Cozy Home Baking

I’m testing out some new apple butter recipes for the holidays, and I’m thinking these apple butter blondies will be a big hit! Soft and chewy and full of apple flavor. I’ll get the recipe up on my blog soon for you all to enjoy!

It’s been rainy and dreary all day today and yesterday here in Omaha, and it’s making me crave some comfort food, like this Black & Blue Grilled Cheese on fresh baked thick cut Italian bread. Perhaps with a bowl of French onion soup too….
Recipe for this sandwich is on my blog! 😉

Hazelnut Cinnamon Babka. Loaded with aromatic toasted hazelnuts, this Babka is full of cozy flavors and perfect with a spread of butter and sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. Recipe is now on my blog!

Fresh strawberries, cream cheese, and fudgy brownies…. How could you go wrong?? Recipe is on my blog! 😉

Right now I’m kicking myself for not planning ahead and making some delicious tres leches in honor of Cinco de Mayo, but 🤷🏻‍♀️ That’s life. So here’s some of the best Rice Krispie treats instead. Recipe’s on my blog! 🤪

As the days get warmer and sunnier, all I want, all the time, is ice cream. Who’s with me???

Weekends call for being wrapped up in fuzzy blankets on the cozy couch with a good book, strong coffee, and fresh baked muffins… like these banana pecan streusel muffins that are on my blog! 😉 Wooosaahhhh….

I love making things that I’m not usually a big fan of, but finding a way to make myself a big fan of it. Like these chocolate chip cookies, for example. I mean, I don’t hate ccc’s by any means… they’re just never my go-to cookie. So I tried to make them a little more “me” by adding some orange zest and cinnamon to give them a little more depth and intrigue. And it worked! I’ve been craving these cookies since I took my last bite! Recipe is on my blog! Give them a try this weekend!

Easter calls for carrot cake, and this recipe is one of my faves cuz the carrots are puréed rather than shredded and it doesn’t contain nuts or coconut or pineapple, so you end up with a spongy, yet somewhat dense cake full of that delicious carrot flavor, only without all the chunks! Whether you use regular cream cheese frosting or this burnt honey version, this cake will be a hit at your Easter dinner! Check out my blog for the recipe! www.cozyhomebaking.com.

All this warm weather and sunshine has me dreaming of summer and fresh berries and gardening and honeybees and flowers! 👩🏻‍🌾 What’s gets you excited about summer??? Maybe this strawberry cobbler will be it? Recipe is up on my blog! 😉😉

Taking Rice Krispie treats to the next level! These babies are ooey gooey and sooo delicious! I could seriously eat them every single day! Recipe is on my blog! www.cozyhomebaking.com

As much as I love my “real job”, some days I wish I could just stay home and bake all day. Maybe someday…

Every time I bake with bananas I’m singing 🎶 This s**+ is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S! 🎶 Every. Single. Time. Thanks 😏
But seriously, this banana buttermilk bundt cake recipe from is top notch!

Grandmas only turn 90 once… and that calls for a special birthday dessert, like this silky smooth banana cream pie with a golden crust. 😍 Seconds, please!
*tisbananas

Just a quick hello from my tiny little apartment kitchen in Omaha. Have I mentioned how much I can’t wait to get out of this apartment and buy a house where I can eventually build my dream kitchen??? I mean, the thought of it just consumes me! Hopefully only about 6-8 more months! 🤞🤞 It’s times like these I wish I had a sugar daddy. 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️

When alcohol alone doesn’t do the trick, just add apple crisp. 😜
I’m case you missed it, my recipe for this Drunken Apple Crisp with Apple Butter No-Churn Ice Cream is up on my blog! cozyhomebaking.com

I finally got my birthday cake… a couple days late! And happy birthday to me, it was DELICIOUS!!!!
I attempted to make this cake a few days ago as a little treat for myself. I found the recipe on Pinterest and was super excited about it cuz it sounded like the perfect chocolate cake! I started making it, thinking I had all the ingredients needed… only to find out I was short 4 eggs! I tried it with just the 2 eggs I had, but it bubbled up and out of the pan and all over the bottom of my oven. What a disaster! I totally knew better, but 🤷🏻‍♀️. This time though… it was perfection!
To all my chocolate lovers, please do yourself a favor and check out this Chocolate Buttermilk Bundt Cake recipe from !!!

It has been so long since I’ve posted anything on here, but tonight’s dinner and lighting had me inspired. One of these days folks, one of these days... Eventually I’ll get back to my regular cooking and posting. It’s gotta happen one of these days, right?!

A juicy Colorado peach. Is there anything better at the end of summer?

Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa. I mean, it just LOOKS like summertime! This bright and cheery salsa is a fun alternative for chips and dip, pulled pork tacos, or to serve atop your favorite grilled fish. It's fruity, smoky, and has the perfect amount of kick! See the recipe below!
Ingredients:
1 pineapple, cored and diced small
1 mango, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
1-2 chipotle peppers, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1/2 red onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Mix all ingredients together. Place in refrigerator and allow to rest for at least 1 hour before serving. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

When delociously creamy burrata meets papardelle with grilled artichokes, white wine, garlic cream sauce, and basil pesto, magic happens!

Haupia Pie with Macadamia Shortbread Crust. This coconut pie instantly takes me back to Maui, Hawaii, where I celebrated my 40th birthday. When I added this recipe to my blog last year, the photos I took were horrible. (That was before I started studying food photography.) So I figured it was time for a redo. And I could use some of those relaxing Hawaiian vibes right now!
Recipe is on the blog! http://www.thebrandedchef.blog/recipes/haupia-pie-with-macadamia-shortbread-crust
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Sorry I have been so MIA lately! I've been in the process of moving from Alaska back to my home state of Nebraska, and life has been crazy lately! I've shipped off all my belongings in a Upack cube and feel like I'm living very primitive right now. I seriously haven't cooked or baked anything in like 2 weeks cuz everything has been packed up!!! Luckily, we still have a couple cake pans in the house, so I was able to whip up this delicious pan of blueberry crisp! Can't wait to dig in and soothe my stress with a little sweetness! Who wants this recipe?

What do you consider to be the perfect bite? This right here is a good example of one of my "perfect bites". You've got crispy toasted bread, creamy burrata, sweet and smoky grilled melon, salty prosciutto, and bright earthy basil. Layers and layers of flavor and textures in one bite. To me, that's perfection!

Sometimes life is like these cookie bars. Sometimes it doesn't work out the way you thought it would the first time around, so you've gotta pause, rethink everything, and start again. Well, that's my life right now. This month, I will be in the process of moving back to my home state of Nebraska from Alaska. Moving 3,500 miles is never any fun, trust me! But I'm super excited for the opportunities it will bring, and for all the amazing food I'll have at my fingertips, and in my garden! Until then, my posts on here may be few and far between, but I'll be back in full force once I get settled in my new home. (Once I find my new home!)

Chicken Cordon Blue Pasta Casserole. This casserole highlights the delicious roasted chicken, smoked ham, and Swiss cheese flavors and is topped with crispy Panko bread crumbs, simular to a traditional Chicken Cordon Blue, only this version is quicker and easier to make and a little more family-friendly. It's creamy and cheesy and so delicious! Recipe is on my blog! Link in bio!

Who else loves Sunday brunch? 🙋‍♀️ Eggs bene all day for me please!

The other night, I tested out my Cast Iron Pan Pizza Dough recipe as a regular hand-tossed pizza, and it turned out sooo good! The dough fermented at room temperature for about 3 hours before shaping, topping, and baking it on a hot pizza stone. I topped this one with garlic and herb-infused olive oil, sautéed mushrooms, garlic, ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella, rosemary, thyme, and baby arugula. You can find this pizza dough recipe on my blog at www.thebrandedchef.blog, under the Cast Iron Pan Pizza Dough. (Instructions for the hand-tossed pizza are at the bottom of the recipe.) Link in bio!

Fresh herbs make such a huge difference in any dish, giving it a lovely fresh quality. This Lemon Basil Cacio e Pepe is a great example of that. Cacio e pepe is usually a fairly rich pasta dish, but the addition of the lemon and basil makes it light and vibrant. Find the recipe on my blog!

This Cherry Amaretto Loaf Cake is slightly dense, similar to a pound cake, with a soft amaretto/almond flavor and a layer of amaretto soaked cherries, then topped with an amaretto glaze and a crunchy layer of candied almonds. It is so moist and delicious, it'll be hard to resist! Recipe is on my blog! Link in bio!
# cakeboss dessertrecipes

I'm back home in Nebraska right now, and over the weekend, we took a jaunt around the local farmers market. I haven't been to a "true" farmer's market in about 5 years, since I moved to Alaska from Colorado. Alaska's growing season is super short, and we don't get the heat to produce a lot of really great veggies, especially this early in the year. Certain things grow really well there, like greens, herbs, rhubarb, and berries. But without a greenhouse, it's nearly impossible to grow big flavorful tomatoes, spicy jalapenos, or sweet corn. But here in Nebraska, it's a whole different story! I don't exactly enjoy the heat and humidity here, but oh boy does it produce some beautiful crops! I think living in Alaska has given me a whole new appreciation for Nebraska and the farmers that toil away in the fields. Even now just talking about it, it's making me crave a big plate of grilled veggies! I can't wait till I can have a big luscious garden again!

Decided to do a little throwback meal with some baked chicken parmesan over creamed spinach. These two items take me back to two of my favorite restaurant jobs, when life was easy and all I cared about was having fun and eating good food. Simpler times. What are your favorite throwback meals?

Our rhubarb is really starting to sprout and every time I check on it, all I can think about is these Rhubarb Custard Crumble Bars! 🙆‍♀️ I cant wait! Recipe is on my blog! Link in bio!

I really need to get better at remembering to taking process shots! I get so wrapped up in what I'm doing that I forget to pause for a few moments to take some action, in-progress shots while I'm cooking or baking. But they're so helpful and essential for some blog posts! One of these days I'll figure it out! 😜 If you've got any tips or tricks, please comment below! 👇
You can find the recipe for this Banoffee Pie with Banana Whipped Cream on my blog! Link in bio!

Strawberry Cheesecake Brownies. Strawberries and chocolate are a classic pairing, yet as I thought about brownies with strawberries, I couldn’t recall ever seeing that combo before. So of course I had to try it! The base brownie in this recipe is so chewy and fudgy and everything a brownie should be. It’s seriously the best brownie recipe ever, in my opinion! And come to find out, when you top it with a layer of strawberry cheesecake, it gets even better! Find this recipe on my blog! www.thebrandedchef.blog Link is in my bio!

Honey Chipotle Shrimp Scampi. Sweet, smoky, spicy, and buttery.... This modern twist on a classic Italian-American dish takes only 10 (yes, I said TEN!) minutes to make! That makes it one of my favorite weeknight dinners. Seriously, who wants to come home and slave over a hot stove for 2 hours after working hard all day?! Not me! BUT that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice quality. You can still whip up a delicious meal from scratch without completely burning yourself out! Check out the recipe on my blog! www.thebrandedchef.blog Link in bio!