Strawberry Hand Pies

The first time I attempted to make a pie, the results were a little mixed. As good as the berry pie tasted, the filling came out a bit runny and the crust was not at all flaky. But with company coming for dinner, I decided to give pie another shot, but with a twist this time. Rather than make one large pie, I opted for more conveniently sized strawberry hand pies, with a nutella cream dipping sauce on the side.

This time, things turned out very differently than my first pie attempt. These came out perfectly crispy and flaky, and the strawberry filling was sufficiently thick rather than runny. You can practically SEE how flaky they are just by looking at them! I won't lie to you, though, this perfect flakiness comes at a cost - this is not an easy recipe to prepare, with many steps to perform and long periods of waiting for things to freeze or chill. Of course, I'll walk you through it step by step as always, but just know that it isn't for the lazy or faint of heart. They are, however, well worth the effort, and I consider them one of my most resounding dessert success stories to date.

Really Skinny Chocolate Cookies

Every now and then, I get an urge to bake without the desire to do something intricate or crazy. I have a tendency to tackle recipes that are way beyond my skill level, but sometimes, a simple recipe is just as effective. These cocoa powder cookies are simple, light, and easy to prepare. They’re also exceptionally thin and tasty. This blog may be called Screw Your Diet, but these skinny cookies are one dessert that definitely will not screw your diet.

Banana Bread Bars

Banana bread is one of those reliable old baking standbys that seems to please pretty much everybody. But that’s the thing – if I stuck to recipes that were old and reliable, this wouldn’t be a very interesting blog, now would it?

My original intent was to make a fairly standard banana bread, just to see how it goes. While searching for a good looking recipe, I came across something considerably more interesting and unique – banana bread in bar form, topped with a browned butter frosting. Almost brownie-like. I knew this was the recipe for me right away, so after a quick trip to the market for bananas, I set about the task of baking these suckers.

Mixed Berry Upside Down Cake

Having exhausted a large portion of my chocolate stores making the Hot Cocoa Cookies last weekend, I decided that the next dessert I bake ought to be something that doesn’t use any. I spent the better part of my day just figuring out what the hell I felt like making. I wanted something interesting, but simple and light as well. I had almost given up searching, nearly resigning myself to just making another cinnamon pull apart bread, when I came across a recipe for upside down cake. It was love at first sight.

Having never made (or even eaten) an upside down cake before, I really did not know what to expect going into this one. It came out with a texture somewhere between bread pudding and cake and, frankly, I’m not sure if that’s how it’s supposed to be. One thing I am sure of however, is that it tastes quite good.

Hot Cocoa Cookies

As an aspiring chef or baker or whatever I am, I end up making a lot of desserts. And why not? Dessert is as tasty as it is popular, and there are so many to choose from! This time I was in the mood for cookies, since I had yet to post any cookies here in Screw Your Diet. Not just any cookies, though. These cookies are like a cup of rich hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, and they will blow your mind.

Strawberry and Mascarpone Swiss Roll

For my latest baking adventure, I wanted to try something a little different, and preferably a little easier than a fruit pie. When I stumbled upon a picture of a delicious looking strawberry Swiss roll, however, I knew. It was love at first sight, I didn’t care whether or not it was simpler to make than a pie, I only knew I had to have it.

It called for a couple of ingredients I don’t typically keep on hand, however – mascarpone cheese and Marsala wine – so after a quick trip to the market, I set about the task of creating that glorious dessert you see above. It’s not especially difficult, but it definitely requires a bit of…finesse.

Mixed Fruit Pie

Pie. Who doesn't love a good pie? Fruit, pumpkin, buttermilk, pecan - you name it, and if it's contained within a pie crust, I'll eat it. I decided it was time to take on the daunting task of creating a pie of my own, having never attempted to make one before now. After rummaging through the cabinets and the fridge, I decided on mixed fruit, since that's what I happened to have laying around. I made it work, and you can, too, so check out the recipe down below.

Spaghetti Bread

Happy father's day, everyone. While I don't have children of my own, I thought I'd share a recipe today that kids and parents alike are sure to enjoy - it's called spaghetti bread, and if you think that picture is blowing your mind, just wait till you taste it! It's a unique and interesting concoction that can be enjoyed on its own as the main course, or as a side dish to something like steak or meatballs. It's a relatively tricky recipe, but well worth the effort, I assure you! You'll never look at spaghetti or garlic bread the same way again.

Spicy Cheddar Beer Bread

Beer bread is one of the first recipes I tried when I started getting familiar with cooking and baking. It's simple to make, ridiculously tasty, and works well both on its own and as a sandwich bread. It's also the second best use for beer that I know of! As the name implies, it's also fairly spicy, but not in a way that overpowers the flavor of the bread. One thing you'll soon notice is that I love spicy foods, so I'll give pretty much everything an extra kick when I can.

Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

As this blog is titled Screw Your Diet, I figured I'd want to set a precedent for this nice and early. So to get things started, I've got a recipe for the delicious Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart bread you see above. Sometimes referred to as Monkey Bread and resembling a sweet, sugary Shar-Pei, it's actually fairly easy to put together so long as you have the time and patience to let your dough rise a bit. Head on past the page break to get the recipe, or just continue to ogle the picture. Your choice!