Growing up in California, passion fruit was synonymous with the end of summer. The fragrant fruits ripened by the hundred on vines all around our Los Angeles neighborhood. Their intensely flavored, tart pulp was so good in all kinds of desserts and beverages.

So when a reader wrote to me last year saying they had adapted my pound cake recipe to include fresh passion fruit to flavor it, I had to try it myself and share the brilliant idea with you!

This pound cake is super tender, using cake flour with low protein and added acidity from the passion fruit and sour cream (acidity reduces strong gluten formation, adding to the tenderness).

The cake is topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze made with more passion fruit. It’s sweet, tangy, buttery, and all around delicious. You can make this with fresh or frozen passion fruit—more on both below!

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Hi friends! I cannot believe August is over and we are entering the last third of the year…how does time go by so quickly these days?? (Is anyone else feeling this, too?) I am looking forward to fall, but before we unbox our stored sweaters and dive into pumpkin spice and apple everything, let’s celebrate the end of a lovely and busy summer.

But first up, a fun announcement:

Let Me Sign Your Book!

I’m signing preordered copies of Everyday Baking through one of my favorite bookstores in New York, Kitchen Arts & Letters! You can order online here.

I will be announcing a book tour in the next few weeks, but I know I can’t make it to all of your wonderful cities, so this is a great way to get a signed copy. (They also make great gifts 😊.) I’m happy to personalize the inscription, too—just add the name to the “Special Instructions” box in your shopping cart.

Preorder your signed copy here!

I had the joy of visiting Kitchen Arts & Letters on my first book tour and meeting so many wonderful people! I found a few pictures from that signing, and it has made me SO excited to be back out there again in October, getting to meet you all in person. Stay tuned for the full tour announcement.

Now, onto the recap for this month:

Here are all of the new recipes from August in one list for you! If you’re looking for a quick bake that’s fun for the kids or to celebrate anything (back to school, birthday, new job), make the Funfetti Scones. If you want a nostalgia-filled make-ahead dessert, I highly encourage you to try the Caramelized Banana Pudding Trifle.

1. Lemon Sweet Rolls

2. Funfetti Scones

3. Mango Key Lime Pie

4. Raspberry Cloud Cake

5. Thai Tea Tres Leches Cake

6. Caramelized Banana Pudding Trifle

7. Apple Cider Donut Bread

My mom came to visit! We got to spend a week with her at the farm, picking vegetables, making dinners together, and baking. One recipe she always makes when she comes to visit is a vegetable soup.

She likes to pick whatever is fresh and ripe for harvesting from the garden, then throws it into a big pot with stock, fresh herbs, lemon, and a small pasta or grain. (There’s a version of this recipe in Super Easy—Nana’s Vegetable Soup, page 192.)

It’s still hot and summery out, but it was Christmas in the studio! I got to make and decorate Christmas sugar cookies with the boys. Sometimes it feels strange doing activities like this “out of season,” but there's also something special about it! It’s less hectic than the holidays, and it was fun to see their creativity in how they chose to decorate their cookies.

Don’t worry, there was plenty of eating cookies, too! I even got mom to join us. So look for her cameo in some upcoming YouTube videos.

As a side note for those of you invested in the journey of the rogue tomato plant in my garden…it ripened!!! We got to pick some gorgeous, golden tomatoes from the vine this week. Unfortunately, the bugs got to enjoy a few before me, but this one was perfect.

We took a weekend trip to the city, visiting our favorite spot in Central Park, taking a browse through the Harry Potter store, and wandering through a warm and gorgeous New York summer day.

We also made stops for each of the boys. Lachlan wanted to see Starry Night at the MOMA. It’s one of his favorite paintings. (As a fine art painting major, it makes my heart happy!) George’s activity of choice was visiting the USS Intrepid museum in Manhattan.

There’s nothing quite like enjoying an afternoon scoop of ice cream at the park in the summer, so we made sure to squeeze that in too. I’m soaking up the end of summer and time with the kids before the business begins in the next few weeks as my new book releases. More to come for all of you, with some special sneak peeks! I can’t wait.

We're diving into fall baking with cinnamon, apples, and caramel, and a few other surprises! Plus, be on the lookout for a sneak peek of my new cookbook for paid subscribers.

I’m also currently working on recipes for the upcoming holidays. If there are any breads, cookies, cakes, pies, or desserts for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, etc. that you’d like to see, let me know in the comments!

Late August is when I start getting very excited for the approach of fall. Apples start being harvested right around now, and they are one of the first things I want to bake with as the season shifts.

Apple cider donuts are one of my favorite fall treats. If you remember my Air Fryer Apple Cider Donut recipe from last fall, then you know I much prefer a homemade one to the versions at u-pick orchards that are often made hours to days in advance and feel dry or stale by the time you get a bite. BUT, I don’t always love frying, so I look for new ways to capture this delicious flavor outside the deep-fried form. Enter this quick bread version!

The batter is made with reduced cider, spices, and simply stirred together (no mixer needed!). After baking, it’s coated with butter and cinnamon sugar for that iconic cider donut look and texture. My favorite part is that you get even more of the fluffy interior of a cider donut in this tall, sliceable loaf.

And here’s my Air Fryer Apple Cider Donut recipe from last fall, if you want to try it too! These are sooo good and can be baked in a basket or oven-style air fryer. There’s a video included in the post, too, where I walk you through the recipe step by step!

Ingredients + Notes

A note on apple cider: Unfiltered apple cider will give the best flavor to the bread. It’s typically found with the other refrigerated juices in the grocery store. If you can’t find cider, I tested this with Simple Apple Juice as well, and the results were great!

A note on spices: Feel free to swap these out for your favorite baking spices or blend.

Reducing the Cider

To start the batter, you need to simmer the cider to concentrate the flavor. This takes only about 15 minutes and is what gives the bread a good cider donut taste. If you don’t reduce it, it will taste more like a spiced bread only.

Sugar Coating the Loaf

Cider donuts have a classic coating of cinnamon sugar, easily applied by tossing the hot fried donuts in the sugar fresh from the oil. Since this loaf is baked, we need to give the bread a coating of butter so the sugar has something to hold onto. I found the best way to do this is in sections. Brush one side with butter, sprinkle with sugar, then turn the loaf and coat another.

If you brush the loaf all at once, the butter will absorb into the bread the longer it sits, and the sugar won’t stick as well.

A piece of parchment paper under the loaf gives you an easy way to gather up the excess sugar to replenish your coating bowl as needed.

But sure to coat the bread while it is still warm. It will keep the butter from cooling and solidifying too quickly, before you have the chance to sprinkle the sugar on it.

Prep Tips:

• Boil the cider ahead of time. The reduced cider keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days. Since you need time to boil and cool it, this is a good step to do ahead of time!

Apple Cider Donut Bread

Makes 1 (8½x4½-inch) loaf / 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Bread:

• 1½ cups (360ml) unfiltered apple cider

• ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar

• ½ cup (50g) granulated sugar

• ½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, melted

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour

• 1½ teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice

For the Coating:

• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Method

Boil the Cider:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the cider to a boil over medium-high heat, and continue boiling until it is reduced to ¾ cup, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium heat-proof mixing bowl and let it cool to room temp.

Make the Bread:

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8½x4½-inch loaf pan with baking spray, and set aside.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.

4. Once the cider has cooled, add both of the sugars, the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla to the cider bowl, and whisk until well combined. Pour the cider mixture into the flour mixture and stir together until fully combined. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

5. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a wire rack and let it cool for another 10 minutes.

Coat the Bread:

6. In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon until well combined.

7. Place the loaf on the wire rack over a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Brush one side of the warm bread loaf with butter. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar over the buttered area, and repeat until the loaf is fully coated. You can collect extra sugar from the parchment paper and sprinkle it on the bread as needed. Let the bread finish cooling, or slice and serve it while it is still warm.

Recipe Notes:

• If you don’t have apple cider, Simply Apple fresh-pressed apple juice is a great substitute.

• Don’t let the bread cool too much before brushing it with butter. The warmth from the loaf helps keep the butter melted and soft so the sugar sticks to it.

• Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The loaf can be wrapped whole or in slices and frozen for a few months.

Apple Cider Donut Bread

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This is the banana pudding you need to make before summer is over! We love a good banana pudding—cold, creamy, and somehow rich yet light at the same time. I also love a trifle! Custard, cake, whipped cream, and something syrupy for the cake to soak up is one of my top desserts (but you all know I love a cake, whipped cream, and fruit moment if you have any of my cookbooks!)

This dessert brings both loves together in one very delicious dessert that feels classy enough for a summer dinner party yet comforting, nostalgic, and fuss-free.

This does have a few different components, but you will see how I adapted each one to make the steps uncomplicated while still resulting in an impressive finished dessert. I’ll walk you through each element of the trifle and what you can prep ahead.

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I LOVE tres leches cake! I’ve published my perfect classic version and several variations of this Mexican dessert over the years. (There’s a new one in my upcoming book, too. That’s how much I love tres leches cake!) I find it really fun to play with flavoring the milk syrup and see how I can transform this cake into so many different types.

Today’s version is a recipe I dreamt up with my team, inspired by our love of an afternoon beverage pick-me-up on shoot days. The milk syrup lends itself to flavoring like a milk tea so easily, so we steeped some Thai tea leaves and spices in the milk syrup and came up with this beauty of a cake!

My perfect slice is served with a very generous pour of the milk syrup, so this recipe makes enough to soak the cake and enough to serve with each slice.

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I have been dreaming about this recipe for a while. It started out as a concept in my upcoming cookbook, but ultimately wasn’t the right fit for the cake chapters. But it was still floating around in my head so I decided to make it for you!

This cake is a bit unconvential as it’s a baked layer of vanilla cake that is topped with fruit and meringue and then baked again. I was inspired by Lousie cake—a classic New Zealand tray bake (sheetcake) that has a sponge cake, raspberry jam, and a coconut meringue topping. My version is a bit more of a marriage between sponge cake and pavlova!

The base is a vanilla cake that leans a bit towards classic yellow cake using only egg yolks. After baking, mash fresh raspberries are spread on top. Then, the egg white are whipped up into a French meringue with sugar and a bit of cornstarch, spread on top, and baked again. The meringue turns pavlova-like with crisp top crust and a soft, bouncy center.

The cake looks complicated in technique, but it’s just two classic baking components coming together in one! It’s elegant enough to serve at a celebration or dinner party, but easy enough that you could make it one afternoon to share with friends stopping by.

If you want to jazz it up more, you could macerate more fresh berries with sugar and lemon juice and spoon them on top of each slice, or spread a spoonful of lemon curd on the plate before setting the slice on top.

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Friends, I have a very special newsletter for you all today—a chat with Caroline Chambers! She is a culinary force here on Substack, writing delicious and approachable recipes on What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking.

Today, we are celebrating the release of her third cookbook, Make It Fast! Her new book is FULL of delicious dinner recipes, from sheet pan meals to one-pot recipes, and none of them take more than 30 minutes of your time (including ingredient prep). Who doesn’t love that?

In today’s conversation, we cover everything from how Caroline started writing and sharing recipes to the challenges of cooking for your family with a busy work schedule. We also cover our mutual obsession with pickled onions and briny feta, and her must-have ingredients stocked in her pantry. Plus, I made her Tiny Tomato Pasta recipe from Make It Fast, and I’m sharing the recipe with you below. (It’s delicious!!)

I didn’t take the traditional route into food. My husband George was a Navy SEAL, and we moved to San Diego right after we got married. I couldn’t afford culinary school, so I started a catering business with absolutely zero experience but an abundance of enthusiasm to fake it. That led to food styling and recipe development for local magazines and brands, and eventually to culinary consulting in the Bay Area where I wrote recipes for national restaurant chains like Panera and Quiznos.

Writing for restaurant chains is what taught me the thing I’m actually best at. Chefs speak their own language and expect everyone else to speak it too... Have you ever had to stop mid-recipe and Google what “emulsify” means? I learned to write recipes clear enough for a teenager who was hired yesterday and has to make two hundred burrito bowls during lunch rush. Now I write as if I’m standing right next to you in the kitchen, margarita in hand, walking you through it.

Then I had Mattis, and I discovered that being a mom was actually my strength, because I got serious about recipes that work when you have roughly a million fewer free hours per day. I started sharing those on Instagram during lockdown when all my regular gigs disappeared, and launched What To Cook on Substack in December 2020. We’ve added three more boys since then, and with each one my recipes got quicker, hackier, and smarter.

Honestly, some nights nothing does, and that’s the whole premise of my work. I don’t write for the version of me that’s excited to cook. I write for the version standing in the kitchen at 6 pm who has already given everything to the day.

What actually helps is that my kids are in the kitchen with me, however unhelpful that is. My 5-year-old Calum cracked and whisked his own scrambled eggs this morning. The egg went everywhere. But he was occupied for ten solid minutes, and that’s how they learn, so I’ve stopped letting kitchen mess stress me out.

And I grew up with my parents making family dinner a huge deal even when dinner was frozen taquitos. They’d set the table, and we’d sit down together. I learned young that it’s not really about the food - it’s the conversation that happens over it. That’s the part I’m protecting, and it turns out you can protect it with a 20-minute dinner just as well as a two-hour one.

My first book was organized by time - 15, 30, 45, 60 minutes. And after watching people cook out of it for a year, the 15s and 30s were what everyone actually made. Those were the recipes getting memorized, texted around, brought on vacation. So I wrote a whole book of them.

I was also pregnant with my fourth while writing it, which sharpened everything. I was so tired and so unwilling to cook that every unnecessary step got cut. Do I really need that herb garnish? No? Nix it.

The one thing I’d push back on with most fast cookbooks: the timing here includes the prep. That sounds small, and it’s the entire thing. So many 30-minute recipes mean thirty minutes after you’ve chopped and minced and measured. The prep is written into the instructions here, so 15 minutes means 15 minutes from walking into the kitchen.

The food photo shoot! When I’m testing a recipe, I’m not thinking about beauty at all. I’m thinking about function. Does it hold together? Is the texture right? Is it salted enough? Are the flavors actually coming through, or is one of them bullying the others? Did the timing hold up? I photograph every single test, but those pictures are purely for reference - a phone shot of a skillet on my stove, usually with a kid’s hand reaching into the frame. They’re not pretty. They’re evidence.

So then you walk onto set with Erin Scott, who shot the book, and Lillian Kang and Paige Arnett on food styling - people whose entire job is making food look gorgeous - and they’ve made your recipe start to finish, and it’s sitting there under the lights looking like something you’d drop everything for. That’s the moment. You watch a thing you built purely for function turn into something genuinely inspiring.

I should also say I showed up to that shoot with a seven-week-old baby, running on no sleep, and that team completely rolled with it - the baby, my cuckoo bananas children, a cat trying to jump on the counters!! They brought endless positivity, snacks, and caffeine to set every single day. I adore all of them.

This recipe came out of a summer where the tiny tomatoes at our farmer’s market were absolutely popping off - sweet and juicy Sungolds everywhere that were begging to be turned into sauce! So that’s what I did. Butter, sliced garlic, two pounds of tiny tomatoes cooked until they burst, and a lot of Parm!

But the real story is the angel hair, which I owe entirely to my third son, Cashel. I used to be an angel hair hater! Then I got pregnant with him, and the cravings arrived, and one of them was angel hair pasta. It’s the perfect vessel for this sauce, thin enough that every strand gets coated.

Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and I mean specifically that brand - if you use table salt in my recipes, they’ll be way too salty. Whole peppercorns in a grinder, never preground, which goes stale fast and is basically dust by the time you shake it on anything.

Better Than Bouillon instead of boxed stock. One jar in the fridge takes almost no space and equals many quarts. Tomato paste in a tube. Jarred sun-dried tomatoes. Canned chipotles in adobo. Coconut milk, because coconut rice is a family favorite. Gochujang for a lot of flavor without much heat if you use a small amount.

I have had a jar of pickled red onions in my fridge continuously since April. They take about four minutes, and once you have them, you’ll put them on everything. What I love is that you can steer them wherever you need them to go. Want them for tacos or anything with chile and cilantro? Use lime instead of vinegar. Want them a little more savory and grown-up, for a cheese board or alongside pork? Throw in some peppercorns. Want heat? Slice a jalapeño into the jar, and now they’re doing two jobs at once. Putting them on something already sweet, like watermelon or peaches? A spoonful of honey or sugar softens the sharp edge so they’re not fighting the fruit.

Also, I’ve put feta on 90% of my meals this summer. It has to be the kind packed in brine, not the pre-crumbled stuff in a tub - it’s creamier and more flavorful. Between feta and pickled red onions, you can take a plate of basically anything and make it a meal. Watermelon with honey lime dressing, mint, basil, feta, pickled red onions, and serranos. A little gem salad with avocado, pine nuts, green goddess, feta, and more pickled onions!

John, I have to be honest with you and your readers: I am not a baker. Baking asks for precision and patience, and I have neither. When we bake in this house, it’s from a box mix - four kids, a box mix, and nobody crying about leveling flour. It’s the least stressful version of the activity.

BUT. I’ve been on a serious Dutch baby kick this year, and I think it’s the loophole. I blend eggs and milk and flour together, pour it into a hot buttered skillet, and the oven does something absurd to it - it climbs up the sides and puffs into this enormous golden thing, and everyone loses their minds when you pull it out. It’s dramatic, minimal ingredients, and no part of it requires me to be precise about anything. That’s my kind of baking!

For everything else, I’m just going to keep reading your newsletter and letting you handle it. :)

This recipe from Caroline’s new book is so delicious! The boys and I made it last week for dinner. The cherry tomatoes are abundant in our garden right now, so we picked a basket of fresh ones. Caroline suggests Sungolds if you have them! We had a sweet variety of red cherry tomatoes that were ripe on the vine, and they were quite tasty.

The butter really enhances the savory qualities of the tomatoes and makes them taste even more tomato-y. And I will confirm—this took 15 minutes to make! The Angel hair boils fast, and the tomatoes just cook long enough to soften, which also keeps them tasting fresh. I kept the finish simple, just like she recommended, with fresh-picked basil and a shower of Parmesan—I will definitely be making this again!

Here’s the recipe! I hope you’ll make it and pick up a copy of her new book, too—it’s truly fast and delicious!

Tiny Tomato Pasta

Serves 4 to 6

Starring vine-ripe tiny tomatoes and a handful of fragrant basil—this, my friends, is peak summer cooking. What to Cookers everywhere are addicted to this pasta! It’s best with the freshest summer tomatoes— especially Sungolds—but if you’re craving it midwinter, you can make it with cherry tomatoes and add a pinch of sugar. Use whatever pasta you’ve got, but I’m telling you, angel hair is absolutely elite here.

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt

• 1 pound angel hair pasta

• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter

• 6 garlic cloves

• 2 pounds cherry, Sungold, or grape tomatoes

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• Handful of fresh basil

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces), plus more for serving

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Scoop out 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

2. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Thinly slice the garlic. Add the garlic, tomatoes, 1½ teaspoons salt, and the red pepper flakes to the pot and turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are bursting and forming a sauce with the butter, about 8 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully smash any tomatoes that haven’t burst on their own against the side of the pan. Turn off the heat.

3. Thinly slice the basil.

4. To the sauce in the pot, add the cooked pasta, ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water (see Learn, page 60), most of the basil (reserve a little bit for garnish), and ½ cup of the Parm and stir until all the cheese has melted into a smooth sauce. Stir in the remaining ½ cup Parm until smooth. Stir in more of the pasta cooking water until everything looks saucy and delicious. Taste and add more salt as needed.

5. Scoop into shallow bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved basil and more Parm.

Tip: If you’re feeding picky/textureaverse eaters, blend the sauce with an immersion blender or transfer it to a standing blender before adding the pasta, basil, and Parm.

Learn: Stirring in the cheese in two batches helps it melt more evenly without clumping.

Shortcut: I will always and forever grate my own Parm in the blender or food processor. Just cut off the rind, cut it into a few hunks, and blend or process until grated!

You can order your copy of Caroline’s new book here.

Tiny Tomato Pasta

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Recipe reprinted with permission from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking: Make it Fast by Caroline Chambers © 2026. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photography by Erin Scott.

Have a question about the recipe? Leave a comment for me below!

If you love a cold dessert in the summer, you have to make this pie! It’s cool, creamy, and full of zingy lime flavor balanced with sweetened condensed milk and mango puree. The filling is classic: just 3 ingredients that whisk together and set in with only 10 minutes in the oven.

The twist here is the mango puree on top! Fresh mangoes are blended and quickly cooked to a jammy consistency, then poured on top of the key lime filling. The resulting pie has two distinct layers for a gorgeous slice that looks complicated and impressive, but is actually super easy to make and takes under an hour!

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Today’s recipe is perfect for anyone who loves sprinkles or has something to celebrate soon. Back to school, a birthday, new job—any reason, really, is worth making these! They are buttery and flaky with a crisp bottom, golden edges, and kissed with a sweet vanilla glaze. The inside is just the right balance of fluffy and dense so they don’t feel hard or dry but still land firmly in the scone category.

A hint of almond extract gives that bakery-cake taste, and a smattering of sprinkles right on top of the glaze is an easy decoration that’s fun and inviting. If you want to level up the flavor, I have some ideas for you in the recipe notes, too!

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If you love cinnamon rolls, you have to make this summery version! I love all things lemon—sweet or savory—so it was a no-brainer to make a pillowy soft lemon roll. This version has a brioche-like dough filled with butter whipped with lemon curd and sprinkled with lemon sugar. The resulting rolls are buttery, sweet, and punchy.

In my opinion, good sweet rolls have to be incredibly soft and fluffy once baked. They shouldn’t be hard, dense, or dry. The centers shouldn’t be the only part of the roll that is gooey either. This recipe achieves that with an enriched yeast dough, plenty of butter, and the right baking pan.

A ceramic pan is my go-to for all types of sweet rolls. It insulates the rolls better so they don’t get as hard and dry on the edges and bottom, keeping the rolls soft and gooey throughout the pan, not just the center! If you have a casserole dish or lasagna pan, it will work great for this recipe.

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July was FULL! From testing and publishing delicious new recipes, summer travels, filming new videos, and an exciting book announcement (read more below!), the month was packed with incredible days. Read on for the links to all of the new recipes and my favorite moments from July.

All of July’s new recipes in one list for you! This month featured peak summer produce like blueberries, peaches, raspberries, and some classic flavor combinations with PB&J and mocha. Two of my favorites from this month: Tropical Banana Bread and Mocha Cream Pie.

The Mocha Cream Pie is a riff on Brian’s favorite childhood dessert—French silk pie. Its mousse-like filling is magically decadent while also being airy; it just melts in your mouth in a delightful way. The addition of espresso and a fudge ripple elevates it into a dessert that’s equally at home at a dinner party or backyard barbecue.

The Tropical Banana Bread is an ode to the banana bread loaves my mom would make when my brother and I were growing up. She would add a can of pineapple for moisture and flavor, which was such a lovely complement to the ripe bananas.

1. PB&J Sandwich Cookies

2. Blueberry Yogurt Cake

3. Peach Cobbler Bars

4. Cherry-Almond Breakfast Pastries

5. Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies

6. Mocha Cream Pie

7. Raspberry Almond Cake

8. Tropical Banana Bread

I’ll start with the most exciting news—I received the first copies of my new cookbook! It’s my third one, and I still feel just as excited to hold the final, printed book in my hands. Two years of work went into making this book for all of you, and I cannot wait for you to get your copy!

If you haven’t yet, you can preorder it from Amazon or your favorite local bookseller. Preorders are incredibly helpful in supporting the author by showing the publisher and booksellers how excited you are for the new book. So if you love my recipes and are able to preorder, I’d be so grateful!!

The boys are in full summer break mode, so I took them on a trip to Seattle. We attended my good friend’s wedding, which was so beautiful and surrounded by giant trees (my favorite part of the PNW!). We also explored the city a bit, and the boys were so excited to go to the Space Needle.

Back at the farm, I spent several fun days in the studio with my team filming new videos for you! The boys joined in for some as well, which is always a delight for me. I love cooking with them, and they love eating treats, so it was a win-win :).

The kitchen garden is rapidly growing from abundant sunshine and warm days. Remember that rogue tomato plant that popped up in May? Well, it’s thriving and has huge heirloom tomatoes on it! I was very curious to see what type of tomato it was, and now I know it’s at least a big heirloom—just have to wait until they ripen to determine the exact variety. Stay tuned.

The boys also enjoyed harvesting veggies. We picked zucchini, herbs, and cherry tomatoes, watered when the rain was sparse, and pulled weeds. George found one zucchini that had clearly been overlooked and gotten HUGE!

I was filming and needed a sunshine break, so why not trim the hedges in my apron? Thanks for sneaking this pic of me, Nicole!

August’s recipes are a delicious variety as we celebrate mid-summer and move into early fall flavors with the start of the apple harvest. If you love summer pies, Thai tea, banana pudding, cider donuts, or sweet breakfast treats, don’t miss a recipe!

Banana bread is one of our favorite snacks in our house. I’ll make a loaf and pack it in the boys’ lunch boxes or have it ready as an after-school treat when they get home. I love that it’s an excellent way to use up those bananas I had hopes of eating but turned way too ripe because I simply glanced at them the wrong way…but also that it’s such a blank canvas for so many added flavors and mix-ins.

This loaf was inspired by a recipe my mom would make when I was a kid. She would mix a whole can of crushed pineapple into the batter as part of the wet ingredients. This was a hack to use a pantry item, but it kept the loaf supremely moist for days and added a bit of tropical flavor.

I love a bit of crunch in my banana bread, so I added toasted coconut and macadamia nuts to the mix. These flavors combine into a delicious, tropical-esque loaf that is perfect for summer snacking. (If you love Hummingbird cake, you’ll love this bread!) You can make it more decadent with a simple cream cheese frosting or go for it plain—either way is delicious!

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If you preordered my second cookbook, Preppy Kitchen Super Easy, you may recognize this recipe! It was a part of a gift for ordering the book early. And I love it so much that I wanted to gift it to all of my paid Substack subscribers!

This recipe is a riff on a French Yogurt Cake (one of my personal favorites). It’s a very simple recipe that uses yogurt to keep the cake tender and moist. It’s incredibly easy to make—the batter whisks together (no mixer needed!) with common pantry baking ingredients, olive oil, and Greek yogurt. Then, sprinkle on some fresh raspberries and sliced almonds, and bake! It’s the perfect recipe if you get a strong craving for cake but don’t have a lot of time or energy for baking.

I call it a snack cake because you can make it on a whim, it’s fairly casual without extensive decorations or frosting, and it’s perfect with an afternoon coffee or tea. You can dress it up with a dollop of whipped cream or drizzle a glaze or ganache over it if you’d like.

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One of the original recipes on Preppy Kitchen is my French Silk Pie. This was my husband Brian’s favorite dessert growing up, and he had a very specific memory of its texture and flavor. I made endless pies, perfecting that recipe for him, and I’m still so proud of it. This Sunday’s newsletter is a riff on that magical chocolate pie recipe.

I swapped the flaky, blind-baked crust for an easy Oreo crust and amplified the flavor with a generous amount of espresso in the filling and an espresso whipped cream on top. The decadence factor also increased with a ribbon of hot fudge running through the center of each slice. The filling has the same, magically airy-dense, melt-in-your-mouth mousse filling made from whipping melted chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream.

Once the pie is chilled, it slices beautifully and sets into a texture that is somehow dense and airy. It’s rich but also cold, making a lovely summer dessert for a backyard barbecue.

Ingredients + Notes

A note on Oreos: Use regular-filling Oreos for the crust (not Double Stuf). You can use flavored ones, though! Chocolate, peanut butter, or the Tiramisu flavor are delicious with the filling. (And no, you don’t need to remove the cream—it helps the crumbs hold together.)

A note on chocolate: Use a good-quality bittersweet chocolate for the filling! This is where most of the chocolate flavor comes from, and the better the chocolate, the better the pie will be.

A note on instant espresso: Instant espresso powder is important in this recipe. Regular espresso grounds will make the filling gritty—you need the instant espresso to dissolve into the filling to flavor it while still being smooth and creamy. If you just don’t want coffee in your pie, you can leave it out without affecting the texture.

A note on hot fudge sauce: You can use your favorite brand, or swap it for chocolate ganache if you’d prefer. Melt 1/4 cup of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup of cream and let it cool until it’s spoonable but not hot. Don’t use chocolate syrup—it’s too runny and can make the filling too soft to slice easily, or it will ooze out.

3 Keys To The Right Filling Texture

My recipe testing for the French Silk Pie taught me a lot about which parts of the recipe are key to ensuring the filling has just the right texture. Here are the most important parts of the process and why they matter.

• Cook the eggs and sugar to 160F. The egg yolks and sugar are cooked before the chocolate is added, forming the base of the filling. Achieving the right temperature here is key. Heating it to 160°F changes the egg proteins so they begin coagulating. When you whip the filling, this helps form a stronger structure to hold the air and prevent the filling from deflating or being too runny.

• Cool the chocolate mixture thoroughly. The chocolate is added to the cooked egg and sugar to melt it. This mixture is whipped into softened butter, but to avoid melting the butter, you need to cool the chocolate mixture sufficiently. Make sure it is at least 80°F or below before you add it to the butter. You can speed this up by placing the bowl in an ice bath and gently stirring it for a few minutes.

• Whip the mixture well. Once the butter, chocolate, and egg mixture is combined, you want to whip it until the mixture looks fluffy, light in color, and holds

To make the fudge ripple in the center, spread half of the pie filling into the crust and spoon the fudge on top. You will likely need to warm the fudge a bit so it is loose enough to spoon. Just be sure it isn’t very hot, or it will melt the filling. Use an offset or butter knife to gently swirl the fudge into the filling.

Once the pie is chilled, it’s topped with an espresso whipped cream. You can simply dollop it on top and swoop it for a very easy finish. But if you want to add a bit of flair, try this technique! You simply pipe dollops in a ring, then pull them towards the center with an offset spatula or a butter knife.

Start by pressing the blade into the center of the dollop, then drag it towards the center of the pie, just an inch or so. Continuing in concentric circles gives the top a flower pattern—it’s impressive but doesn’t require any technical piping skills or special tips.

Finished with a dusting of powdered sugar, and your pie is a gorgeous centerpiece!

Prep Tips:

• Make the crust ahead: Press it into the pan and freeze it for a month before baking. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil before storing it.

• This pie is great if made a day in advance! It needs plenty of time to chill, so it’s a good one to prep ahead. The whipped cream on top also holds well if you want to fully assemble it, or you can chill it without the topping and add it closer to serving. The cocoa powder dusting on top will absorb moisture and darken over time—add it before serving if you want it to look fresh.

Mocha Cream Pie

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie / 10-12 servings

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 25 (300g) Oreo cookies (don’t remove the filling)

• ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

• 1½ (4 ounce/113g) bittersweet chocolate bars, finely chopped (or 1 cup chocolate chips)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

• ⅔ cups (160ml) cold heavy whipping cream

• 1 cup (2 sticks/227g) unsalted butter, very soft

• ½ cup (150g) hot fudge

For the Topping:

• 1½ cups (360ml) cold heavy whipping cream

• ¼ cup (50g) powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Garnish: dusting of cocoa powder (optional)

Method

Make the Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. To the work bowl of a food processor, add the Oreo cookies and pulse for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until finely ground. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse for an additional 15 seconds or until the mixture resembles wet sand and holds together when squeezed.

2. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch pie dish. Spread the crumbs into an even layer and firmly press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides using a flat-bottom glass or measuring cup. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust appears dry. Allow to cool completely.

Make the Filling:

3. Fill a medium pot with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. In a heatproof bowl large enough to sit on the pot without the bottom touching the water, add the eggs and the sugar. Whisk to combine.

4. Place the bowl on top of the simmering water and gently stir with the whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160ºF on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. (If you don’t have a thermometer, the mixture should feel smooth when rubbed between your fingers.)

5. Remove the bowl from the pot, and add in the chopped chocolate, vanilla, and salt. Gently whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Add the espresso powder and whisk until combined. Allow the mixture to cool until no longer warm to the touch, about 30 minutes. (It should be no warmer than 80F or it will melt the butter.)

Finish the Filling and Assemble:

6. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the heavy cream on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a different bowl and chill until ready to use.

7. Using the same mixing bowl and beaters, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add in the cooled chocolate. Beat on medium-high speed until lightened and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

8. Using a spatula, fold in about one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until no streaks remain. Repeat in two more additions. Set aside.

9. To a small bowl, add the hot fudge. Microwave in 10-second bursts until the fudge is loosened and easily spoonable but not hot (about 20 seconds).

10. Transfer half of the whipped chocolate filling into the cooled pie crust, then drizzle the hot fudge all over the top. Top with the remaining whipped filling, using an offset spatula or knife, swirl the fudge into the filling, then smooth the top off. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

For the Topping:

11. When you are ready to serve, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed with a hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form, 3-5 minutes.

12. Transfer the whipped cream to a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe dollops all over the top of the pie. Dust lightly with cocoa powder or shave the remaining half of your chocolate bar over the whipped cream, if you’d like. Keep the pie chilled until you are ready to slice it.

Recipe Notes:

• This pie is virtually no-bake, but you can skip the oven if you want. The crust is baked for 10 minutes to help the sugar melt and set the structure, but you can freeze it if you don’t want to turn the oven on! It’ll be slightly more crumbly but still delicious.

• Storage: Loosely cover and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. You can freeze it, but I recommend serving it partially frozen rather than fully thawed. The whipped cream loses its structure if it’s fully thawed. Place the pie in the fridge for 4 hours before serving.

• Don’t want coffee or caffeine in the pie? Leave out the espresso! You could replace it with orange zest for an orange-chocolate flavor combo, or replace it with Dutch-processed cocoa powder for an extra kick of chocolate.

Mocha Cream Pie

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Today’s recipe is a play on thumbprint cookies and blueberry cheesecake, creating a really delicious Blueberry Cheesecake Cookie! If you make thumbprint cookies around the holidays, then you are already familiar with the “hardest” part of this recipe—shaping the cookies to hold the filling. It honestly isn’t difficult; it just takes a little bit of time. I walk you through the process with images and all my tricks!

The cookie dough is shortbread-like with a tender, buttery texture. I replaced some of the flour with fine graham cracker crumbs to play on the cheesecake crust. The graham crackers add a subtle, nutty flavor while still feeling like a butter cookie. It holds a surprise pocket of blueberry-cream cheese filling that is super simple to make (only 4 ingredients and no eggs needed!). The blueberry topping is a quick jam made from fresh blueberries, sugar, water or lemon juice, and cornstarch.

These cookies are a really fun and unexpected treat for summer parties, so I made sure you could prep components ahead. The dough can be scooped, shaped, and frozen for several weeks before baking, and the blueberry jam will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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If you like a little morning breakfast treat, today’s recipe is perfect. It’s not too sweet, balanced by tangy cream cheese in the filling, and fresh, juicy cherries. The cherries are simply tossed with orange zest—no sugar or other sweetener, so their pure cherry goodness comes through.

You can drizzle them with a bit of glaze for an added pop of sweetness if you want, or serve them without! The toasted sliced almonds add a nutty crunch to every bite that adds a contrast in texture and flavor, and complements the cherries' natural flavors, too.

I include a recipe for homemade rough puff because I like the taste of it better than store-bought frozen puff pastry (and it’s pretty easy to make!). But you can certainly use frozen sheets if you’d prefer. Read on for all of my tips!

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A jammy crumb bar is such a delightful treat—it has such a good combination of textures from chewy oats, a crisp brown sugar crust, and a soft, jammy fruit center. The flavors also pair so well together. In this recipe, I’m featuring summer peaches, with their floral, sweet juiciness, and a sweet peach jam.

The crumb mixture serves double-duty as both the bottom crust and a streusel-like topping. It stirs together with melted butter, making it quick and easy to pull together.

You can even swap the fruit and jam flavor out in these bars if you have other berries or stone fruit on hand. This is a fun recipe to bake with your kids, too, if you’re looking for a summer activity!

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By now, you probably know how much I love a treat that I can just walk by and take a slice of whenever I pass by it. This cake is just that—it’s moist, tender, and packed with juicy pops of fresh blueberries. Baked in a loaf pan, it’s easy to shave a little sliver or a cut big slice as you wish!

The cake itself is just the right density, feeling substantial without being too heavy. The batter is a riff on olive cake with some added yogurt. Both keep the cake tender and moist for days, and a touch of lemon zest brightens the flavor of the fresh berries.

My blueberry bushes in the garden are coming along—with this upcoming heatwave, they should ripen up nicely (and quickly). I can’t wait to make this with my own fruit! If you have fresh blueberries in your yard or available at the farmers’ market, make this loaf cake with them. It really highlights the flavor their flavor and is easy enough to whip up on a whim.

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My peanut butter cookies are one of the most popular recipes on Preppy Kitchen, and they are a great, classic cookie. But I love thinking of fun new ways to use them. This recipe is like a Nutter Butter meets a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with my perfect, soft peanut butter cookies.

PB & J sandwiches are a staple in our house (I’m sure any of you with kids can relate!), and my boys love them made with raspberry jam and classic Jif creamy peanut butter. So, I chose those flavors for these cookie sandwiches. The filling is a peanut butter frosting swirled with a few spoonfuls of jam and a dollop of jam right in the center for a fruity punch of flavor.

These cookies are easy to make (no chill time for the dough), adaptable to any jam flavor you’d like, and can be made ahead! What’s not to love?

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Happy summer, everyone! I hope you are all enjoying fun outdoor activities and some R&R, as school is out and the weather is lovely. This month included some good time in the kitchen filming new videos for you, along with developing some delicious summery recipes that I’ll share in the coming weeks, and a fun trip to see my friend in Minnesota.

All of the month’s new recipes in one list for you! This month had a good mix of easy cakes, breakfast treats, and a fun baking project—did any of you make the Danish pastry dough? Let me know! I was most excited about the Butter Swim Pancakes from Wednesday’s newsletter.

If you missed it, the link is below for you. I got creative with combining the idea of sheet pan pancakes—because standing over the stove endlessly flipping pancakes is my least favorite part of doing it—with butter swim biscuits. The recipe results in the crispiest-edged pancakes baked in the oven. And you can make the whole batch at once!

1. Strawberry Pound Cake

2. Danish Pastry Dough (with a video!)

3. Lemon Blueberry Danishes

4. Cherry Pie Cheesecake Bars

5. Blackberry Zucchini Muffins

6. Soaked Margarita Cake

7. Butter Swim Pancakes

The sunrises on the farm are honestly one of my favorite parts of being here (and yes, I’m usually up to see them with two kids). In the summer, they get especially vibrant as the light peaks over the hills.

I went to Minneapolis at the start of June to celebrate my friend Corinn’s upcoming wedding. While I was there, I got to explore the city (which is so beautiful!) and enjoy some very good meals. Two of my favorite spots were Parajito for an outstanding Mexican lunch and a very memorable Italian dinner at Italian Eatery.

I also spent time in the garden. Last month, I shared our freshly planted beds. In just a few weeks, the plants are thriving and soaking up the long days of summer! I pruned the espalier apples that border our garden. The fruit was about the size of blueberries last month, and now they’ve really grown in size! I can’t wait to eat these in August.

Unfortunately, a critter got my Swiss chard, and the turkeys came back for my prized strawberries…but this tomato plant sprang up in the gravel outside a raised bed from one of last summer’s dropped fruit. I left it there because it is thriving and determined to grow where it wishes.

I am currently FLUSH with squash blossoms, which has me very excited for the abundance of yellow squash and zucchini coming my way very soon. I may sacrifice a few, though, and make the squash blossom salad from my first cookbook (page 200). You stuff the flowers with seasoned ricotta and nestle them into a cold shrimp-and-tomato salad—it’s soooooo good and perfect for this heat wave.

I also currently have an abundance of herbs—chives, basil, oregano, and mint. Let me know if you have any creative ideas for using them!

I’ve been working on some fun recipes for July! I can’t wait to share them with you. Flavors include peanut butter, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, cheesecake, and the best chocolate pie…stay tuned!