a low-lift dessert for a little bite of sunshine.

Key Lime Pie with Coconut Biscoff Crust

You can make this pie with regular lime juice or lemon juice instead of Key Lime juice. If you’re short on time, use a store-bought graham cracker crust. Yield: 12 slices

For the crust:

30 Biscoff cookies

¼ cup coconut flakes or shredded coconut

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the pie filling:

1 cup key lime juice or regular Persian lime juice

28 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon key lime zest or regular lime zest

4 egg yolks

Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To make the crust: In a food processor or blender, combine the Biscoff cookies, coconut flakes and melted butter. Pulse to combine well. Turn out onto an 8- or 9-inch pie plate or tart pan and press into the pan. Bake the crust, uncovered, for 8 minutes. It will be easier to transfer it in and out of the oven on a rimmed sheet pan. Set the crust aside.

To make the filling: Whisk the lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, zest and egg yolks together (or use an electric mixer). Pour into the par-baked crust.

Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until set. Let cool completely at room temperature and then transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least one hour. Serve topped with whipped cream.

Notes:

+ For a shortcut, use Nellie & Joe’s brand key lime juice, available at most grocery stores. And yes, it will turn out great with regular fresh squeezed lime juice.

+ To make a delicious whipped cream, combine ¼ cup mascarpone, 2 cups of heavy cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean or the scraped beans from a vanilla pod and 2 teaspoons sugar. Whisk until soft peaks form. Will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for 2-3 days.

+ If you need the pie to be gluten-free, use GF graham crackers to make the crust. Or purchase your favorite gluten-free frozen pie crust.

Or you can download and print the recipe below!

Marcia Smart's Key Lime Pie

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A Few More Things To Bake

Almond Flour Lemon Raspberry Bars - Bright, citrusy, and just the right amount of sweet, these lemon bars are made with almond flour for a tender, nutty base and topped with a creamy lemon layer studded with fresh raspberries. They feel a little fancy, a little wholesome - that’s what I love about them so much.

Brown Butter Chess Pie - This is the pie you make when you want something classic but just a little extra. Nutty browned butter meets that signature silky chess pie filling with a whisper of citrus to keep things balanced.

My Favorite Strawberry Crumble Pie - When the strawberries are in season - this is the pie! Juicy, jammy fruit set with tapioca for the perfect slice, tucked under a buttery crumble that feels delightfully low-maintenance. It’s like an oatmeal cookie meets strawberry pie in the best way!

Have a great week, friends!

xo

Friends, hi—

I’m so happy to have Nicole Prince here with us this week. I’ve been a longtime reader of her Substack, Double Dutch, which I consider to be as good as a hot cup of coffee you didn’t have to make yourself (amen!). She even had me on for an interview, which you can read here!

Nicole is a mom of three, a writer with a sharp eye for the small details, and someone who understands the art of a well-timed treat. The kind of person I want to share a salad and giant plate of fries with. IYKYK.

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What I love most about Nicole is how she makes space for two things to be true at once: life can feel heavy and we can still reach for small, bright moments. In this piece, she shares a few of those “glimmers”, and I’m living for the glimmer these days!

Because she knows us well, she’s bringing a little something sweet to the table, too.

I’m so glad she’s here. Let’s lean into the small joys together.

xo Joy

Now, here’s Nicole!

I have this chronic condition where anytime I do something mundane or mentally draining—say the dentist, taxes, a hard conversation—I must reward myself with a little treat.

Sure, I can make coffee at home…but a whole milk latte in a paper cup, with “Nicole!” scrawled across the sleeve in Sharpie just tastes so much better. I get a small-yet-undeniable hit of happiness, knowing that disposable cup is sitting in my cupholder instead of my usual Yeti. (Does anyone cosign this or do I need to get out more?)

Last year, there was a viral “how to romanticize your life” trend where people shared little things they did to make the everyday brighter. Some were funny like “Before I leave for a trip, I sternly tell my cat, ‘You better not throw any parties, do you understand?’” Others were more expected: Buy fresh flowers every week! Use the fine china on a Wednesday! Wear heels to your mammogram!

The idea of romanticizing your life didn’t go viral just because it was funny or insightful. We, as humans, crave glimmers of novelty. Especially right now.

I don’t think it’s dramatic to say that life lately is really damn hard for a lot of people. The news is dismal, groceries are hella expensive, and we’re all carrying something that’s heavy, be it a scary diagnosis, aging parents, money worries, a layoff, and the list goes on and on.

Maybe you’re trying to have a baby, but the test is negative again. Or you have what looks like the perfect family—but behind the curated outfits and beautiful house, you feel so deeply alone.

I know that a spur-of-the-moment chocolate croissant or drive-through latte isn’t going to solve anything. The heaviness you may be feeling every hour of the day isn’t cured by an inspirational quote. So, I won’t pretend that I have any semblance of an answer.

Instead, I want to offer up three things that help me shift my mindset. They’re not magic and they won’t change your life. But they’re solid tactics that give me that glimmer on otherwise tough days. Plus, two of the three are free, and the other is nearly store-bought-only, which in my book, are all wins.

Three Glimmers for Everyday Life

1. Add Sunday Sundaes™ to your week. My oldest, who is in second grade, gets the Sunday Scaries every Sunday, without fail. So, this school year, we’ve started something called Sunday Sundaes, which is to say on Sunday, we end the day with some sort of ice cream treat.

Sometimes it’s a popsicle, sometimes it’s a full-blown sundae with homemade caramel, sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry. My kids adore it and I never turn down an excuse for ice cream. (But NGL, I love Mondays #hotcoffee #quietoffice)

2. Move your body for 30 seconds at high intensity (x3). Don’t worry, we’re not changing outfits or sweating. Just put on your sneakers (tennis shoes if you grew up in the Midwest like me).

Set a timer for 30 seconds and move as HARD as you can, whether that’s on a spin bike, sprinting down your driveway, burpees without stopping in your basement, high knees next to your desk. You should not be able to talk. Just 30 seconds, babe.

Rest for 2 minutes and repeat 2-3 times. Do this once or twice a week.

I learned about this low-volume workout from exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Stacy Sims and it’s supposed to improve body composition, boost metabolism, and reduce cortisol. If you’re my neighbor, you may have seen me running sprints down the driveway in wool wide-legs and a cashmere sweater, boobs bouncing because like I said, you only need to add sneakers. You’re welcome!

3. Compliment the cashier. How many times a day do you think your cashier is actually seen? Not just “Hi, how are you,” but asked with real curiosity?

One of my best friends’ dads was job insecure for much of his life. I’ll never forget when we first met and she told me about him.

“He’s the guy who’s bagging your groceries and mopping floors. He gets overlooked by everyone who’s going about their day, but just goes on with a cheerful attitude. I love him so much and it breaks my heart at the same time.”

Ask your cashier how they are, genuinely. Admire their cool sweatshirt or their gorgeous skin. Find out what they’re looking forward to this month or if they have weekend plans.

It costs nothing, and it shifts something—for both of you.

And because I can’t write something for Joy and not include a recipe, here’s a really incredible, EASY treat we made recently for Sunday Sundaes. The plan wasn’t to have one of my children helping, but it happened so it’s not as pretty as I was hoping, but it was a sweet time.

Frozen Raspberry & Lemon Eton Mess

Serves 8

An eton mess is a traditional English dessert composed of crushed meringues, whipped cream, and berries, similar to a pavlova. This is an entirely unauthentic take on one. I’ve simplified it to use mostly store-bought items; all you have to do is whip the cream, layer meringues, jam, and curd together, and freeze.

The beauty of this frozen version is its ease and its novelty. People won’t be able to pinpoint exactly what it is: it’s like ice cream, but airy. Cold, but feather-light. Tart and sweet and creamy. They will demand the recipe to which you can either direct them here or just say, “Oh it’s just a little of this and a little of that” with a laugh, and keep it your delicious party trick.

Ingredients:

3 cups heavy whipping cream

3-4 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3.5 oz store-bought meringues, crushed*

1 jar lemon curd (you’ll use around ½ cup)

1 jar raspberry jam (you’ll use ½ cup)

Directions:

Crush meringues in a Ziploc with a rolling pin. They can vary in size, but should be a mix of popcorn-size to pea-size. Set aside.

Whip the 3 cups of heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer until very soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until almost-stiff peaks form. The cream should nearly stand up straight. Taste it—it should be very lightly sweetened. If there’s no hint of sweetness, add one more tablespoon of powdered sugar.

Fold the crushed meringues into the whipped cream and stir until incorporated. Layer half of the whipped cream mixture into a loaf pan. Scoop 3-4 tablespoons of lemon curd and 3-4 tablespoons jam over the cream and swirl lightly with a knife to ribbon it through the cream. Repeat with remaining cream, jam, and curd.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for at least four hours or until frozen through. Set out for 10 minutes, then scoop into a dish or cone.

Notes:

I used Trader Joe’s for the meringues, lemon curd, and raspberry jam. You can use any brands here, just don’t use low-sugar jam. The sugar keeps it from becoming icy!

You can buy meringues online at World Market and Amazon. At the grocery store, they can often be found in the bakery section.

Eton Mess is traditionally served not in frozen form, which you can also do. Or split it into two—freeze one, fridge the other and see which you prefer!

Or you can download and print the PDF here!

Nicole Prince's Eton Mess

593KB ∙ PDF file

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A Few More Offerings for Sunday Sundaes

A day which I’m willing to make a big part of my personality, thank you Nicole!

My Favorite Coffee Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker - creamy, coffee-forward, and streaked with truly so many Oreo cookie bits! This no-churn situation feels is like akin to pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

Three Easy Store-Bought Ice Cream Treats - we love a shortcut and I’m here to tell you that Ritz crackers make for a perfect ice cream sandwich (especially when half dipped in chocolate) and sprinkled with a few jimmies!

Jeni’s Ice Cream Bake Shop Collection - just the best ice cream in the game! Whether it’s one of their classic flavors, or Jeni’s seasonal lineup, the flavors are SO FUN, the quality is so high. It’s a splurge and money well spent.

Deb Perelman Really Does Make The Best Ice Cream Sandwiches - soft cookies, just-set ice cream, and that perfect slightly messy bite! Deb’s approach, as always, is exactly right. Make a batch, wrap them up, and suddenly our freezers are working a little harder for our happiness. I made my batch with a combination of vanilla and strawberry ice cream, but there are no wrong answers.

Today I’m sharing something a little new: a behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening in my kitchen these days.

Alongside the Big Buttermilk Biscuit Jammers recipe I posted on the blog a few weeks back, I’ve started filming little glimpses of recipe testing and Bakehouse days here in Bellville. I feel steady and sure in the kitchen, yes - but building something new (in this case, a cottage bakery out of my backyard) asks for flexibility, fresh eyes, and a surprising amount of standing I wouldn’t survive without my Danskos. I just thought… maybe all that is something you’d like to see a bit more of.

These jammy buttermilk biscuits are the ones that earned themselves a permanent spot on The Bakehouse Texas menu. They’re fluffy, buttery, can come out of the oven fresh throughout the morning on pop-up days and in my opinion… they’re just the right amount of sweet.

If you’re keeping track, I’m currently on maternity leave from regular Bakehouse pop-ups through the summer. But! In true can’t-sit-won’t-sit-still fashion, I’ve commissioned Will to build a little community bakery box (think: Little Free Library, but for my baked goods). The plan is a pay-what-you-want walk-up bakery open on Bellville Market Days (the first Saturday of every month) starting this summer. Maybe just enough baking to keep my hands in the flour while I get my mothering legs under me.

Until then, here’s a peek at the biscuit jammers, and of course, a link to the full recipe (The Bakehouse Texas - Big Buttermilk Biscuit Jammers) so you can make them in your own kitchen while mine is on a brief hiatus.

Have a wonderful week, friends!

More from me soon.

xo Joy

Next up in our maternity leave kitchen rotation is my dear friend Bri McKoy, and listen… if we ever needed someone to remind us that cooking can be joyful, forgiving, and maybe even a little bit funny - Bri is our person.

I met Bri on a mission trip to Uganda what feels like a lifetime ago. My luggage didn’t make it (a humbling experience), which meant I wore the same pair of pants every single day. Those pants became such a character that, to this day, Bri and I simply refer to them as Pants. Capital P. A legacy, really.

Bri, on the other hand, has always had her life much more together! She’s an incredible cook, bestselling author of The Cook’s Book: Recipes for Keeps & Essential Techniques to Master Everyday Cooking, a genius meal planner, mother of The House Special Lasagna, and one of those people whose joy just… spills over onto everyone around her. It’s contagious! I love her for it!

Which is why I absolutely love that she’s bringing us a dessert. A very Bri dessert. These individual berry cobblers are unfussed, jammy, and just the right amount of sweet.

I’m so happy to have Bri in our kitchen this week. Be sure to subscribe to her newsletter and follow her on Instagram. Let’s bake something simple and really good!

xo Joy

Now here’s Bri!

I was raised by a baker and grew up around bakers. My mom and her sisters even owned a bakery for several years! If there wasn’t flour dusting the countertops or super-fine sugar kissing the floors, I was in the wrong kitchen.

Which is why I grew up to cook…chicken.

All forms of meat and chicken! A vegetable here. A pasta dish there.

The first time I decided to bake something (boxed muffins…we must start somewhere) I used salt instead of sugar. Negative 10 points to both of them for looking so absolutely identical. Negative 100 points to the person who stored them side by side in unlabeled jars. (That would be me. I am the villain of this story.)

I came to the conclusion that baking is for people who have some balance of science and math and honestly a dash of philosophy (which is why I love learning from Joy!).

And then one day, something shifted. I decided I wanted a dessert recipe of my own…one that was foolproof, unfussy, and perfect in any season. A dessert recipe even I couldn’t sabotage.

So I called my mom.

We developed individual berry cobblers. The kind where you can make just one (for you, on a Tuesday, no explanation needed) or a whole tray (technically for guests, realistically also for you).

The recipe had to have a few non-negotiables:

• Easy to bring together! This cobbler dough is beyond easy and that’s saying something because dough hates to see me coming.

• Not overly sweet. I want butter notes, biscuit warmth, and enough tartness to make you feel like a person of delightful sensibilities.

• Down-scalable (this is a culinary term!). Because sometimes one cobbler is exactly the right amount of cobbler. (Which means any leftovers can be frozen!)

And so this bubbly-buttery-berry cobbler was born. I hope you try them!

Just for You Berry Cobblers

This recipe makes 4 individual berry cobblers in 6-7 inch ramekins. You can freeze the dough and berry mixture if you only want to make 1 or 2. Thaw the dough and berries in the refrigerator overnight to make more the next day!

Ingredients

For the Berry Filling:

• 1 (18-20 oz) bag of mixed frozen berries (any combination of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, strawberries…) or 3 & 1/2 cups fresh berries

• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 3/4 cup white sugar

For the Drop Biscuit:

• 1 & 1/2 cups self-rising flour*

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1/2 cup white sugar

Additional Ingredients:

• Sugar for sprinkling

• 2 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk

• 2 Tbsp melted butter

*If you are using regular flour (not self rising) use this for your flour mixture:

• 1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp plus 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven 400 degrees.

2. If you are using fresh berries, rinse and clean the berries and add to a large bowl. If you are using frozen berries, you can use them straight from the freezer, no need to thaw.

3. To the bowl of berries add the lemon juice and mix.

4. In a small bowl mix together 2 Tbsp cornstarch, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, and 3/4 cup sugar. Pour over the berries. Mix to combine.

5. Generously butter 4 ramekins (or however many you’re making) and set on a foil-lined baking sheet.

For the Drop Biscuit:

6. In a bowl lightly mix 1 & 1/2 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup heavy cream, and ½ cup white sugar until all the ingredients are combined. The dough will be sticky.

7. Drop 2 Tbsp of the dough into the buttered ramekins. No need to spread the dough out, it will expand as it bakes. Top the dough with 1 tsp sweetened condensed milk.

8. Bake for 9 minutes.

For the Cobblers:

9. Remove from the oven and add a heaping 1/2 cup of berries evenly among ramekins. To the top add an additional 2 tablespoons of the dough. Do not cover the berries totally with the dough. Steam needs to escape. The dough will gradually cover the berries as it bakes.

10. At this point if you are only making 1-2 cobblers you can freeze the leftover berries and the leftover dough in separate freezer safe containers.

11. Brush the tops of the dough with butter and a sprinkle sugar. Bake for 22-27 minutes. The dough will be golden brown all over! Cool before eating. Enjoy!

Or you can download and print this PDF of Bri’s recipe!

Bri's Cobbler Recipe

6.61MB ∙ PDF file

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Fresh From the Archives

• All this talk of cobbler has me thinking about My Favorite Blueberry Cobbler which is made with lemon zest (for zip) and bonus blackberries (because they lend to the sweetness and overall texture of the cobbler). The top is like a loose, craggly, buttery biscuit and - it hits the spot every single time. Save this for your future cobbler endeavors.

• It’s hard to believe this Tomato Cobbler with Blue Cheese Biscuits runs so far back in the Joy the Baker archives. 2012!? That was a different world. I’ll tell you what… this cobbler still sticks the landing. Sweet cherry tomatoes are baked down to jammy with caramelized onions and herbs, topped with downright dirty (obvi in a good way) blue cheese biscuits. It’s savory, bright, has some earthy umami and it’s just unexpected! Add it to the list!

• Welcome to No Rules Baking where we’re topping our cobbler with actual cookie dough balls instead of a biscuit topping. It’s great here: Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Cobbler.

Have a wonderful week, friends! More soon! xo

As I scoot into maternity leave (with a freezer I’m trying very hard to fill with a general sense of “we’ll figure it out”), I asked a few of my very favorite food people to step into this space and cook with us. Clare Langan was at the top of that list.

Clare is one of those effortlessly cool, deeply capable cooks who makes everything feel doable and delicious. She’s spent years shaping the way we cook, from Williams Sonoma to The Feedfeed and beyond, but what I love most is how her recipes feel: smart, unfussy, and make me so nostalgic for fresh, bright west coast cooking.

Today Clare brings us a Super-Green Chicken Stew which feels like exactly what I want on repeat right now - vegetable-forward, flexible, and perfect for making now and tucking away for later. (I’m making a double batch this weekend!)

I’m so grateful to have Clare in our kitchen this week. Be sure to subscribe to her newsletter On Cooking and keep up with her on Instagram.

Take good care,

Joy

Now here’s Clare!

I’m in the recipe-testing phase of my first (!) cookbook, all about freezer cooking. Cozy, cold-weather dishes are a given (think: chili, baked pastas, so many soups). As we ease into the brighter, greener ingredients of spring, I wanted to share a dish that spoke to this in-between time. We still need warm, nourishing food in the spring and summer, especially when the AC is blasting — or here in the chilly Bay Area, where I have a drawer full of summer sweaters. Inspired by Joshua McFadden’s green kale pasta sauce (NYT gift link) and a poblano-braised chicken from my private chef work with The Culinistas, this chicken stew is indeed super green, with kale, broccolini AND spinach.

To me, the best part about this dish is that it can stand on its own, but it’s easy to dress up. I deliberately chose an agnostic flavor profile, leaning on citrusy coriander and lots of garlic. It’s not too spiced or spicy, but be sure to try a bite of your jalapeño and add more or less as they vary in heat. Depending on your toppings or sides, you can lean in the direction of chicken chili verde (cilantro, jalapeño, tortillas) or even a Southeast Asian slant (coconut, peanuts, lots of lime over rice noodles). I’ve shared some topping suggestions, but scrounge around in your fridge or pantry and find what sounds good.

I hope you make a pot for dinner tonight and stash some away in the freezer for later. As a private chef and home cook, I’m always looking for ways to pack more veggies into everything I’m cooking. Blending half the veggies may seem like an unnecessary step, but it transforms into a silky green broth that’s almost creamy. Be sure to open your blender cap and use a kitchen towel to vent the steam while blending. I’ve cleaned up my fair share of clients’ kitchens when I forget to do this!

Super-Green Chicken Stew

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado

1 large leek, top trimmed, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced

1 medium jalapeño, thinly sliced, plus more for serving

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 bunch Tuscan kale, stemmed, leaves finely chopped (about 4 cups)

1 bunch broccolini, finely chopped (about 3 cups)

1 packed cup baby spinach

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water

Juice from 1 lemon or lime

Plain yogurt, toasted coconut flakes, roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, parsley and/or chives for serving (optional)

Warm couscous, polenta, rice noodles, tortillas, pita or naan (optional)

Directions:

1. Pat dry chicken thighs. Season generously with salt.

2. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan, add chicken. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point. Transfer to a plate and turn down heat to medium-low.

3. Add leeks and jalapeño. Season with salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic, coriander and onion powder, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. Add kale, broccolini and 1½ cups broth (or water). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes until wilted and tender.

5. Transfer about half of the veggies to a high-speed blender. Add baby spinach and remaining ½ cup broth (or water). Place the lid on top, remove the cap and cover with a dish towel as you blend to allow steam to escape. Blend until smooth.

6. Stir blended veggies back into the pot. Add chicken along with any accumulated juices and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is very tender.

7. Transfer chicken to a plate. Shred with two forks and return to stew. Season with more salt as needed.

8. Just before serving, add lemon or lime juice. Serve in shallow bowls topped with yogurt, herbs and more sliced jalapeño if you like.

Make it ahead: Cooled stew without citrus or toppings can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Rewarm in a saucepan over low heat. Add citrus juice and toppings before serving.

You can also print the recipe by downloading this PDF!

Clare Langan's Chicken Stew

544KB ∙ PDF file

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Don’t Miss What’s Fresh on Joy the Baker

• This month’s Bakehouse Texas Almanac comes from our old friend Amy Estes. Don’t miss the vibes of the month including a new spring scent, a new spring craft, and a gooey butter cake we should make: The Bakehouse Texas Almanac, April 2026.

Have a great week, friends! More soon!

Friends, hi!

With maternity leave just around the corner (how did we get here so soon?), I wanted to give you a little peek at what Baked In will look like while I’m off learning how to be someone’s mom.

TL;DR: you’re in very good hands the next few months.

Over the past few weeks, so many of my chef and author friends have stepped up enthusiastically, offering to share recipes and stories from their own kitchens here on Baked In. It’s been one of the sweetest surprises and we have a great line-up of folks coming up!

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So while I’m away, you can expect a lineup of free newsletters from these incredible contributors. I like to think of them as little windows into their kitchens and as a confirmed nosy b - I’m very into it.

I’ll be popping in here and there as a little proof of life (and maybe to remind you I still know where the oven is), but mostly I’ll be over here learning a whole new rhythm.

I think you’re going to really love what’s coming starting next week! Thanks so much for being here, friends!

But Before I Go, Can We Talk About What’s For Dinner This Week?

This Weeknight Skillet Lasagna with Kale and Artichoke got lost to the joythebaker archives but it deserves a little respect. It’s all the comfort of lasagna without the whole layering situation. A skillet packed to the gills with tender noods, kale, artichoke hearts, sausage, and cheese. I can also vouch for the fact that leftovers are excellent the next morning (adding a little bit of water to thin the sauce) for a very modified shakshuka move. For your consideration.

Dad had a version of this One-Pot Hawaiian Chicken in the monthly family meal rotation while I was growing up and it was always one of my favorites. Admittedly, it’s one of those 1970s recipes that requires French dressing and may make you tilt your head a bit but… am I crazy for thinking that French dressing is having a comeback? I’ve seen it on several menus lately! Anyway, dressing aside, this one-pot chicken dinner is probably only veeeery loosely Hawaiian but I absolutely love it for the fresh pineapple, snow peas, and crisp watercress. It’s just a fun dinner!

Julia Turshen’s Chicken Francese is classy as all get-out. Think: lightly crisp chicken and a bright lemony/herby sauce. It’s one of those recipes that hits the sweet spot between simple and special — and we could all use a little of that this week!

Substack Reads That I’ve Loved This Week

• It’s literally always always always a good time to go to Hillstone. Hillstone is a rich person’s Applebee’s

• It’s a long (exhausting) game: Why Authors Burn Out Trying to Build Visibility (and how to prevent it)

• Immediate add to the dinner rotation: Olga’s Sesame Chicken Schnitzel

• I found this so interesting: Writing Your Last Word: Why You Should Draft Your Own Obituary

• Trust us, we were there. Ten Things That Sucked About The 90’s. And the way I still think of Courtney Cox in a relationship with Adam Duritz when I hear Long December. I just… it really was a time.

Ok. Gotta go have a baby, friends. More from me soon!

xo Joy